Professional football player and current Los Angeles Chargers linebacker, Joey Bosa, will compete against World Champion Competitive Eater Joey Chestnut during the second annual Wonderful® Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship on World Pistachio Day, February 26, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

Hosted by Wonderful® Pistachios and Major League Eating (MLE), 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. Bosa’s impressive athletic accolades, including his history as a four-time player in the NFL Pro Bowl, make him a formidable opponent. 

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. 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, top-ranked eaters from around the world will attend including: 

• #1-ranked Joey Chestnut from Westfield, Ind. 
• #4-ranked and current Pistachios Eating World Champion, Nick Wehry from Tampa, Fla.
• #5-ranked James Webb from Sydney, Australia
• #7-ranked Bartley Weaver from Tampa, Fla.
• #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 vs. Joey battle on our home turf is already a win,” said Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing, Wonderful Pistachios. 

“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,” said Sam Barclay, emcee at Major League Eating.

Last year, #4-ranked Competitive Eater Nick Wehry set the pistachio-eating World Record by cracking and eating 188 Wonderful Pistachios in eight minutes. #15-ranked Adrian Morgan came in second with 176 Wonderful Pistachios, and #1-ranked female eater Miki Sudo came in third with 173. 

The event is free and open to the public, and attendees can enjoy complimentary giveaway items including branded merchandise and samples of Wonderful Pistachios. 

For more information about the “Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship,” visit https://majorleagueeating.com/contests, and learn more about Wonderful Pistachios at www.wonderfulpistachios.com.