UPDATE: Geoff Esper wins slopper-eating contest Saturday at Pueblo State Fair; Joey Chestnut second
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The winner of second-annual slopper-eating contest Saturday at the Pueblo State Fair this year is Geoff Esper of Massachusetts.
Esper set a new world record in the event by consuming 37.5 sloppers in eight minutes.
The runner-up was Joey Chestnut, the world's top-ranked professional eater, who polished off 32 sloppers in his first appearance at the contest.
Darron Breeden, last year's champion, finished fifth, polishing off 21.5 sloppers -- well behind the 28 he swallowed in 2019.
Esper was one of sever professional eaters in the competition, an experienced contestant holding records in brats, pork roll sandwiches, tacos, pizza, tamales, pretzels and chicken wings.
Here's the order of finish in Saturday's contest (statistics provided by the Pueblo State Fair and Major League Eating):
1. Geoff Esper 37.5 2. Joey Chestnut 32 3. Nick Wehry 28 4. Gideon Oji 23.5 5. Darron Breeden 21.5 6. Big Sexy Beard 12 7. Moose Perez 6
PREVIOUS STORY (FRIDAY, SEPT. 4)
Saturday afternoon, the biggest food fight in Pueblo history will take place at the Colorado State Fairgrounds.
In 2019, Darren Breeden claimed the title in the "Slopper Eating Championship."
Breeden downed just over 28 sloppers in 8 minutes.
This year, however, Breeden will have his hands full of more than just messy sandwiches.
Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, joining the competition for the first time, is the #1 rated eater in the world, setting a new record of 75 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, an annual event broadcasted live on ESPN.
"I have the best job in the world. I travel around and eat," said a smiling Chestnut from his home in California.
He told KRDO on Thursday that he's never had a true slopper, a cheeseburger covered in Pueblo green chile, but he tried to make a few as part of his preparation.
"I don't go into something without doing some research. I made up some of the chile just a couple of nights ago, and I made it up again, and I feel like I have an idea what it's going to taste like," he said.
However, he admits he's nervous, not knowing exactly how his palette will handle true Pueblo chiles, and he intended to try a true slopper as soon as he arrived in town on Friday.
"I can eat buns. I can eat burgers really fast. The only wild card on this a little bit is the chile, and the sauce."
That lack of hands-on experience with local sloppers could open the door for the current champion, Darren Breeden.
Breeden, by the way, is the #4 ranked eater in the world and was also as this year's hot dog contest in July, where he came in second to Chestnut.
Winning the slopper competition would be a powerful response to the July event.
Chestnut predicts he can put down at least 35 sloppers to take the title, but he isn't ruling out Breeden's chances of doing the same.
"Darren might eat 35 too, but I was looking at the numbers, and the weights," he said, "I'm worried, but I'm excited."
Just like the hot dog eating competition, there will be no fans allowed to watch the contest in person this year.
The only way to watch is live will be on the Colorado State Fair website.
You can also catch the highlights on Newschannel 13 on Saturday evening.
