Nathan’s Hot Dog contest 2022 LIVE — Joey Chestnut wins 4th of July event after eating shocking number in 10 minutes
THE world-famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest returned on July 4, and champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo came back to demolish the competition.
Fan-favorite Joey, 38, was looking to earn his 15th Mustard Belt going into the contest and he succeeded when he ate an astonishing 63 hot dogs in ten minutes.
However, he fell short of his goal of consuming 77 weiners in the competition.
Meanwhile, Miki earned her eighth Women's Title at the event, taking her place once again on the competitive eating throne after stepping away due to her pregnancy last year.
The 36-year-old ate 40 hot dogs in 10 minutes, falling behind her 2020 record of 48.5 hot dogs.
The men's championship kicked off midday on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York on the 4th of July holiday.
Read our Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest blog for the latest news and updates…
Final counts revealed
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut devoured 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes - over 15 hot dogs more than his closest competitor, Geoffrey Esper.
Competitive eater and cool mom Miki Sudo put away 40 hot dogs and buns in the intense 10 minutes.
How the Hungry Couple trains
Prior to the 2022 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, competitive eating couple Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry sat down with to discuss how they prepared for the performance.
During the interview, they revealed that they try to simulate contest conditions as closely as possible - one practices while the other takes care of their one-year-old baby boy.
"We haven't done a full practice together in a while," Sudo said. "Not since 2019? No, 2020."
"Usually one of us has to practice and the other one's on baby duty," Wehry added.
Sudo and Wehry are known for their YouTube channel, The Hungry Couple, which has over 46,000 subscribers.
Miki's impressive eating
Outside of her impressive Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest titles, Miki Sudo has also been the Major League Eating’s top-ranked female competitive eater since 2014, the notes.
Sudo also owns world records in ice cream (2 gallons in six minutes) and kimchi (8.5 pounds in 6 minutes), according to .
When Sudo is not competing, she often updates fans on her life on Instagram, where she has amassed over 8,000 followers.
What is the prize for the hot dog contest?
First-place winners for the men's and women's contests take home $10,000 each.
A remaining $20,000 purse is divided among the runners-up in both divisions, meaning that each runner-up gets $5,000.
The winners also get championship belts. The men's winner receives a famously huge mustard-colored belt.
The women's champion takes home a sponsored pink-colored belt.
Miki Sudo's glory
Miki Sudo, 36, is a competitive eater that rose to fame in 2014 after she unseated Sonya Thomas during the women's competition at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
She continued to win each year from 2014 to 2020, capturing eight titles.
In 2021, she missed the competition because she was pregnant with her son, Maxwell, with her fiancé Nick Wehry who is also a competitive eater.
Miki returned this year to claim her throne after consuming 40 hot dogs and buns.
Champion honors his mother
Joey Chestnut, 38, said in an emotional interview ahead of this year's competition that his mom "wouldn’t want me to miss the contest,’’ reported .
He went on to correctly predict that the competition results would be closer than they were last year.
He continued: "Most athletes have two kinds of primes. Their first prime is when their body is the best. I've passed that prime.
"The second prime is when their mind and knowledge is at its best, where you know your body and how to practice less but be just as prepared. I'm there now."
Joey's heartbreaking message
Joey Chestnut shared a heartbreaking but hopeful message after his mom died less than a month before his 15th win at the Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest.
His mother, Alicia Chestnut, was the Mustard Yellow Belt winner's "first trainer."
Alicia had always been proud of him and supported his dreams of being a hot-dog-eating king, he revealed.
Back in 2011 when Chestnut won his fifth competition, Alicia told the : “He loves to eat and they’re paying him to do it; he’s going to go with it,” she said.
Who were the protestors?
The protestor who jumped in front of Joey Chestnut at the hot dog contest was an animal rights activist with the grassroots network .
The protestors wore Star Wars masks as they walked on stage with signs that said "EXPOSE SMITHFIELD'S DEATHSTAR" before being removed by event security and police.
"It’s unclear whether protesters -- Scott Gilbertson, Robert Yamada and Josh Marxen -- suffered injuries or if they will face charges," Direct Action Everywhere's says.
Joey's response to protestor
When a protestor rushed the stage during the hot dog eating contest, Joey Chestnut quickly retaliated before the protestor left the stage.
The champion did it all while eating another hot dog.
Champion's words
"It's beautiful to be back here," Joey Chestnut said.
"New York is amazing and there's nowhere like it."
Official results revealed
Rookie James Webb from Sydney, Australia placed third.
Jeffrey Esper came in second place with 47.5 hot dogs.
Joey Chestnut came in first place with 63 hot dogs.
Wounded but alive
Joey Chestnut has unofficially eaten 63 hot dogs, which is lower than his goal of 77 hot dogs.
However, it seems that Joey still surpassed his competitors by about 20 hot dogs.
This will be his 15th Mustard Belt.
Crowd explodes
Fans are chanting Joey's name as the Coney Island heat slows down the champion.
With less than a minute left, Joey just passed 60 hot dogs.
Four minutes left,
With four minutes left in the competition, Joey is nearing 50 hot dogs.
Contestants Webb and Esper are just a few hot dogs behind the champion.
Protest intervenes
A protestor at the contest jumped in front of Joey Chestnut for a moment before being ushered off the stage.
Runners up
Nigerian eater Gideon Oji is behind Joey by just a few dogs.
Oji is the kale and sweet potato champion eater of the world.
First few minutes
The first few minutes of the intense 10 minutes are key so that the eaters can set their pace.
One minute in, Joey Chestnut has already eaten 10 hot dogs.
Joey Chestnut's arrival
Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, Nathan's Famous Champion of the World, has arrived.
Fans are going wild as the contest is set to begin any moment.
Credit: Reuters Competitive eating couple
Nick Wehry, Miki Sudo's fiancé, is taking to the stage for the men's competition.
The couple met at a hotel gym before an eating contest and didn't go on a date until months later.
They now have an 11-month-old son named Maxwell.
UK's pride
The top eater in the United Kingdom, Adam Moran, will be competing in today's competition.
It's time!
The men's hot dog eating contest is starting NOW.
The contestants are being welcomed to the stage now.
Chugging championship
Four men are now competing to drink a gallon of Nathan's pink lemonade as fast as they can.
Badlands Booker took the lead with a NEW world record!
Tune in!
This year's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is live now from Coney Island.
The men's event will be starting soon, with Joey Chestnut as the headliner.
Spectators have gathered to cheer on the meaty competition.
Credit: Getty Joey's big dreams
Joey "Jaws" Chestnut hopes to eat 77 all-beef franks at this year's contest.
Joey has been adding one more hot dog each consecutive year since starting with 68 in 2012, and has now gone up to 76 hot dogs.
'With her eye on the prize'
Fans are impressed with Miki Sudo's return to the competition.