Matt Stonie Eats 241 Hooters Wings To Claim Hooters Title!

Those who chose not to attend the 2015 Hooters Worldwide Wing Eating Championship Finals at Clearwater Beach, FL, chose to turn their backs on human achievement in its highest form. Those who were not there can never tell their grandchildren of what transpired. They will never in their darkest moments be able to think back to July 25th, 2015, and know—know—that life is great and life is worth the struggle and that happiness is coming.

Those who were there saw Matthew Stonie eat 241 Hooters wings in 10 minutes. That bears repeating: 241 Hooters wings in 10 minutes, demolishing the previous high-water mark of 182 set in the 2014 event by Joey Chestnut.

Stonie was ruthless, fast, clean and efficient. His bones were stripped bare—not for him the peck-and-move technique, so often used in debris events. Each wing was a problem. Each wing demanded a solution. Stonie applied his learning and aptitude to each with precision. Wing meat eliminated. QED. Onto the next. Dude's a scientist and food's his laboratory.

Stonie was pushed throughout by Joey Chestnut, the winner of this event in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Chestnut is regarded by many as the finest wing eater in human history, a man who is able to marry perfect technique, capacity and ferocious competitiveness in each bite. It was not to be his day; Chestnut was gracious in defeat, the mark of a true Champion. He ate 200.

Others ate less. Adrian Morgan was disappointed with his third place finish, eating 194 Hooters wings in 10 minutes. Anyone who is disappointed in that total—and disappointed at finishing behind Sirs Stonie and Chestnut—has the true moral and mental makings of a Champion. Not for Morgan, that dirty bronze. No, sir. Morgan pipped Salem by two wings. Salem pointed this out to Morgan a number of times in post-event conversation.

The true winners, though, are the people of America. Again. Those who saw, saw. Those who did not, did not. But all Americans bonded as one on the Wednesday following the event—National Chicken Wing Day, July 29th. This day was marked as it is each and every year by Americans of all stripes reporting to their local Hooters and enjoying the finest wings in all the land. God bless America.

Full Results! 1st: Matthew Stonie, 241 Hooters wings in 10 mins 2nd: Joey Chestnut, 200 3rd: Adrian Morgan, 194 4th: Yasir Salem, 192 5th: Gideon Oji, 170 6th: Michelle Lesco, 158 7th: Miki Sudo, 154 8th: Sonya Thomas, 126 8th: Juliet Lee, 126 10th: Juan Rodriguez, 118 11th: Rich LeFevre, 116 12th: Steve Hendry, 114 13th: Erik Denmark, 106