Competitive eating star Joey Chestnut will return to defend his Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest title on July 4 despite being on probation following a misdemeanor battery conviction.
Chestnut, a 17-time champion known as “Jaws,” pleaded guilty in April after an incident at an Indiana bar in which he was accused of slapping another man. He received 180 days of probation, and a judge approved his request to travel to New York for the annual contest on Coney Island.
His attorney described the incident as a misunderstanding and said Chestnut accepted responsibility for his actions. Major League Eating officials said the matter does not affect his eligibility because it occurred outside any sanctioned event.
Chestnut reclaimed the Nathan’s title last year by consuming 70½ hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes after missing the previous contest due to a sponsorship dispute. He recently added another record to his résumé, eating 16 pounds of bologna in eight minutes to win Tennessee’s Ultimate Bologna Showdown for a third consecutive year.
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