Joey Chestnut Choked Out A Protestor On Way To His 15th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Title

Joey Chestnut entered the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Monday with an injury. To complicate matters further for the best to ever do it protestors, rushed the stage during the competition.

A man dressed like Darth Vader bumped into the hot dog-eating GOAT while downing his 17th hot dog. The protestor, apparently protesting an animal rights issue in Utah, held a sign reading “EXPOSE SMITHFIELD DEATHSTAR."

A couple of protestors dressed as Stormtroopers joined the protest with signs of their own just as Chestnut took matters into his own hands. He took a break from inhaling hot dogs to choke the Darth Vader protestor and toss him to the stage floor.

After taking out the trash Chestnut resumed his world-class hot dog eating

After taking out the trash Chestnut continued his world-class hot dog eating and turned his attention back to destroying the rest of the field.

He might have fallen short of breaking his own record, but his 63 hot dog performance was still good enough for his 15th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest title.

There are some things you can just count on during the Fourth of July. There will be plenty of drinks, there will be a ton of food, there will be fireworks, and Joey Chestnut will win the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

The only losers on the day were the protestors and whoever bet that Chestnut would break his record.

Last year, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut beat his own record by consuming 76 franks and buns. This will go down as one of his all-time performances. He overcame injury and a protestor and topped the competition by 20 hot dogs. The legend of Joey Chestnut continues!

Joey Chestnut won first place eating 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes during the men's 2022 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Maimonides Park of Coney Island on July 4, 2022. (Photo via Getty Images)

"It's beautiful to be back here" in front of a throng of spectators, Chestnut told ESPN. "It hurts, but I was in the zone for a little bit. I was ignoring it."