Joey Chestnut Demolishes Protester Before Breaking Hot Dog Eating Record

When it comes to scoffing down sausages, there aren't many better or badder than Joey Chestnut.

A legend in the competitive eating game, he holds the record for the number of Mustard Belts, claiming his 15th this week when he wolfed down a mightily impressive 63 hot dogs in just 10 minutes.

But if you're like Shania Twain and that don't impress you much, maybe this will.

Old Chestnut managed to take yet another victory despite the contest being interrupted by none other than Darth Vader. Yes, really.

Footage, which has been shared widely on social media, shows a protester running onto the stage and holding up a sign, which read 'Expose Smithfield's Deathstar'.

Have a look for yourself:

This was apparently a reference to the pork producer Smithfield Foods, which produces Nathan’s Famous hot dogs.

But being the absolute competitor that he is, Chestnut didn't let them get in the way of his moment, and quickly grabbed Vader, gripping him in a tight chokehold and pulling him away.

The surprising outburst threw many viewers watching back at home.

Posting a clip to Twitter, one person said: "Joey Chestnut… DAWG!"

Another chipped in: "Not seen on TV was Joey Chestnut putting a protestor in a chokehold while scarfing another hotdog en route to victory."

"Joey Chestnut: 63 dogs consumed, 1 neck snapped," joked a third.

While another quipped: "Joey Chestnut snaps a guys neck like John Wick, then wins the hotdog eating contest. #Hero."

Oh and if that wasn't enough, 'Jaws', as he's known, also ruptured a tendon in his leg prior to the event and had to compete on crutches.

But speaking to Fox News ahead of the contest, Chestnut said it wasn't going to get in the way of him winning.

He told the outlet: "I'm gonna eat like a madman. It's a ruptured tendon. It's all right. I'll be able to stand up and eat. I'm excited. I'm not eating with my leg."

Unfortunately, Chestnut wasn't able to reach his previous record of 76 dogs, which he set last year. While the year before, he managed to put away 75 sausages.

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Topics: Food and Drink, US News, Viral

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is the News/Agenda Desk Lead, covering the latest trends and breaking stories. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom