In a move apparently to determine if women can cut the mustard, Nathan's is reportedly adding a female-only division to its annual hot dog-eating contest.
Women may account for two of the world's top 10 competitive eaters, but men dominate the Fourth of July hot dog contest, Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating, told the New York Post.
"Serena Williams didn't have to beat Roger Federer to win the Wimbledon title, and we don't think Sonya Thomas should have to beat Joey Chestnut," Shea said of the top-ranked female.
Thomas, 43, who is especially dominant in seafood contests, has been dubbed "The Black Widow" for all the men she's dispatched, the Post reports.
Only Thomas and Juliet Lee -- both of whom weighed 105 pounds at the time -- made the hot dog final last year.
"On any given weekend, Sonya and Juliet can beat the guys," Shea told the newspaper, noting they hold records in cheesecake and cranberry sauce, among other categories. "But hot dogs seem to be different."
The best eaters tend to be petite, with low body-mass indexes and highly elastic stomachs, according to Lee, 45.
"Your body size doesn't have anything to do with how much food you eat," she told the newspaper. "The larger people tend to have more fat on them and can't stretch as well."
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.