Krystal Square Off Champion Joey Chestnut downed 45 slices of pizza in 10 minutes yesterday.

Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Champion Joey Chestnut can now add Pizza Champion to his long list of titles.

On Sunday, Chestnut downed 45 slices of pizza in 10 minutes during the Famous Famiglia Pizza Eating contest in Times Square.

According to Eatfeats, Pat Bertoletti came in second with 43 slices and Humble Bob Shoudt was third 41.

Head over the CNN for an article about yesterday’s compeititon.

We could easily tell you that the Krystal Square Off is covered by media outlets across the globe, but it’s probably more effective for you to actually see proof – right?

Well, here you have it.  Slovenian coverage of Joey Chestnut winning this past Sunday’s Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship.

And for those of you geographically challenged, here‘s Slovenia on a map.

Enjoy!

Joey Chestnut downed 93 Krystals in 8 minutes yesterday, reclaiming his title as World Hamburger Eating Champ.

Courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog:

American eating sensation Joey Chestnut retained his hamburger eating title today at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 24-year-old from San Jose, Calif. downed 93 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes, ten shy of his world record mark set at last year’s championship.

Billed as the highly anticipated rematch between Chestnut, the No.1-ranked eater in the world, and Japan’s speed-eating legend Takeru Kobayashi, the contest quickly became a one-man show as Chestnut jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as a crowd of 10,000 cheered him on in downtown Chattanooga.

Kobayashi, a three-time Krystal Square Off winner who missed last year’s championship due to a jaw injury, finished in a disappointing third place, eating just 84 Krystals, 13 less than he ate when he won Krystal Square Off III in 2006. Twenty-three-year-old rising star Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti was the second-place spoiler, out-eating Kobayashi by just one Krystal.

“Chestnut’s win today at Krystal Square Off V proves once again that he is competitive eating’s new superstar and the undisputed number one ranked eater in the world,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing, The Krystal Company.

Chestnut pockets $20,000 for his win, along with the coveted Krystal Square Off Champion’s Belt and Trophy made out of crystal. Bertoletti earns $10,00 for his second place finish while Kobayashi takes away $5,000. The remaining top eleven finalists receive payouts ranging from $3,000 to $500. The $50,000 total cash purse is the largest in competitive eating history.

Presented by The Krystal Company and featuring the iconic fresh, hot, small, square Krystal hamburger, the Krystal Square Off is one of the two majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports.

“There are precious few moments in professional sports when you can watch as a competitor affirms his place in the history books. With this win today, Joey Chestnut just said to the world: I am Krystal King hear me growl,” said Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating. “In today’s economy anybody can be negatively impacted by unforeseen circumstances. Kobayashi is feeling that impact, but if I know him he’ll be back.”

Today’s victory was Chestnut’s first win over Kobayashi in a Krystal-eating contest, and further cements his dominance over the 30-year-old Japanese eating star. Kobayashi is responsible for first bringing the sport of competitive eating into the American mainstream more than seven years ago, only to see his star fall lately after several high-profile losses.

The official results are as follows:

1. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, San Jose, Calif. – 93 Krystals
2. Pat “”Deep Dish”” Bertoletti, Chicago, Ill. – 85 Krystals
3. Takeru Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan – 84 Krystals
4. “Humble” Bob Shoudt, Philadelphia, Pa. – 76 Krystals
5. Tim “”Eater X”” Janus, New York, N.Y. – 64 Krystals
6. Hall “Hoover” Hunt, Jacksonville, Fla. – 63 Krystals
7. Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, Md. – 55 Krystals
8. Crazy Legs Conti, New York, N.Y. – 49 Krystals
9. Rich “”The Locust”” LeFevre, Henderson, Nev. – 47 Krystals
10. Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, Tenn. – 43 Krystals
11. Eric “Badlands” Booker, Long Island, N.Y. – 41 Krystals
12. Kyle “12th Eater” Brogdon, Hixson, Tenn. – 10 Krystals

Click here for hundreds of photos from today’s Krystal Square Off V in Chattanooga, including the tailgating party, The Marshall Tucker Band concert, arrival of eaters by boat, autograph alley, crowd shots, Sackful Challenge and the 8-minute championship.

Also, head over to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for their coverage of the event including audio from Chestnut and a video of yesterday’s championship belt presentation.

Ben Griffith and his family are headed to Chattanooga for the VIP Vacation Getaway.

Remember us telling you about Ben Griffith?  He is the up-and-coming competitive eater from Covington, Ga., who was coming off an arm injury to train for this year’s Krystal Square Off V.

Perhaps you remember seeing him compete live on Fox’s Good Day Atlanta against Super Paul Barlow and Steve “The Pie Guy” Martin.  Or maybe you even remember seeing him in Perry, Ga., and at the Gwinnett County Fair in 2006, hoping to secure a spot at the Krystal Square Off III final table.

Well, unfortunately, even despite his hard work and training this past year, Griffith was not able to secure a spot at the over-crowded Atlanta qualifying table.  So his chance of seeing the Krystal Square Off V finals live and meeting Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, his favorite competitive eating superstars, seemed slim.

But, as fate would have it, Griffith and his entire family now have perhaps the best seat in the house at this year’s World Hamburger Eating Championship Event as they were selected out of 750 entrants to receive the VIP Family Vacation Getaway to Chattanooga for the Krystal Square Off V.

That’s right. After being featured on Good Day Atlanta, Griffith’s wife, Brittany, began searching online for footage of her husband’s television appearance that morning.  That search lead her here to us, where she read about and registered for the exclusive Family Vacation Getaway Package.

Now, the entire Griffith family is packing their suitcases for a once-in-a-lifetime weekend in Tennessee’s Scenic City where they’ll spend two nights at the fabulous Sheraton Read House, receive VIP treatment at one of Chattnooga’s area attractions and then enjoy the luxury suite “sky box” at the Krystal Square Off V complete with catered food and beverages as well as the best view of the contest.

And even though they haven’t decided yet what area Chattanooga attraction they’ll visit first, what they do know is what famous competitive eater they’re most excited to meet: Kobayashi.

“He’s the only eater my husband hasn’t met yet, and we are just so excited,” exclaimed Brittany.  “We can’t wait!”

*photo courtesy of The Newton Citizen.

Rich LeFevre, 64, will be at the World Hamburger Eating championship table this Sunday thanks to his win in Memphis.

As we promised yesterday, below are the results of the Memphis Qualifier for the Krystal Square Off V.  As the last competition before this Sunday’s World Hamburger Eating Championship event, the Memphis contest decided who would fill the final seat as well as the three wild card spots.

Here’s a summary of the contest from the Krystal Square Off Blog:

“As expected, the event drew a tough field featuring some of eating’s finest including Rich LeFevre, Crazy Legs Conti, Juris Shibayama and Erik Denmark. All were looking to win a seat at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship this Sunday in Chattanooga, whether by victory or by grabbing one of the three wild card spots.

The sixty-four year old LeFevre, who has qualified for all four previous Krystal Square Off finals, was considered the slim favorite going into Sunday’s competition, and while he struggled to maintain the lead for most of the contest, in the end his experience triumphed over the youth and bravado of his competitors, earning him the win with 52 Krystal burgers. Shibayama, aka “Dr. Bigtime,” took second with 51 burgers, the same number he was credited with in Nashville a week ago.

Denmark, who promised a victory this week via his Twitter feed, improved upon his performance from a week ago when he ate just 43 Krystals, but he was penalized in Memphis for cramming two Krystals in his mouth after time was called. After deductions the Seattle-based eater was deemed the third place finisher with 50 Krystals. Crazy Legs, who last week downed half a century in Knoxville, finished two behind that mark in Memphis to finish fourth with 48 Krystals.

Click here for photos from the Krystal Square Off V Qualifier in Memphis.”

Tim "Eater X" Janus claims victory at the Knoxville qualifier for the Krystal Square Off V with 63 Krystals.

This past weekend was a busy one for the Krystal Square Off V qualifying circuit.  Not only was there the hectic, back-to-back event schedule to content with, but there was also a bit of controversy surrounding the contest in Nashville, which ultimately led to the IFOCE instating a new rule.

Here’s a recap of the Nashville contest courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog:

In a contest marked by controversy and the hottest and most humid conditions seen on the tour so far, Juliet Lee’s victory had some calling foul due to excessive debris during the eight-minute regulation period. After a lengthy conference with judges, Major League Eating made the decision to hold a three person eat-off, the first ever in Krystal Square Off history, between “The Lovely” Lee, Eric “Badlands” Booker and Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama. Each was presented with 10 Krystals, and Lee was first to consume hers, earning her the win.

Because of the excessive debris issue and the difficulty judges had tallying the number of Krystal burgers actually consumed by a number of eaters, include Lee, Major League Eating held an impromptu conference call Saturday evening to discuss establishing a new rule that will help prevent confusion in future contest.

Coined the Mustard Yellow Card, the rule will allow judges to disqualify competitors for “messy eating” after an initial warning is given.

A full explanation of the rule from IFOCE.com:

Major League Eating announces today the creation of a new rule called the Mustard Yellow Card. The rule allows league officials and judges to formally caution a competitor if the official or judge feels said competitor is eating in a fashion that is so messy it impedes the ability to determine the amount of food consumed.

After one caution is given the judge has the right to disqualify the warned competitor if the competitor has not satisfactorily corrected his or her eating style.

While no formal definition need be given, messy eating can include food and debris on a competitor and in a competitor’s eating area and cups.

Thankfully, Sunday’s contest in Knoxville was straightforward with Tim “Eater X” Janus the clear winner with 63 Krystals.  Janus did break the previous Knoxville record of 49, which was set by Chip “Burger” Simpson last year.  Crazy Legs Conti finished second with 50 Krystals, just one burger short of what he needs to be a Wild Card contender.

For more details and information about this weekend’s contest, including photos and links to video news coverage, head over to the Krystal Square Off Blog.

The popular Tennessee Aquarium is one of the places you and your family can experience if you win the VIP Family Vacation giveaway.

Courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog

On Sept. 28, the city of Chattanooga, Tenn. will play host to the biggest Major League Eating event of the year as Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi and all of the world’s best battle it out for the top burger belt at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship. And thanks to the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, one lucky family will get to experience this must-see event like a VIP plus enjoy a fun-filled weekend in Tennessee’s Scenic City.

Beginning today, competitive eating fans hungry for the ultimate Chattanooga Family Vacation and Krystal Square Off V Getaway can register for a chance to win by visiting www.chattanooga.com/krystal. The package includes:

• Two night luxury accommodations at the fabulous Sheraton Read House;
• One Chattanooga area attraction VIP Pass good for four people at over 40 attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX 3D Theater, Ruby Falls and Rock City Gardens;
• Krystal Square Off VIP Access that includes your very own luxury suite “sky box” at the live televised championship, complete with catered food and beverages and the best view of the contest.

Drawing will take place on September 22.

The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship is one of the majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports. FSN South, the nation’s largest regional sports network, will televise the finals of Krystal Square Off V live from Chattanooga, Tenn. during a one-hour program.

Pat Bertoletti of Chicago earns a seat at the Krystal Square Off V championship table on September 28 after downing 66 Krystal burgers in Atlanta.

Courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog -

Atlanta’s Lenox Square Mall is known for its world-class shopping but [on Saturday] it was the scene of world-class competitive eating as Chicago’s Pat Bertoletti and a host of other top ranked eaters faced off in an eight-minute Krystal eating contest with the winner earning a spot at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 28 in Chattanooga.

Bertoletti, the number-two ranked eater in the world, was no doubt the odds on favorite to win and he did not disappoint as he devoured 66 Krystals to capture the Atlanta title, out-eating his nearest competitor and fellow Chicagoan Tim “Gravy” Brown by 21 Krystals. Finishing just one behind Brown with 44 Krystals was “Buffalo” Jim Reeves of Buffalo, New York.

With his victory today, the 23-year-old Bertoletti has earned a berth in the finals on Sept. 28 where he’ll compete live on FSN South against defending champ and Krystal world record holder Joey Chestnut, three-time Krystal Square Off World Champion Takeru Kobayashi, the top finisher from each regional qualifier and three wild card entries. On the line will be a $50,000 cash purse, the largest in competitive eating history.

While good enough for him to move on to the finals, Bertoletti’s mark of 66 Krystals today is far from his best of 94 Krystals, which he did at last year’s championship, and is much less than the 85 he downed at the Atlanta qualifier a year ago.

Both Brown and Reeves, the 13th and 28th ranked eaters in the world, respectively, achieved their personal bests today and remain in contention for one of three coveted wild card spots. The two eating pros join Sonya Thomas, who finished second in Jacksonville last week with 55 Krystals, as the top three so far this year who are hoping to sneak into the finals without winning a qualifier.

Head over to the Krystal Square Off Blog for the official results of Saturday’s contest.

Get instant updates from the Krystal Square Off V tour by following us on Twitter.

Krystal Square Off V officially kicks off in Chattanooga in a couple of hours, and if you find yourself thinking “man, I wish I was there” or “I can’t wait until the Krystal Square Off Blog is updated so I know what’s going on” or “what’s this hamburger competitive eating stuff all about” – well, you’re in luck.

Thanks to the wonderful world of technology that is Twitter, you can be the first to find out what’s happening along this year’s hamburger eating tour. From what the competitive eaters are saying before the gurgitating contest, to what they’re saying afterwards, to the final results and everything in between, sign up today to follow the official Krystal Square Off V Twitter feed at twitter.com/ksquareoff and you won’t miss a thing.

Never heard of Twitter? Well, it’s an instant, micro-blog that allows us to send messages, known as “tweets,” directly to everyone following our feed. These updates will be displayed at twitter.com/ksquareoff and delivered to your Twitter page. Not only that, but you can sign-up to get tweets via IM, SMS on your phone, RSS, email or through an application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.

You can read more about Twitter here.

So go ahead and stalk us by signing up for the Krystal Square Off V Twitter feed today. Oh, and you can also stalk some of our Krystal competitive eaters like Hall “Hoover” Hunt and The Hangman.

Go ahead, we won’t think you’re creepy.

Courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog:

The Krystal Company and FSN South have inked a broadcast partnership for the Krystal Square Off V.

Details of the deal include the sports network broadcasting live from the final championship event in Chattanooga on September 28. The special, one-hour broadcast will air beginning at 2:00 p.m.

In addition to the live event broadcast, FSN South will also air weekly updates covering the seven-city qualifying tour beginning Aug. 23.

For more information about the partnership, check out the press release here.