Contestant Denies Cheating Rumors at Nathan’s Sizzling Dog Ingesting Contest

Things own gone from detestable to wurst for the Nathan’s Notorious Sizzling Dog Ingesting Contest.

A aggressive eater who scarfed down dozens of dogs on the annual competition in Unique York Metropolis’s Coney Island earlier this month is now being eyed for his gameplay, with two sources alleging to the Unique York Submit on Tuesday that he would per chance well well also unbiased own cheated to salvage sooner than a krauted pack.

Slice Wehry performed fourth on this yr’s contest, with an excellent rating of 51.75 listed on Major League Ingesting’s legit ranking. However, in step with the Submit, which cited “footage and reviews” from the day of competition, Wehry in actuality most efficient swallowed 46.75 links.

From whence did these 5 thriller franks abolish? According to the Submit’s sources, Wehry would per chance well well also unbiased own performed a sticky-fingered maneuver after the 10-minute contest, lifting a plate from one more competitor’s pile and shifting it over to his accept as true with. (The competition’s judges tally up empty plates to build up out scores, with every plate equating to 5 hot dogs.)

“100% he cheated,” sensible one of the essential sources stated.

The alleged gambit did now not commerce Wehry’s put within the rankings, but it did steal him above 50 dogs—a rare feat, even amongst the area’s most efficient eaters.

“For anyone to own on the fable that they ate greater than 50, makes you phase of a actually exiguous elite club of aggressive eaters,” one more provide advised the Submit.

Wehry fiercely denied the allegations in a textual suppose to the Submit, asserting he “stole nothing” all over the contest.

“If MLE determines I used to be miscounted then repair my number. My putting did now not commerce if this used to be the case. I would never want to take a putting or number I didn’t develop,” he wrote. “I would never cheat at a contest, regardless of why. These that know me know that.”

Video of the competition viewed by the Submit looks to scream Wehry loitering spherical the competition desk after the clock hit zero, selecting up and twirling a plate sooner than striking it support down.

“I notify the video looks to be contend with I used to be mis-plated,” Wehry acknowledged to the Submit. “In fact sorry if it used to be the case.”

Major League Ingesting stated it launched an investigation after the dishonest accusations came to light.

“MLE investigated, carefully pondering the complaint and reviewing video supplied to us,” it stated. “Cherish many diverse professional sports activities leagues, it’s our protection to now not overturn judges’ decisions after the excellent results had been recorded.”

The league did now not part extra essential factors. It used to be now not straight away certain whether or now not the inquiry had been closed, nor what its findings had been.

Wehry, one half of of the so-called “Hungry Couple,” is married to fellow aggressive eater Miki Sudo, a 10-time champion who downed 51 dogs this yr to build up the girls folk’s division all over all but again.

Sudo advised the Submit in a fast mobile phone dialog that she’d been watching her husband “the overall time” and that there used to be “no methodology the judges got it irascible.”

The males’s contest used to be received by Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, who swallowed 58 franks to clinch this yr’s Mustard Belt.

“With Joey now not here, I knew I had a shot,” he advised the Associated Press. “I used to be ready to free up something that I don’t know the put it came from.”

The Chicagoan used to be referring to Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the legendary eater who deliberate to burnish his fable—16 out of the closing 17 Nathan’s contests—all over all but again this summer until his plans were derailed by a dispute over sponsorships.

Chestnut, who stated he used to be “gutted” to be taught that Major League Ingesting had banned him from the contest, as a replacement went south this Fourth of July to a U.S. Military disagreeable in El Paso, Texas, the put he bolted a magnificent 57 hot dogs in 5 minutes.

With his starvation it looks now not but sated, the Jaws has most steadily taken a destroy within the times since, and chowed down on 200 boneless Buffalo Wild Wings in 38 minutes on Monday.