American hero Joey Chestnut, known 'round the world as the man who can guzzle down an incredible amount of hot dogs in a mere 10 minutes, has been banned from the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest due to sponsorship quibbles, leaving much of the nation devastated for the fate of the so-called "Super Bowl of eating."

According to a report from the New York Post and confirmed by Major League Eating earlier today, Chestnut has been banned from the July 4th contest due to his decision to sign a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, makers of "Impossible Burgers" and other vegan meat alternatives.

Chestnut became a star with MLE (Major League Eating) thanks in large part to his ascendancy to defeat the once-thought undefeatable Takeru Kobayashi, a Japanese sensation who put hot dog eating on the map in the 2000s. Since Kobayashi cut ties with MLE, Chestnut has gone basically unchallenged for the hot dog crown, winning the competition every year since 2016 by guzzling down between 60 and 76 hot dogs per contest.

MLE claims it "bent over backwards" to satisfy increased demands from Chestnut, including paying six-figure appearance fees and offering him an exclusive contract of $1.2 million over four years. The details of Chestnut's sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods aren't currently known, but the signing was apparently a bridge too far for MLE, who stated they would welcome him back when he stops "representing a rival brand."

On social media, fans were aghast at the decision and expressed a healthy dose of ironic outrage over the banning of professional eating's biggest star.

Me when I find the person who banned Joey Chestnut from the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest pic.twitter.com/rgW6ISWsXU

— K E V I N ⭑⭒⭒⭒⭒ (@KevChestnut) June 11, 2024

Joey Chestnut showing up to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest this year pic.twitter.com/apUNM2qt5M

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) June 11, 2024

The loss of Chestnut portends ill for the annual contest, which has drawn eyes largely due to Kobayashi and then Chestnut, as no other competitor could hope to match their superhuman ability to guzzle down hot dogs.

Meanwhile, Netflix will be hosting a Labor Day hot dog eating contest that will feature Chestnut, and it will stream live on the service. For the first time in the history of Major League Eating, there may be a second hot dog eating contest grabbing America's attention every year.