Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest is Saturday. The yearly bun fight, which dates back to 1972, sees large crowds of fans in foam hot-dog hats gather in front of the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, to cheer on the competitors as they chow down. The contestants are allowed to dunk the dogs in cups of water to soften them up, creating a stomach-churning spectacle. This is the first hot dog-eating contest since Nathan’s Famous, which opened as a 5-cent hot dog stand in Coney Island more than a century ago, was sold to packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods in an all-cash $450 million deal in January. Smithfield said then that the event, which has been televised on ESPN at Coney Island each year, would continue. Competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, last year’s champion and 17-time winner of the contest will compete again this year while on probation for a misdemeanor battery charge. Chestnut was accused of slapping a man on the face during a night out at an Indiana bar, his attorney, Mario Massillamany, said. He pleaded guilty in April. A judge granted him permission to travel outside the state, allowing Chestnut to defend his title and the signature Mustard Belt this weekend in New York. Chestnut is expected to dominate the men’s competition. Last year he downed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. He holds the world record of eating 76 hot dogs. Last year’s second-place winner was Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, who gobbled up 46 1/2 hot dogs and buns, falling short of the 58 he ate to earn the 2024 men’s title. Defending champion in the women’s division, Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title last year, downing 33 dogs. She holds the women’s record of 51 in 10 minutes. Contestants this year hail from 18 states and several countries. ...read more read less