PHILADELPHIA — WIP Wing Bowl 25 champion Bob “Notorious B.O.B.” Shoudt said he was able to coast through the finals of the 2017 contest and was confident in one of his biggest assets: “Capacity.”
The 275-pound Pennsylvania man in dark sunglasses ate 409 wings over the course of two 14-minute rounds and one two-minute final. He wiped his face and was immediately crowned and surrounded by Wingettes in tiny gold outfits.
He’s won other eating titles before, he said, but as an area native, this was the title he always dreamed of.
“After the first round I was behind, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said. “I had to pick it up in the second round.” After that, he could relax a bit in the finals, he said.
His closest competitor was Dave Tiger “Wings & Things” Brunelli, who ate 386 wings. Brunelli also won the Legends category, which was new this year. While all past overall champions were barred from competition this year, memorable eaters from previous Wing Bowls were invited to compete in that category.
Others who wanted to enter the competition had to win at qualifying events or impress WIP hosts with eating stunts, like eating four pounds of mayo.
People killing it at tailgating at Wing Bowl 25
When WIP host Al Morganti decided to start Wing Bowl because the Eagles again did not make it to the Super Bowl. That year 150 people attended and the winner took home a hibachi.
Now, Wing Bowl had a sold-out, 20,000-person crowd in the Wells Fargo Center. The tailgating started at 4 a.m., followed by competitors parading around the packed arena on floats with bikini-wearing Wingettes.
In the stands throughout the morning, beers are consumed and women caught on the “can cam” are encouraged to show their breasts. WIP reported that someone proposed to a significant other at the event.
Before the main competition, past champions Molly Schuyler and Bill “El Wingador” Simmons had a five-minute wing eating contest. Schuyler, who won in 2014 and 2016, ate 95 wings to Simmons’ 91 and won $5,0000.
Simmons, a five-time champion, won tens of thousands over the years but was eventually arrested and served two years for cocaine distribution.
Schuyler also did a solo performance Friday, devouring 4.5 pounds of steak and a pound of mashed potatoes in 3 minutes and 18 seconds. Schuyler, 36, of California, beat the previous record by five seconds, she said.
186 wings in 5 minutes in champs eat-off
She’s done steak-eating challenges before, and they’re generally harder than wings, she said.
“It’s a lot more solid and harder to swallow,” she said, sitting on a stage with several leather-clad Wingettes while the finals went on.
“It’s kind of nice to get to sit and watch it,” she said.
Organizers said that only two competitors were disqualified for vomiting this year, down from an all-time high in 2016.
This year’s Wing Bowl included appearances by rapper Coolio and former wrestler Ric “The Nature Boy” Flair. While there were no big brawls or other shenanigans, Legends eater Douglas “Obi Wing” Petock did have a lightsaber battle on the floor by the stage before picking up and carrying around a woman.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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