HOLD the ketchup and the relish — there’s a new top dog in the United States.

    Matt Stonie upset Joey “Jaws” Chestnut to win the July 4th hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island, ending the champ’s bid for a ninth straight victory Saturday afternoon.

    Stonie, who finished second last year, downed 62 hot dogs and buns, beating Chestnut by two; the next closest competitor, Tim “Eater X” Janus, ate 35 hot dogs.

    Early in the contest, Chestnut seemed to have a slight edge but Stonie moved ahead after several minutes and seemed to be slowly extending his lead until the final bell.

    Afterward Stonie held his fist in the air in victory and said it felt amazing to win and that he had trained hard for the contest.

    Chestnut grimaced before smiling in defeat and said he was slow and couldn’t catch up to Stonie.

    He vowed to return to the contest next year and said, “I’ve been looking for competition for a long time and I finally have it.

    “He made me hungry.”

    Stonie, 23, and 31-year-old Chestnut are both from California.

    Chestnut broke a world record in 2013 when he scoffed down 69 soggy dogs in 10 minutes.

    As the eight-year champion, he held the Mustard Yellow International Belt after eating 61 hot dogs at last year’s contest.

    More than 30,000 people were expected to pack Coney Island for the annual feeding frenzy.

    Defending champion Miki Sudo captured the women’s division of the annual July 4th hot dog eating contest with a flourish that emphasized strategy rather than condiments.

    The Las Vegas woman ate 38 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to claim the title for the second straight year, along with the US$10,000 that comes with it.

    (SD-Agencies)