Joey Chestnut banned from Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest

The 4th of July is going to look really different this year.

A national travesty has occurred, one that the United States may not ever recover from.

On Tuesday, 16-time Nathan’s Hot Dog eating champion and peak of human athleticism Joey Chestnut was banned from competing in the hot dog competition he made famous, according to the New York Post. Major League Eating banned Chestnut from competing in the contest because of his endorsement deal with vegan food, per Front Office Sports.

This is a shocking revelation in the world of competitive eating, the greatest of all time still at the top of his game, but can no longer compete in the biggest competition in American competitive eating. Chestnut signed a deal with Impossible Foods, who have a plant-based hot dog, and had many demands after he signed the deal, including eating unbranded hot dogs, Major League Eating said in a statement to the New York Post.

“For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship.

Coming three weeks after Takeru Kobayashi retired, the competitive eating world is taking a huge blow with Chestnut not available to compete. However, this allows for more people to step up in his place. The 4th of July is going to look really different this year.