Chestnut discusses protester, goal to be 'Tom Brady' of competitive eating

Joey Chestnut cemented his legacy as the greatest competitive eater of all time on Monday, winning his 15th Nathan’s Independence Day Hot Dog Eating contest.

The victory wasn’t without some controversy, as a protester jumped on stage midway through the contest and pushed Chestnut out of the way to get in view of the camera. Chestnut responded by putting the protester in a headlock and before he was dragged off stage by security.

Chestnut discussed the surprising events in an interview with TSN 690, calling the interruption ‘unfortunate’ and how it took a toll on his performance.

"That was nuts. That was unfortunate,” Chestnut said on Campbell vs. Gallo on Wednesday. “I was like a dog with food aggression. He got in the way of my food and I wanted to get back to eating.

“It slowed me down a little bit. I ended up thinking about it after it happened. I wasn't eating as fast as I should have been but either way I definitely was having a slow day. Most of the numbers were a little bit low. It was a slow day, and it got a little bit slower after the interruption.”

Monday marked Chestnut’s seventh-straight Hot Dog Eating crown, as he devoured 63 dogs in 10 minutes, 15.5 more than the next closest competitor. The 63 hot dogs plus buns eaten was a far cry from his record of 76. Chestnut says a ruptured tendon in his leg, that has him confined to a cast and crutches, may have played a part in the relatively low number.

“I'm hoping next year I'll go back in better shape, without the leg injury and be able to workout and not get winded during the contest.”

“Jaws” has no plans to retire any time soon and hopes to return to the Coney Island Contest as long as his body holds up. Chestnut added that he will continue to train his body