Joey Chestnut’s Odds To Win In 2025 Hot Dog Showdown Revealed

Joey Chestnut, the world-renowned competitive eater, is making his grand return to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

After settling a dispute with Nathan’s Famous, Joey Chestnut is back on the Coney Island stage, ready to reclaim his title and continue his dominance in the world of competitive eating.

Nathan’s, known for its all-beef hot dogs, saw the deal as a direct threat to their product and viewed it as a violation of their contract with Chestnut. This led to Nathan’s pulling their long-running relationship with the competitive eating champion just weeks before the annual event.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Chestnut said in a statement. “This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

While Chestnut has maintained partnerships with companies in the plant-based food space, he made it clear that his loyalty to Nathan’s remains unwavering.

“To be clear: Nathan’s is the only hot dog company I’ve ever worked with,” he explained. “I respect that there were differences in interpretation, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to find common ground.”

This new “common ground” came in the form of a fresh three-year endorsement deal with Nathan’s Famous and the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), the organization behind the event. Joey Chestnut confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that he is still collaborating with Impossible Foods, but his allegiance to Nathan’s has been solidified.

Performance projections from The Action Network show that Joey Chestnut has an impressive chance of victory in this year’s contest, with odds of 1/20 (or -2000 in American odds).

Even with strong challengers like reigning champion Patrick Bertoletti (+1600), seasoned eater Geoffrey Esper (+2200), and international contender James Webb (+2500), Chestnut remains the overwhelming favorite.

Joey Chestnut’s return has sparked intense excitement in the competitive eating world, and fans are eager to see him back in action.

“No matter what, I’ll be eating hot dogs on July 4th somewhere,” Chestnut told The Action Network in a recent interview. “I love competition. I love pushing myself, and I feel like I’ve already started training to eat hot dogs. My body’s working really well.”

“Every food’s a little different, but I always try to find the right rhythm early,” he said. “In competitive eating, you’re pushing your whole core to the max.”

He added, “You’ve got to be in tune with your body and be able to breathe right, stay clean, and perform, especially when people show up to see you win.”