The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship

CHESTNUT DEFENDS GYOZA TITLE!

Joey Chestnut won the 2018 Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship with a dominant 359-gyoza haul. One imagines a feeling of vindication, perhaps even relief, overcame the Great One when the results were read. His previous three efforts at the MLE table did not yield a victory, an eternity between wins the world of Chestnut. Such is the burden of greatness. Perhaps even Einstein forgot to carry the zero every now and then.

This was vintage Chestnut. This was pure Chestnut. This was controlled power in eating form. The contest emcee would remark at the four-minute mark that Chestnut had long settled into a rhythm. He did not need to eat violently or recklessly or with abandon. When Chestnut is smooth, foods gets munched. It was like watching a gazelle but, like, a super-powered gazelle, remarked one onlooker named Shauna after the event. Which kind of nailed it.

Take nothing way from the other contestants. Esper's 2018 career year is not diminished by finishing second with 297; Darron Breeden's 232 for third suggests his rise continues. Others ate less. All MLE contestants cracked the 100-gyoza mark for the first time in history, a credit to everyone who competed.

We may not all win and many of of us never do. But it is the will to try that we can happily allow to define us. Indeed, our finest hour—the greatest fulfillment of what we each hold dear—is that moment when we work our hearts out in a good cause and lie exhausted in pursuit of our dreams.

All may sleep well tonight.

FULL RESULTS! 1 Joey Chestnut, 359 Day-Lee Foods Gyoza in 10 minutes 2 Geoffrey Esper, 297 3 Darron Breeden, 232 4 Matt Stonie, 222 5 Adrian Morgan, 205 6 Miki Sudo, 192 7 Juan Rodriguez, 175 8 Michelle Lesco, 168 9 Rich LeFevre, 167 10 Juan Neave, 155 11 Derek Jacobs, 153 12 Steve Hendry, 143 13 Erik Denmark and Pablo Martinez, 118 15 Eric Booker, 117 16 Jon Bello, 113 17 Sarah Reinecke, 110 18 AMP Radio's Mr Moote, 38 19 AMP Radio's Mr McCabe, 21

This contest* took place at 3pm Pacific on Saturday August 18th, 2018, at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Plaza, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 900122!

Please note: This contest is restricted to participants aged 18 and over.

About The Day-Lee World Gyoza Eating Championship and the Nisei Week Festival! Celebrating 12 years and over 21,000 gyoza consumed, the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship is proud to welcome Major League Eating’s best back to the Nisei Week! The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship will take place during the second weekend of the 78th Nisei Week Japanese Festival and all proceeds will benefit the Nisei Week Foundation. The Nisei Week Foundation is a non-profit 501 ©(3) charitable organization that produces the nine-day festival in order to celebrate and share Japanese and Japanese-American culture and history as an integral part of the City of Los Angeles’ historic Little Tokyo Community. Day-Lee Foods, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of NH Foods Ltd. NH Foods Ltd. has been delivering quality meat products to the food service and general consumer markets for more than 50 years. Their products are available at grocers nationwide under the Day-Lee Pride and Crazy Cuizine Brands.

The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship will take place during the Nisei Week Plaza Fest at the JACCC. The Plaza Fest will include food and vendor booths and the return of the Nisei Week Beer Garden. Event entry is free to the public, but seating will be limited.

CLICK HERE for more information on the 2018 Los Angeles Nisei Week Festival.

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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.