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James Webb wins first annual Saugus Wing Eating Championship at The Brook14 July 2026(PRESS RELEASE) -- Australian competitive eater James Webb out-ate the greatest of all time on Saturday, downing 7.77 pounds of Saugus Wings in 10 minutes to win the First Annual Saugus Wing Eating Championship at The Brook. Webb narrowly defeated Joey Chestnut, the 18-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, who finished second with 7.54 pounds — a margin of less than a quarter pound. Geoffrey Esper, the Oxford, Massachusetts, schoolteacher who holds the all-time chicken-wing-eating record of 281 wings in 10 minutes, took third. The free event, presented by Major League Eating, drew more than 2,100 boisterous fans to The Secret Garden, The Brook's new outdoor dining and entertainment venue, one week after Chestnut claimed his 18th Mustard Belt at the 4 July Nathan's contest. It marked the first competition of Chestnut's 21-year career in New Hampshire. "It's my first time in New Hampshire, and I'm so happy to be here. It's beautiful," Chestnut said before the contest. He predicted a tight race: "The wings are not hot dogs. I don't intimidate these guys as I do with hot dogs. With wings, it's going to be closer." He was right. Unlike hot dog contests, wing championships are decided by weight, not count. Each competitor started with a 20-pound tray of wings, weighed after 10 minutes to determine how much meat came off the bone. It's a contest of pure technique, and Chestnut broke his down for the crowd. "The two-bone flats, I take one really hard, and I pinch. I use an umbrella method where I try to use my mouth and hand together, then move on to the next one. For the drums, I'm rolling. I pinch and roll, scrape my teeth like a rake, and just keep swallowing." In the end, Webb's 7.77 pounds proved too much. "Going up against Joey Chestnut, you're just lucky to be on the stage," Webb said after the win. "I started doing this five years ago as a joke. Today I was onstage with the GOAT. It’s amazing." Wearing a Boston Red Sox hat just over an hour from his hometown, Esper took the outcome in stride. "I actually wasn't surprised by the results. I knew Webb was the favorite to win, but Joey is very competitive, so I knew it was going to be close between them," he said. "I'm actually not in my best shape right now. But seeing that Joey was only a pound or so away, I do think if I were in my top shape, I could have been in the mix." Esper also felt the hometown love. "I knew Joey was going to be the crowd favorite, but I did appreciate the strong support I received as well," Esper said when asked about the fans, who repeatedly broke into chants of “Joey! Joey! Joey!” "The sponsor and host of the event were fantastic, and the wings tasted great." The championship celebrated the Saugus Wing, the sticky, garlicky signature dish made famous by Kowloon, the iconic Route 1 landmark owned by the Wong family. Kowloon partnered with The Brook to open 9 Dragons, the casino's Asian dining concept, in 2024. Following the competition, live music from Neon 90s kept the crowd at The Secret Garden into the night. The venue's summer lineup continues with Yächtley Crëw, a Midsummer Night's Dream Party featuring Carneyval, and Big Head Todd and The Monsters. Located just over the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, The Brook is a 75-acre property offering over 600 gaming machines, live table games, a 10-table poker room, New England's largest sportsbook, multiple dining options, and the state's largest Stadium Gaming experience. |