Chestnut won the “Mustard Yellow Belt” 16 times, ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021 and has reportedly made hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars for his competitive eating of hot dogs and other foods.
MLE co-founder George Shea said the company tried to accommodate Chestnut and his management team, which included allowing him to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.
“It’s a long-standing rule not to represent a rival brand,” Shea said. “Michael Jordan can’t go to Adidas and say that Air Jordans are great.”
The MLE has also emphasised that Chestnut was not banned for life from competing, citing his 20-year relationship with the league. The organisation said that to come back Chestnut must renounce deals with brands that rival Nathan’s.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope that he returns when he is not representing a rival brand,” the MLE said in a statement.
This is not the first instance of Nathan’s beefing with their winners. Chestnut’s rival and former reigning champion Takeru Kobayashi did not compete in the 2010 contest, reportedly due to disputes with the company over getting him to sign an exclusive contract.
The jaw-opening feat this man did in ten minutes
Joey Chestnut, Nathan’s and its parent company, Smithfield Foods, did not reply to requests for comment. Impossible Foods didn’t comment for this story.