INDIANAPOLIS — A major upset in the competitive eating world happened just around this time last year. In the 2022 edition of the St. Elmo shrimp cocktail eating contest, Joey Chestnut lost to Geoff Esper.
World Champion eater Chestnut held the championship title for the competition eight years straight until his drop to fourth place in last year's contest.
However, Chestnut joined 13Sunrise to tell everyone he has been preparing to take back the title and win his ninth St. Elmo shrimp eating contest.
"I'm coming back. It's my redemption year and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win," Chestnut said.
The competition will go down at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Big Ten Football Championship Tailgate Town on South Street.
Check back for updates after the contest.
Other famous competitors like Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry joined 13Sunrise to announce their return to the stage as an engaged couple, but that won't stop them from competing at their best. The two confirmed they train together, but come the contest, they "don't know each other," Wehry said.
Indiana's own famous eater recently won his 16th title at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest where he downed 62 franks and buns in under 10 minutes.
Chestnut out ate runner-up Geoffrey Esper and the rest of an international field of 15 competitive eaters by double digits to clinch his 16th title. Esper, of Oxford, Massachusetts managed to ingest 49 hot dogs and buns.