Reigning Coney Island hot dog-eating champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is spending this year’s July 4th at Fort Bliss in Texas, where he will compete against four soldiers at the “Pop Goes the Fort” celebration.
Chestnut — who has won Nathan’s showdown on Coney Island every year since 2016 — was barred from the century-old tradition when the event organizers, Major League Eating, told him he could fuggedabout showing up while also repping the vegan meat brand Impossible Foods, The Post first reported last month.
“He’s the Michael Jordan of competitive eating. But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, ‘I love being the face of Nike but I want to do commercials for Adidas, too,” a source explained of the business beef.
After weeks of back-and-forth, Chestnut said he was “gutted” not to be at the Coney Island fest, where he has competed for almost two decades.
The new setting will bring new challenges: Not only is the five-minute Fort Bliss competition half the length of Nathan’s 10-minute contest but Chestnut’s frank total will be compared to all four servicemen’s combined result.
“If they (each) break 10, that’d be pretty good,” Chestnut said of the amateurs’ chance of showing him up.
In the days before the event, the world champion adhered to his pre-competition fast of water, lemon juice and liquid calories.
He set up for a practice round on Friday — then planned to ingest oils to make sure “there’s a clean highway” in his digestive system come the Fourth.
After his appearance in the Lone Star State, fans will catch Chestnut sparring against rival Takeru Koyahaishi on Netflix in September.
But the Coney Island organizers will have to swallow their pride if they ever want their headlining champion back at their table, Chestnut explained.
“I feel bullied,” he said of the Nathan’s fallout.
“If I’m ever going to work with them again, they’re going to have to apologize.”
With Post wires
