Credit Patrick Bertoletti for being frank.
The defending Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winner admits that his chances of retaining the Yellow Mustard Belt are diminished greatly by the return on Friday of engorgement superstar Joey Chestnut. Last year, with the 16-time Nathan’s champion banned by event organizers because he’d entered a sponsorship deal with an ostensible competitor — plant-based-hot-dog-maker Impossible Foods — Bertoletti chomped into the void, winning for the first time by putting away 58 meat tubes with buns.
Bertoletti said he’s trained well, but he doesn’t feel on the type of roll to deny Chestnut.
“I don’t think with Joey coming back that it is very likely,” he conceded in an interview with InGame.
A champion eater in his own right and ranked second behind Chestnut by Major League Eating, Bertoletti still has come nowhere close to the record 76 Nathan’s dogs with buns Chestnut inhaled in 2021. So he swallowed hard and laid out his prospects as a busy week of preparations culminate.
Needless to say, I would not bet Timmy’s college fund on me for the big upset.
Patrick Bertoletti
IG: Did you get many comments last year saying you won because Joey Chestnut got banned?
PB: I got a lot of trash talk calling me a Mickey Mouse paper champ. I loved every second of it. But at some point, I recognized I have no control over who enters the contest, who wins. The internet is filled with trolls and losers. You can’t let it affect you.
IG: Did it, though?
PB: In the beginning, I was too conscious of this fact [of Chestnut having not competed] and agreed with them. But I still had to eat 58 hot dogs to win the title. I am a non-delusional realist. Joey is the greatest hot dog/competitive eater of all-time.
IG: Some sportsbooks have you as low third favorite behind Chestnut and Geoffrey Esper. Would you bet on you?
PB: So many things have to align and go right, and last year the stars aligned for me to set a new personal best. I had little confidence of this last year going in and am the same as last year. Needless to say, I would not bet Timmy’s college fund on me for the big upset.
(Note: Chestnut is a -1400 favorite in aggregated odds over multiple sportsbooks, with Bertoletti second at +1600. Bertoletti has the shortest odds (+170) in the “without Joey Chestnut” markets.)
IG: How’s training gone coming into the contest?
PB: It is about the same as last year. I have lost more weight and seem to be stronger, have more stomach capacity, but that doesn’t guarantee any performance or finish. It’s all about showing up July 4th. I have no idea what will happen.
This Bertoletti boy can eat
Bertoletti’s consumption world records, according to Major League Eating
Source: Major League Eating
Hotcakes — 46 4-ounce NORM’s Buttermilk Hotcakes / Las Vegas / 10 Minutes / Nov. 16, 2024
Corned Beef & Cabbage — 10.63 pounds Corned Beef & Cabbage / 10 Minutes/ March 16, 2007
Pancakes — 50 3.25-ounce Wild Eggs pancakes/Louisville, Kentucky / 10 minutes/ Sept. 29, 2012
Date Nut Bread — 29.5 Chock full o’Nuts Date Nut Breat and Cream Cheese Sandwiches / 8 minutes / Dec. 20, 2006
Kolaches — 44 Cherry Kolaches/GoldenPalace.net at the Nebraska State Fair / 8 Minutes / Sept. 2, 2006
16″ Pizza — 47 Slices Big Apple Pizza/Battle at the Big Apple World Pizza Eating Championship / 10 Minutes / Nov. 8, 2008
Blueberry Pie (Hands-Free) — 9.17 pounds blueberry pie / Stand By Me World Pie Eating Championship / 8 minutes / July 28, 2007
Grits — 21 pounds of Grits at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs / 10 minutes / Sept. 29, 2007
Chocolate — 1 pound, 15.5 ounces Chicago Chocolate Hearts / 7 minutes / Feb. 13, 2006
Key Lime Pie — 10.8 pounds Key Lime Pie / 8 minutes / March 21, 2006
Pepperoni with Cheese — 252 slices (2.25 pounds) Armour Pepperoni with Cheese / 6 minutes / May 19, 2011
Jalapenos, Pickled, Short-Form — 191 Pickled Jalapeno Peppers / La Costena “Feel the Heat” Jalapeno Eating Challenge / 6.5 Minutes / Sept. 16, 2007
King Cake — 14 cakes (10.5 pounds) / Showboat AC Casino / 8 minutes / Feb. 16, 2010
Catfish — 7.5 pounds Fried Catfish / Rhythm City Casino World Catfish Eating Championship / 10 minutes / March 19, 2011
Maid-Rite Sandwiches — 26 Maid-Rite Sandwiches / Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf / 10 minutes / Nov. 6, 2010
Posole — 9 pounds, 3 ounces Posole / Sky City Casino / 12 Minutes / Nov. 18, 2006
Boneless Buffalo Wings — 9 pounds / Isle Boonville World Boneless Buffalo Wing Eating Championship / 10 minutes / May 7, 2011
Shoo-Fly Pie — 11.1 Pounds Shoo-Fly Pie / Rockvale Outlets / 8 Minutes/ June 23, 2007
Donuts, Cream-filled — 47 Glazed and Cream-filled Donuts / MLE St. Patrick / 5 minutes / March 17, 2007
Waffles — 29 Waffles (8-ounce) / Waffle House / 10 Minutes / Oct. 7, 2007
Jalapenos, Pickled — 275 Pickled Jalapeno Peppers / La Costena “Feel the Heat” Jalapeno Eating Championship / 8 Minutes / May 1, 2011
Pickles, Sour — 5 pounds 11.2 ounces / Isle Casino Pompano Park World Pickle Eating Championship / 6 Minutes / Sept. 12, 2010
Turkey (Whole), Short Form — 6.91 pounds roast turkey meat / Spike TV / 8 Minutes / Nov. 22, 2007
Oysters, Short Form — 39 dozen Acme oysters / New Orleans Oyster Festival, New Orleans / 8 Minutes / June 5, 2011
Rocky Mountain Oysters — 3 pounds 11.75 ounces / Isle Black Hawk World Rocky Mountain Oyster Eating Championship / 10 minutes / Aug. 28, 2010
Cupcakes — 72 cupcakes / Isle Waterloo World Cupcake Eating Championship / 6 minutes / April 14, 2012
XXX Hot Bhut Wings — 52 Bhut Wings / Jake Melnick’s Battle of the Bhut / 5 minutes / Nov. 6, 2011
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches ‚ 42 PB&J / Drum Corps International / 10 minutes / Aug. 8, 2007
7-Eleven Sports Slurpee — 22 ounces Sports Slurpee / 7-Eleven Sports Slurping Time Trials / 9 seconds / April 15, 2010
Baby Back Ribs (short form) — 5.24 pounds Baby Back Ribs / Ribfest Chicago / 8 minutes / June 10, 2011
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie — 7.9 pounds Strawberry Rhubarb Pie / 8 minutes / July 29, 2006
Deep-Fried Calamari — 6.625 pounds / Mallie’s Sports Grill World Calamari Eating Championship / 10 Minutes/ May 30, 2009
Mars Bars — 38 bars / Red Faction Mars Bar Eating World Championship / 5 Minutes / July 22, 2010
Blueberries, Fresh — 18.475 pounds / Great American Blueberry Eating Championship / 8 minutes / July 13, 2024
Chicken Nuggets, Long Form — 220 Chicken Nuggets / Wendy’s Chicken Nugget Eating Championship / 8 Minutes / July 26, 2024
