The annual July 4th tradition continues as the world’s best eaters head to Coney Island for the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The defending champions, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo return to the iconic contest with the hopes of setting a new world record. The women’s competition is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET while the men’s contest is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.
While the challengers might be biting off more than they can chew in their efforts to dethrone the champions, the hot dog eating contest will welcome back some familiar competitors in 2023.
Scroll down below to learn everything that you need to know about Joey Chestnut, Mikki Sudo, and the rest of the 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contestants.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Male Contestants
The 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest will feature a total of six participants headlined by the 16-time Mustard Belt winner Joey Chestnut. He will be up against a few familiar faces Geoffrey Esper, Nick Wehry, Gideon Oji, and more. Esper is expected to be Chestnut’s toughest competition but a few other contestants have claimed world records in different disciplines.
Below, we’ll introduce the male contestants at the 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
1. Joey Chestnut
- Hometown: Westfield, Indiana
- Age: 39
- Weight: 230 lbs
- Rank: 1
The current best competitive eater in the world, Joey Chesnut returns to Coney Island to claim his eighth straight Mustard Belt. Chesnut currently holds on to 55 world records across 55 different disciplines.
Since 2007, after defeating the six-time Mustard Belt holder Takeru Kobayashi has only lost the competition once. Chestnut currently holds on to the world record set in 2021 when he ate 76 hotdogs in 10 minutes.
2. Geoffrey Esper
- Hometown: Oxford, Massachusetts
- Age: 48
- Weight: 195 lbs
- Rank: 2
Another decorated Major League Eater, Geoffrey Esper holds 20 world records and has added five records in the last year.
Since last year’s hot dog eating contest, Esper has added a few more accolades, including eating 15.5 lbs of Apple Lane Farms Banana Pudding in eight minutes. He also consumed 76 Glier Brats in September and 17.75 Bagels with cream cheese in January.
While he’s never won the event, Esper finished second last year, guzzling down a total of 47.5 hotdogs. With a career-best of 51 hot dogs and buns eaten, he is expected to pose the stiffest competition for Chestnut in 2023.
3. Nick Wehry
- Hometown: Port Richey, Florida
- Age: 34
- Weight: N/A
- Rank: 4
Relatively new to Major League Eating, Nick Wehry has quickly cemented himself near the top. However, he only has two world records under his belt, including eating 50 hard-boiled eggs in 3:04 minutes and 188 pistachios in eight minutes.
He currently is the fourth-best-ranked competitive eater in the world. He sits one spot behind his wife, Miki Sudo, the No.1 ranked female eater in the world.
Last year, Wehry finished fourth only scarfing down 40.5 hotdogs, just shy of his personal best.
4. Darron Breedon
- Hometown: Orange, Virginia
- Age: 34
- Weight: 165 lbs
- Rank: 6
Darron Breeden entered his first competition in 2016 when took the stage at the Nathan’s Hot Dog qualifier in Norfolk, Virignia. He ate 28 hot dogs in 10 minutes and despite failing to win the qualifier, Breedon began his competitive eating journey and never looked back.
A few years later, Breedon claimed his first world record and non-qualifier championship in 2018 when he ate 5 pounds and 2 oz of Wisconsin cheese curds in six minutes. Breedon has quickly made a name for himself in Major League Eating, currently ranking sixth in the world.
5. Gideon Oji
- Hometown: Morrow, Georgia
- Age: 31
- Weight: 225 lbs
- Rank: 7
The tallest athlete to ever join Major League Eating, Gideon Oji stands at 6-foot-9. Using his size, Oji claimed four world records, including eating 10 pounds of baked beans in 1 minute and 45 seconds. He also holds records for eating 1.3125 gallons of green chile stew in 6 minutes, 25.5 16oz chopped kale salad in 8 minutes, and two pounds of slice bologna in 52 second.
Oji will try to put himself back on the map following a disappointing performance in 2022. Last year, Oji only downed 29 hotdogs in buns and finished in seventh place.
6. James Webb
- Hometown: Sydney, Australia
- Age: 34
- Weight: N/A
- Rank: 10
James Webb is the first ever Australian to ever eat competitively at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. In his debut at the Pleasanton, California qualifier, Webb ate a total of 41.5 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Relatively new to Major League Eating, Webb is ranked 10th. The undisputed champion of the Southern Hemisphere, he currently holds on the world record for most glazed donuts for a total of 59.5 donuts in eight minutes.
Webb finished third in 2022, eating a total of 41.4 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
He will look to improve on his personal best in 2023.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Female Contestants
1. Miki Sudo
- Hometown: Port Richey, Florida
- Age: 27
- Weight: 125 lbs
- Rank: 3
The No.1 ranked female competitive eater in the world, Miki Sudo has five world records and eight Mustard Belts.
Sudo made her return to Coney Island in 2022 after taking a year off due to her pregnancy. She ate a total of 40 hot dogs and buns, dusting her competition by 14 hotdogs.
The wife of Nick Wehry, Sudo actually ranks ahead of her husband in the Major League Eating rankings.
Sudo is ranked overall 3rd in the MLE and is the defending Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Women’s Champion. She recently won the 2023 Sweet Corn Eating Championship with 52 ears of corn eaten in 12 minutes.
2. Michelle Lesco
- Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
- Age: 39
- Weight: 112 lbs
- Rank: 9
Michelle Lesco is the 2021 Nathan’s Famous July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest Women’s Champion. With Sudo sitting out of the competition, she ate a total of 30.75 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes to claim her first Mustard Belt title.
Lesco doesn’t have many world records but she’s won a few competitions. Most notably, she’s eaten a whopping 131 gyozas in 10 minutes and 4.6 pounds of rib meat in 12 minutes.
Lesco finished second in 2022 by eating a total of 26 hotdogs and buns at Coney Island but will need to come back stronger if she plans on competing with Sudo in 2023.
3. Sarah Rodriguez
- Hometown: Seattle, Washington
- Age: 36
- Weight: 140
- Rank: 24
A nationally qualified bodybuilder in Women’s Figure, Sarah Rodriguez will be one of the competitors at the 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. She is the founder and owner of Whatever It Takes Health, a fitness and nutritional coaching firm.
In 2017, she qualified for the Coney Island Championship by eating 15 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns. She finished third in the 2022 contest eating a total of 23.25 hotdogs and buns.
4. Larell Marie Mele
- Hometown: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
- Age: 55
- Weight: 160
- Rank: 29
Larell Marie Mele finished fourth in the 2022 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest with 15.5 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes.
She currently is ranked 29th in Major League Eating and has competed in a few events.
While she hasn’t set a record, her personal best at Coney Island is 21.25 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in 10 minutes in 2012. She’s also polished 9.75 cheeseburgers in 10 minutes and 15 cannolis in just six minutes.
5. Katie Perryman
- Hometown: Marysville, Washington
- Age: 40
- Weight: N/A
- Rank: 32
Currently ranked 32nd in Major League Eating, Katie Perryman has yet to make a name for herself by claiming a world record.
She qualified for the Nationa’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest by winning the Vallejo, California qualifier with 14.5 hotdogs. She finished fifth last year eating a total of 13.75 hotdogs and buns.
6. Sophia DeVita-Gutierrez
- Hometown: Abilene, Texas
- Age: 28
- Weight: N/A
- Rank: 33
While Sophia DeVita-Gutierrez has yet to win any world records, she will be one to watch in Coney Island. She won the Ladies’ division of the Citi Field, Queens, New York Nathan’s Famous qualifier by eating a total of 16.25 hot dogs and buns. She finished sixth last year with a total of 12.25 hot dogs and buns.
Betting Guides You May Like
- Best Offshore Betting Sites Review – Compare Best Offshore Sports Betting Sites.
- Best Bitcoin Betting Sites – Compare Top Sportsbooks that Accept Bitcoin.
- Best New Sports Betting Sites Review – Discover Top 10 New Sportsbooks in USA Ranked.
- Best Online Gambling Sites 2024 – Best Gambling Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
- Best Sports Betting Apps USA – Compare Top-rated Mobile Betting Apps 2024.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
