Location: Sparks, NV
CHESTNUT RECLAIMS NUGGET RIB CROWN!
The straight version: Joey Chestnut ate 9.6lb of rib meat in 12 minutes to win the 2016 edition of the Nugget World Rib Eating Championship. The version that more fully tells the story: Chestnut reclaimed what is his and in doing so reminded the world that he, and no one else, is The Great One.
There have been 11 installments of the Nugget World Rib Eating Championship and Joey Chestnut has won nine of them. (Matt Stonie and Patrick Bertoletti claim a win each in the history of the event.) Chestnut understands ribs. He knows ribs. He dominates ribs. He knows this. The crowd knows this. The ribs know this. It is elemental.
But it did not look like that at the The 11th Annual Nugget World Rib-Eating Championship. Because to Chestnut's right, the defending Champion Matt Stonie was killing it. Or so it seemed. Matt sped from tray to tray; Stonie would log seven four-pound trays of ribs before the judges headed to the scales to Chestnut's six. Gotta be a win for Stonie, right? Wrong. Stone's speed could not match Chestnut's more deliberate application at separating meat from bone. Excess meat would cost Stonie the win. He will learn from the experience, no doubt, and eat more cleanly—as he typically does—in future events. Rich LeFevre grooved to third; Steve Hendry earned third.
The 11th Annual Nugget World Rib-Eating Championship will go down as a rebalancing of the world order. A reminder that greatness never fades. Chestnut: What a guy.
This contest took place at 6pm local time, on Wednesday, August 31st, 2016, at The 28th Annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off at the Nugget Casino Resort—1100 Nugget Ave, Sparks, NV 89431!
FULL RESULTS! 1 Joey Chestnut 9.6lb in 12 2 Matthew Stonie 7.8lb 3 Rich LeFevre 4.8lb 4 Steve Hendry 3.6lb 5 Brian Burghart 2lb 6 Donald Brown 1.8 7 Marlon Ting and Michael Simpkins The 2nd 0.8 9 Mr Gilbert Chick DQ
About The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off! The 28th Annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off features the nation’s top rib-cookers, each vying for the highly coveted first place trophy, cash prizes and the People’s Choice Award. More than 500,000 hungry BBQ-lovers will consume the more than 100 tons of ribs over the extended Labor Day weekend.
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*All applicants must be 18 years of age or older and fully acknowledge and understand the inherent dangers and risks associated with participating in an eating contest. The applicant further acknowledges and understands that the MLE/IFOCE coordinates with event sponsor(s) to select and approve eligible participants, and that the MLE/IFOCE shall decide, at its sole discretion, whether an applicant is eligible to participate in any eating event, and/or related activities. The MLE/IFOCE may revoke an applicant's eligibility to participate in the eating contest, or related activities, at any time, for any reason, at its sole discretion. The MLE/IFOCE and the event sponsors reserve the right, at any time, to change any and all details concerning the event, including, e.g., time, duration, location and prize structure.