There’s a new Wing King in town — and his name isn’t Joey Chestnut. For the first time in half a decade, a new wing eating champion has emerged in professional competitive eater Geoffrey Esper. As part of this weekend’s annual National Buffalo Wing Festival, Esper came out on top during the professional eating competition, downing a whopping 281 wings within 12 minutes.
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The United States Wing Eating Championship is a part of a Buffalo-based festival each year and prior to this year, Chestnut won the previous five contests. This year, the Nathan’s Hot Dog world champ downed 276 wings while Miki Sudo rounded the top three with 221 wings.
The @eatingcontest U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship RESULTS! 🔥 3rd Place: @OMGitsMIKI w/ 221 wings consumed, 2nd Place: @joeyjaws w/ 276 wings, and our NEW champion & WORLD record setter in 1st: @GeoffEsper with 281 wings! 🥇 CONGRATS to all! Sponsored by @716foodandsport. pic.twitter.com/L2lHRjyKOt
— Wing Fest (@WingFest) September 1, 2019
Esper’s 281-wing best is another record on the rising eating star’s ever-growing mantle, which includes eating records in pork roll sandwiches (50), 10″ pizzas (83 slices), Indian tacos (30.5), bratwursts (36), pretzels (26), and Hooters Chicken Wings (281). Prior to Sunday’s contest, Esper was the #2 ranked competitive eater in the world.
Chestnut, the top-ranked competitive eater, previously held the chicken wing record, downing 7.61 pounds of wings in the event in 2012. Other competitive eating records Chestnut holds includes hot dogs (74), hard-boiled eggs (141), pork ribs (13.76lb.), Taco Bell tacos (53), grilled cheese sandwiches (47), gyoza (384), jalapeno poppers (118), pierogi (165), and canteen sandwiches (18.5), amongst dozens of others.
“As the birthplace of the chicken wing, Buffalo pushes the celebration of the wing to greater heights every year via the National Buffalo Wing Festival,” Buffalo mayor Byron W. Brown said in a statement ahead of the festival. “Now in its 18th year, the Wingfest has become a must-attend event for local residents and wing fans from across the U.S., North America and the world. I’m looking forward to another fantastic wing-filled weekend on August 31st and
September 1st.”
How many hot wings do you think you could eat in 12 minutes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things food!
Photo courtesy ofJohn Normile / Getty Images.
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Joey Chestnut (L) and Miki Sudo (R) hold 63 and 40 hot dogs respectively after winning the Nathan's Famous 4th of July 2022 hot dog eating contest on Coney Island on July 4, 2022 in New York. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 04: Two protestors interrupt the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in which competitive eater Joey Chestnut wins his 15th title eating 63 Nathan's hot dogs at the 2022 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2022 in New York City.
