Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa is set to compete against world champion competitive eater Joey Chestnut during the second annual Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship on World Pistachio Day, Feb. 26, at Pacific Park on California’s Santa Monica Pier, according to a news release.
Hosted by Wonderful Pistachios and Major League Eating, this marks the first time in the competitive-eating circuit history that an active professional football player will go head-to-head with internationally ranked MLE athletes, including the defending Pistachios Eating World Champion Nick Wehry, the release said.
Competitors will have eight minutes to crack open and eat as many Wonderful Pistachios as possible in a battle for the championship title and $10,000 in total cash prizes. Wonderful Pistachios says the pistachio-eating championship requires immense dexterity and mobility because competitors must first crack open each pistachio before consuming it and moving on to the next.
In addition to Bosa, a four-time player in the NFL Pro Bowl, top-ranked eaters from around the world are slated to attend including:
- No. 1-ranked Joey Chestnut from Westfield, Ind.
- No. 4-ranked and current Pistachios Eating World Champion, Nick Wehry from Tampa, Fla.
- No. 5-ranked James Webb from Sydney, Australia.
- No. 7-ranked Bartley Weaver from Tampa, Fla.
- No. 12-ranked Darrien Thomas from Orillia, Ontario.
“Sports viewing is a top snacking moment for Wonderful Pistachios and football is the most popular. A Joey versus Joey battle on our home turf is already a win” Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios, said in the release.
Last year, Wehry set the pistachio-eating world record by cracking and eating 188 Wonderful Pistachios in eight minutes. No. 15-ranked Adrian Morgan came in second with 176 Wonderful Pistachios, and No. 1-ranked female eater Miki Sudo came in third with 173.
“Nick Wehry faces one of his most daunting battles of the 2024 Competitive Eating Circuit as he fights to defend his champion title and world record from an international field of competitors,” Sam Barclay, emcee at Major League Eating, said in the release.
The free event is open to the public, and attendees can enjoy complementary giveaway items including branded merchandise and samples of Wonderful Pistachios, the release said.
