Joey Chestnut (right) won a hot dog-eating contest against soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, with Impossible Foods pledging to donate $1,000 in support of military families for each hot dog downed. Impossible Foods hide caption
toggle caption Impossible FoodsJoey Chestnut did compete in a July 4th hot dog-eating competition after all, but not in the Coney Island contest that made him famous.
Chestnut, the 16-time winner of Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, was officially banned from the annual event by Major League Eating in mid-June. Their beef? He had signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based proteins.
While Major League Eating has since said it walked back its ban, according to the Associated Press, Chestnut has said he won't return to their stage at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues without an apology.
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The world's leading competitive eater instead battled a group of soldiers at the Fort Bliss army base in El Paso, Texas, in a patriotic performance for charity that was streamed live on his YouTube channel and followed by a "Meat and Greet."
"For the first time anywhere, especially here at Fort Bliss, we have the ultimate hot dog-eating challenge," roared an emcee wearing an American flag-patterned polo shirt. "Five minutes, all-beef hot dogs, one man against four of the Army's finest."
Chestnut, who said onstage that his grandfather, uncles, father and brother all served in the U.S. Army, faced off against four soldiers competing as a team.
The two tables were nearly neck and neck for much of the five minutes, but it was Chestnut who ultimately prevailed. As more than 18,000 viewers at home watched, and a horde of in-person spectators chanted his name and "USA," Chestnut downed 57 hot dogs and buns to top his opponents' 49.
"I love you guys, thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here," Chestnut said afterward as he hoisted up his hard-earned, gold-plated belt. "I was hustling in the beginning and I slowed down a little bit — for a second I thought I might be able to hit 60, but you guys pushed me hard. Thank you so much."
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