Hotdog eating champ proposes to Fil-Am girlfriend

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut proposes to his girlfriend and fellow competitor Neslie Ricasa before the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating contest at Coney Island, Friday, July 4, 2014, in New York. Chestnut won his competition and eighth consecutive contest by finishing 61 hot dogs and buns. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

NEW YORK — High-ranking chowhound Joey “Jaws” Chestnut dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend before Friday’s annual hot dog eating contest, then packed away 61 franks and buns to hold onto his coveted mustard yellow winner’s belt.

Chestnut man fell far short of his record last year of 69 dogs and buns, but he still easily beat second-place finisher Matt Stonie, also of San Jose, who downed just 56.

“Winning was the only option,” the newly engaged champion said afterward. “I wasn’t going to taint today with a loss.”

Chestnut, 30, took a quick timeout before the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island to make it official with his longtime girlfriend, Neslie Ricasa, who is also a competitive eater. (Ricasa is a Filipino American native of San Jose California.-ed)

In the women’s division, defending champion Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas lost her title to Miki Sudo

Sudo wolfed down 34 franks and buns. Thomas was only able to devour 27 3/4.

Chestnut has won eight times in a row now. In 2010, his former rival, Takeru Kobayashi, Kobayashi refused to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, the food equivalent of the NFL, and was banned from competition.

This year, the Japanese native, nicknamed the Tsunami, competed against five other eaters at a separate event in Manhattan in a quest to down the most hot dogs without buns in 10 minutes. He was victorious in that bun-less eat-off, downing 113 frankfurters, an event spokeswoman said.