![Patrick Bertoletti]()
Eight-time reigning Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion Joey Chestnut was held out of action at this year's event due to
a deal signed with Impossible Foods. Fans of dudes and ladies who can stuff their faces with disgusting amounts of food were no doubt broken up about Chestnut's inability to defend his championship belt, but that created an opening for other professional eaters to make history.
That's what Patrick Bertoletti did in the annual Fourth of July competition. Unfortunately for him, he started competing in 2007 — right at the start of Chestnut's run during which he only lost the hot dog eating contest
once (in 2015). Bertoletti had multiple second- and third-place finishes in that span before his initial retirement in 2015. He placed fifth during the 2022 contest after a decade-long hiatus.
The Chicago native sat out last year's edition, but got back on the horse this time around and prevailed with a total of 58 hot dogs and buns that I guess were added up after the final horn.
https://twitter.com/johnewing/status/1808908340916863240
https://twitter.com/eatingcontest/status/1808912874544181445
https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1808914702845579531
I saw Bertoletti listed as high as 10-1 odds at some places, but +750 is still a great ROI for any bettors who took the action.
Bertoletti must've just had to work himself back into game shape, because upon his initial return to the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest two years ago, he managed only 33.5 hot dogs and buns. Hell of a time to step up without Chestnut in the field. Chestnut's personal best is 76, and he won each of the last two times with totals of 63 and 62 respectively.
Nobody can really f**k with that guy. Not to take anything away from Bertoletti's achievement. At some point Chestnut had to leave some room for the rest of his peers one way or another, right? Can only imagine what Chestnut's insides look like given all those 'dogs and other unhealthy foodstuffs he's consumed rapid-fire style over the years.
What a call by this guy, by the way, who cited Bertoletti's recent track record as proof that he could edge out the rest of the field.
https://twitter.com/JimCosta_/status/1808852058813968512
The only nickname I've seen for Bertoletti is "Deep Dish." An obvious nod to his Windy City roots. That's a built-in advantage in and of itself. If you grow up in Chicago with professional eating aspirations, you can get plenty of good practice on deep dish pizza. That stuff is no joke. I bet Bertoletti had his fair share of that upon coming out of retirement to get himself ready to seize glory on Independence Day.
Nice to see some fresh blood in the hot dog eating contest, even if Bertoletti is catching some heat for sloppy eating in the aftermath of his win. He's come a long way since reentering in 2022.
