Joey Chestnut narrowly wins Las Vegas bagel-eating title

Joey Chestnut stuffed it and won it.

A last-second, face-filling shove of a full bagel gave Chestnut the narrowest victory ever in the Siegel’s Bagelmania World Bagel Eating Championship at the deli’s parking lot on Convention Center Drive.

Chestnut finished with 16 7/8 bagels (with two teaspoons of cream cheese) consumed in the eight-minute competition. Patrick Bertoletti, the world’s No. 2-ranked competitor out of Chicago, took second place with 16 3/4 bagels.

As hyperbole-barking World Eating Championships announcer Sam Barclay called out, “Sixteen and seven-eighths is more than sixteen and three-quarters!” and handed Chestnut the title. The victory haul included a $5,000 check, good for about 278 dozen plain bagels at Bagelmania.

It was clear even to those relatively unfamiliar with the sport (which is just about everybody who packed the parking lot) this was a close contest. Chestnut made his power move, dunking the full bagel into water and jamming it in his mouth as time melted away.

“I did a massive stuff at the end,” Chestnut said behind the stage while holding the coveted World Bagel Eating Championship belt. “If I’d cut it in half, it would have been a different outcome.”

The winning total was short of the event record of 17 3/4, set by Geoffrey Esper in the inaugural event in ‘23. Esper was third Saturday with 16 1/8 bagels, followed tightly by James Webb at 16 bagels, and Nick Wehry with 13 7/8 bagels. The top four participants have created competitive intrigue in the event.

“All four of us can break the record,” Chestnut said. “I think one of us will, next year.”

The event was livestreamed on Triller, a first for the event and the first eating contest ever on the online platform, which specializes in an array of combat sports. Viewership numbers are to be tabulated,, but the first stream of the event can only help grow its national audience.

“This has always been a Las Vegas event, but we can feel it getting bigger,” Siegel’s Bagelmania Chief Business Officer Michael Crandall said shortly after the event. “We’re really happy with where we are, and our relationship with Triller. We’re looking forward to working with them next year.”

Chestnut won his third straight title He is dubbed the Tom Brady of competitive eating (at least, that’s what I’ve dubbed him). In a controversy that shook the competitive eating world, Chestnut had been disqualified from competing in Coney Island’s Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest last year.

Chestnut’s ouster from the Major League Eating event was over his endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, a competing vegan food company. The two sides settled their differences — Chestnut’s participation is a must for any Major League Eating event’s credibility.

The eating champion returned this past July 4. He also won, consuming 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes for his 17th Mustard Yellow Belt.

The 42-year-old eating icon out of Fulton County, K.Y., admires semi-retired competitive eater Richard “The Locust” Le Febrve, still competing occasionally at age 81.

Chestnut studied civil engineering at San Jose State, but has no plans to enter that field or pursue another job.

“I don’t even call this a job. It’s my life. It’s given me the chance to visit a lot of great cities and meet so many people,” Chestnut said. “I’m not even much of people person, either. I am just having fun and making people happy.”

Then he paused and said, “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” As we say, not in a bad way.

Koker is driven

Danny “The Count” Koker has donated a vintage vehicle to Steven Tyler’s Janie’s Fund Grammy-night event Sunday night at the Hollywood Palladium. Koker’s fully restored, 1962 Cadillac Coupe de Ville two-door hardtop will be part of the live auction. During a visit to Koker’s Count’s Kustoms on Friday,

I asked Koker how much he expected to get for the car. “We don’t want to say.” Last year, he thought he’d get $30,000. The bid climbed to $300,000. That was for Koker’s 1978 Lincoln Continental, with 14,000 original miles and also fully restored. The car drew the highest bid of any live-auction item.

Koker says he plans to donate cars annually to Tyler’s charity, which provides assistance to young women suffering from emotional abuse. The relationship was established by veteran Las Vegas entertainment professional and Janie’s Fund volunteer Ken Ciancimino.

Koker is still trying to sell his Count’s Vamp’d rock club on West Sahara Avenue, the current asking price is $3.75 million, with Chip Madsen of Luxury holding the listing. Koker says his team is talking with “a couple of different potential buyers right now,” but has no offer. We are forever “pro-live entertainment” and eager for the next piece of news.

Cool Hang Alert

Visit Kenny Davidsen at Don’t Tell Mama at Neonopolis sooner than later. The place will close on Feb. 14. Davidsen, a close friend and kindred spirit on the local entertainment scene, has been hosting at the Vegas club since 2011, and before that in New York since 2001. We are optimistic he will return to the format somewhere. But until then, get there.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.