Undisputed chomping champion

When it comes to man vs dog, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut stands alone as an unstoppable force.

The 36-year-old former construction foreman, who tips the scales at 104 kilograms (230 pounds), won $10,000 and his 13th Mustard Belt at Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog-eating contest on Saturday in New York, downing a world-record 75 dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

En route to passing the 1,000-hot dog milestone in competitive eating, Chestnut defeated runner-up and fellow American Darron Breedon by 30 dogs and buns.

Officially sanctioned by Major League Eating (MLE), the Nathan's contest has been a staple of America's Independence Day celebrations for decades. It was telecast live on ESPN to an estimated 35 million viewers in the US and Canada, who tuned in to watch the championship field go head-to-head (mouth-to-mouth?) in a spectator-free indoor venue on Coney Island.

To conform to coronavirus safety measures, the venue featured a nine-meter-long table with just five competitors, compared to the typical 15. All the eaters wore face masks right up to their first bite.

Chestnut chomped his way into the world of competitive eating in 2005 while he was a university student in California. His first major victory came that spring when he wolfed down three kilograms of fried asparagus in 11 minutes and 30 seconds. He qualified for his first Nathan's hot dog-eating contest two months later and ate 32 dogs.

By 2011, Chestnut had become such a force on the competitive eating circuit that he was able to quit his job in construction management and focus full-time on training, perfecting the unique technique in which he punctuates his torrid chewing with short gulps of water.

Over the past decade Chestnut has cemented his status as the greatest competitive eater of all time, claiming 49 records officially recognized by MLE. Among them are 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes and 121 Twinkies (cream-filled cakes) in six minutes.

According to CelebrityNet-Worth.com, since 2005 Chestnut has earned roughly $1.5 million for his eating prowess, including sponsorships. He recently launched "Joey Chestnut Select", a line of condiments that includes Chestnut's Firecracker Mustard, Boardwalk Coney Sauce and Deli-Style Mustard.

Profits from online sales of the condiments have benefitted Hidden Heroes, a charitable program for assisting wounded US soldiers.

"Nobody gets real rich in competitive eating, but you can earn a pretty comfortable living doing this," Chestnut said in an interview with ESPN ahead of Saturday's contest.

"My ultimate goal, to be honest, is to win enough money to build and outfit a new cafeteria for my old elementary school. That's kind of where I first discovered I had a talent for eating, so I'd like to give something back."

As for what it takes to always be "on" when the bell rings, Chestnut said his biggest rush comes from the roar of the crowd.

"I love the competition and the crowds. It's a real rush to go out there and have to defend a title or try for a new one … but it's a much different vibe this year, with no fans in the stands and nobody cheering. I miss the people, but I'm not gonna let that affect the way I compete."

True to his word, he was able to adjust.

"I didn't consciously start to miss the crowd until the sixth minute … then I hit a wall," Chestnut said after being presented with the Mustard Belt. "Being inside helped. I knew I was on track for the record; I got my rhythm early and never looked back."