July 4th Proposal: Watch Hot Dog King Joey Chestnut Propose to Girlfriend

In the United States, July 4th is the most American day of the year.

Hence on this day, in Coney Island, New York, arguably the most ‘American’ sport is annually held: Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

But who says love and gluttony don’t go together?

Before competing for and ultimately winning his 8th straight title at the event, competitive eating superstar Joey Chestnut took the time to propose to girlfriend Neslie Ricasa. Full footage by ESPN is shown above.

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As for the event itself, Chestnut successfully defended his 8th straight title by eating 61 dogs’ in 10 minutes.

It wasn’t easy however, as Matt Stonie gave Chestnut a run until the very end, finishing with 56 dogs. 

Tim Janus was a distant 3rd with 44 dogs.

The result was actually somewhat underwhelming for Chestnut, as it was his fewest total since 2010, and fell well short of his record of 69.

But to put the feat in perspective, the average American eats 70 hot dogs a year. The initial speed is also especially grotesque, as Chestnut ate his first 15 dogs in the first minute and half.

That’s one hot dog in 6 seconds.

Full highlights of the event narrated by ESPN can be seen below.