Joey Chestnut Wins the Martorano's Masters Meatball Eating Championship for the Second Year in a Row

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Joey "Jaws" Chestnut won the second annual Martorano's Masters Meatball Eating Championship, beating out 12 other contenders at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Sunday, Nov. 7. The competition was held on the Masquerade Village stage in the middle of the casino and in front of a live audience. The No. 1-ranked eater in the world ate 43 2-ounce meatballs in 10 minutes, earning himself $1,500 and a monogram "M" necklace courtesy of Cook/Owner Steve Martorano. The Major League Eating-sanctioned contest also featured a special guest host, star of "Holly's World" and "Peepshow," Holly Madison.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/LA96735)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101108/LA96735)

"This is an awesome event and I'm proud to be the Martorano's champion once again," said Chestnut.  "Since the meatballs are so delicious, I'm really able to enjoy them as I'm competing. I'll definitely be back again next year."

The competition brought out some of the best eaters in the world, all vying to beat Chestnut. Rich "The Locust" LeFevre, a veteran eater who holds world records in Spam, chili and huevos rancheros, finished second with 37 meatballs and won $750. Weighing only 105-pounds and the only woman in the competition, "The Lovely" Juliet Lee finished third with 35 meatballs and took home $500. Coming in fourth place and taking home $250 was Erik "The Red" Denmark who ate 33.5 meatballs. Denmark finished only a half meatball ahead of fellow eaters Ron Koch and Kevin Ross.

To fully honor and respect the Martorano's gourmet meatballs, Major League Eating strayed from conventional competition standards and issued a utensils-only rule. The stipulation proved integral as it put an added premium on technique throughout the contest.

"Now that Joey has won twice, I consider him a part of my family," said Martorano's Cook and Owner Steve Martorano. "My meatballs are made with a lot of love and a lot of flavor and it's great that the eaters are able to enjoy them during the competition."

"Joey once again showed us why he's the best eater in the world," said Mike Antolini of Major League Eating. "It's clear that when Joey is presented with Martorano's world-class meatballs, he's awfully tough to beat."

Broadcast-quality video is currently available at the following link: http://www.mrcameraftp.com/home/harrahs/Martoranos/

SOURCE Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino