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.

Chestnut’s absence from the 2024 competition was due to a controversial endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, where he promoted their plant-based hot dogs.

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.

But now, Chestnut is back, and with a vengeance.

"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."

The competitive eater also shared his training regimen, explaining how he prepares for the grueling contest.

“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.”

Despite sitting out the 2024 contest, Chestnut's return to the Coney Island stage signals that he is ready to reclaim his title.

"I’m excited to be back on the Coney Island stage, doing what I live to do, and celebrating the Fourth of July with hot dogs in my hands! Stay hungry!" Chestnut said, showing that his passion for the sport and for Nathan’s Famous remains as strong as ever.

While Chestnut sat out of the competition last year, Patrick Bertoletti claimed the men’s title by consuming 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling 18 short of Chestnut’s record-breaking 76.

“We're very excited to have Joey back and we believe this is going to be the best contest ever,’’ George Shea, the founder of IFOCE and announcer for the Nathan's contest, told USA TODAY Sports.

Now, as this year's contest approaches, all eyes will be on Chestnut, who remains the gold standard in competitive eating. Whether he’s up against a fierce challenger or continuing his legacy of domination, it is clear that Joey Chestnut is back, and he’s hungry for another victory.