P Bert Ends MLE Season with Big Apple Pizza World Record

The two top-ranked major league eaters in the world, Joey Chestnut and Pat "P Bert" Bertoletti, have traded pizza-eating blows in an exhilarating close to the 2007-2008 MLE season.

Chestnut shut down P Bert on Columbus Day in Times Square, downing 45 slices for the new world record. But The Artist Currently Known As Deep Dish has had the last word going into the offseason, breaking Chestnut’s record by dropping 47 slices at the Battle at the Big Apple World Pizza Eating Championship in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Described alternately as a “blood bath” and a delightful display of culinary athletics, Bertoletti took an early lead on Florida’s best-ever competitive eater, Hall “Hoover” Hunt, and he never looked back. Hunt finished with 32, followed by “Nasty” Nate Biller with 19.5, and John “Get in my Belly” Bello with 18.

The event was organized by the Van Duzer Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Big Apple owner Scott Van Duzer that aims to help eliminate hunger on the Treasure Coast. The contest, held in conjunction with local Boy Scout troops, was attended by 1,500 people and helped raise over 50 pounds of food donations.

Both Bertoletti and Hunt contributed canned foods to the event.