Joey Chestnut won his 15th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Monday, but it wasn’t without some drama. In the middle of the annual July 4 competition, an animal rights protester rushed the stage while wearing a Stormtrooper mask and carrying a banner that read “Expose Smithfield’s Deathstar,” in reference to the pork producer and food-processing company. Upon seeing the protester, Chestnut put him into a brief but forcible chokehold as security apprehended the activist, then promptly got back to business by downing a total of 63 dogs and cruising to another championship. All in a day’s work.
