Was there ever any doubt? Despite missing out on the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest in 2024, Joey Chestnut returned to Coney Island this year to reclaim his usurped high seat. Downing 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to obliterate Pat Bertolotti by more than 20 hot dogs. Naturally, when Chestnut’s prodigal return drew comparison with another GOAT, fans couldn’t help but point out that the California native’s triumph is easily greater.

Remember when Michael Jordan suddenly dropped the now-iconic “I’m back” statement when he made his comeback to the NBA after 17 months of retirement in 1994? That was, easily, one of the most legendary comebacks of all time, with the basketball sensation leading the Bulls to three consecutive Championships in 1995, ’96, and ’97. However, fans seem to believe that the NBA MVP hardly has anything on his MLE counterpart, Chestnut.

On X, Sean was amused when some reporters tried to draw parallels between Jordan and Chestnut’s respective returns to their natural habitats. “There’s no way they just asked Joey Chestnut if his return feels like when Michael f—— Jordan retired & came back,” read the social media update, accompanied by a wheezing Shaquille O’Neal gif, in which he could hardly keep a straight face.

The fiasco surrounding Chestnut signing a deal with plant-based meat brand Impossible Foods led to the competitive eating celebrity getting banned from Nathan’s last year. In his absence, Bertolotti took advantage of the situation to become the first person other than Chestnut to win the hot dog eating competition since 2015. But evidently, the return of the MLE’s poster boy shook the defending champ.

Bertolotti only managed to munch through 46.5 hot dogs on Friday to come in second at the 2025 Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest. Chestnut seemed as if he was in a headspace of his own. And his hot dog eating spree also brought about another coincidental MJ connection! While Jordan returned to action after 17 months of retirement in 1994, Chestnut today bagged his 17th Mustard Yellow Belt.

The fans had no double-takes about who the greater champ here is: Obviously, Joey! “It’s bigger,” wrote one fan who made it clear that the 41-year-old’s return to Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest was easily the bigger achievement than what MJ managed to pull off in the 1994-95 season after coming out of his 1-and-a-half-year retirement. Others shared similar opinions on the matter.

Fans bestow the ultimate praise on Joey Chestnut

“Joey Chestnut is the greatest athlete of all time,” read one comment on Sean’s post. Before returning to the event this year, Joey claimed that his issue with Nathan’s had been resolved and that he was only focused on reclaiming his title. From what we saw, he was joking around. Leaving Pat in the dust, Chestnut triumphed in the most brilliant way possible, and it’s understandable that his explosive comeback has fans clamoring.

“What an insult to Joey to even put Jordan in the same sentence. Joey is the greatest and most dominant athlete in Sports history. Jordan has 6 rings? Cool, that’s nothing compared to 17 mustard belts,” another fan was only irked by the fact that someone would dare to put Joey and Michael’s feats side-by-side. After all, the Bulls only secured a fifth seed in the Eastern Conference in the 1994-95 season, despite Jordan’s return helping the Bulls garner 35 million views in his first match of that season. Keeping that in mind, many fans claim that MJ couldn’t hold a candle to Chestnut. “Way more dominant than Michael Jordan,” one fan sought to draw the bottom line.

More and more fans stepped forward, highlighting that Jordan’s 6 NBA Championship rings are far fewer than Joey’s 17 MLE rings. “MJ was nowhere near as dominant as Joey chestnut,” said one fan, who isn’t split about who to call the undisputed GOAT. Do you think so too? Do you also think that Joey Chestnut just pulled something that would seat him alongside some of the greatest sports figures in history? Tell us your reaction below! All in good humor, though!