Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Coney Island.
"Jaws" is back, but not the great white shark of movie fame. Instead, it was Joey Chestnut, a different kind of summer blockbuster, securing yet another Mustard Belt on Independence Day.
Chestnut made good on his -5000 Vegas odds, blowing away the field once again for his eighth straight July 4 win. Chestnut hasn't been defeated in the event since 2015, and that streak continues for at least one more year.
Chestnut's victory didn't come without some drama: The start of the tournament was delayed due to weather, and conflicting reports said that the event was going to be canceled. Instead, Chestnut handed Mother Nature an L.
MORE: Complete highlights, results from the 2023 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Here's what happened at the corner of Surf and Stillwell on Tuesday:
Did Joey Chestnut win the Hot Dog Eating Contest?
As if there was any doubt: After his win on Tuesday, Joey Chestnut is now a 16-time winner of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Chestnut won by downing 62 hot dogs (unofficial), with the second-place finisher Geoffrey Esper sucking down 49 hot dogs. It's Esper's third straight second-place finish.
In 2022, Chestnut finished the competition with 63 hot dogs. While a sub-70 total is unlike Chestnut, he spent a few seconds dealing with a protestor on the stage last year. This year, he had to overcome the bizarre weather delay at the start, which may have tightened his stomach just a bit.
Chestnut admitted to ESPN that he felt a little slow coming out of the gate, finishing on the lower end of Chestnut-like results. He also told the network that the competitors were told the event had been canceled, before it was put back on after a lengthy delay.
"We weren't sure if we were gonna eat today," Chestnut told ESPN following the win.
Chestnut has made the contest nothing more than the Chestnut Invitational since 2007. He's won 16 of 17 tournaments, losing just once in 2015 to Matt Stonie.
Australia's James Webb had himself quite a showing, as well. He finished the tournament with 47 hot dogs in the effort, finishing in third place behind Esper.
Chestnut left no doubt that he wouldn't be retiring after this tournament, saying he's still chasing a record of 77 hot dogs.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2023 results
The official results for the 2023 competition, via Major League Eating:
| Place | Eater | Hot dogs |
| 1 | Joey Chestnut | 62 |
| 2 | Geoffrey Esper | 49 |
| 3 | James Webb | 47 |
| 4 | Nick Wehry | 45 |
| 5 | Bartley Weaver IV | 41 |
| 6 | Gideon Oji | 36 |
| 7 | Ren Zosan | 29 3/4 |
| 8 | Max Suzuki | 29 1/2 |
| 9 | Darrien Thomas | 27 1/2 |
| 10 | Adrian Morgan | 27 |
| 11 | Adam Moran | 26 |
| 12 | Derek Hendrickson | 25 3/4 |
| 13 | Joey Przybylowicz | 22 |
| 14 | Ronnie Hartman | 16 |
| 15 | "Crazy Legs" Conti | 15 |