Joey Chestnut was asked before this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest if he was worried about Matt Stonie. He said he was, calling Stonie a "young, skinny, feminine version" of himself. Turns out he had every reason to be nervous.
Matt Stonie took an early lead in the ten-minute competition and never relinquished it, finishing with 62 hot dogs to Chestnut's 60. Those two were the only two who ever looked to have a shot at the title, but it was close down to the very end.
Asked after the competition what happened, Chestnut said some of the hot dogs were cold this year, but admitted they were the same for everybody. He said it definitely gave him a reason to come back next year though. In that sense, we're all the winners of this year's contest.
Stonie was calm but clearly excited after the victory, and probably a little bit sick to his stomach.
SB Nation video archives: The amateur in a hot dog eating competition (2012)