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Chestnut Receives 180-Day Probation, Set for July 4 Contest

5/21/2026

Summary

Chestnut Receives Probation

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut received 180 days probation after pleading guilty to two battery charges in Hamilton County.
The charges arose from a March 21 incident at Joe’s Grille in Westfield where he slapped a man trying to shake him.
Chestnut, who said he was “pretty drunk,” will compete in the July 4 2026 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Summary

Chestnut Wins Bologna

Competitive eater Chestnut ate 16 pounds of bologna in eight minutes to win the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Knoxville.
Chestnut will compete in the Nick the Greek Gyro Eating Contest in San Diego on May 19.
Chestnut was barred from the 2024 Nathan’s contest after an Impossible Foods sponsorship violated his contract, returned in 2025 to reclaim the Mustard Yellow Belt and earn $10,000.

Summary

Chestnut Avoids Sanction

Major League Eating announced it will not sanction Joey Chestnut for the Indiana bar incident, saying the matter lies outside its jurisdiction.
Chairman George Shea told TMZ Sports the altercation did not breach the league’s code of conduct.
The league’s policy restricts its authority to actions that occur during sanctioned competitions or official events.
Consequently, Chestnut’s probation will not affect his eligibility for the July 4, 2026 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

History

Historical Context

Kobayashi’s six straight Nathan’s titles (2001-2006) ended when he refused Major League Eating’s exclusive contract, leading to his exclusion after 2009 and a dismissed 2010 arrest. Decades later, Chestnut’s 2024 ban over an Impossible Foods sponsorship shows the same league-enforced eligibility disputes persist, underscoring how contract control shapes the contest’s participants.

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Chestnut Receives Probation

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut received 180 days probation after pleading guilty to two battery charges in Hamilton County.
The charges arose from a March 21 incident at Joe’s Grille in Westfield where he slapped a man trying to shake him.
Chestnut, who said he was “pretty drunk,” will compete in the July 4 2026 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

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