Video Of Memphis Krystal Square Off V Qualifier

Rich LeFevre (center, above) came up big in Memphis against Erick "The Red" Denmark and Crazy Legs Conti.

The video of Rich LeFevre’s history-making win on Sunday at the Memphis Krystal Square Off V Qualifier is now up on our video page. Watch LeFevre take on young guns Juris Shibayama, Erik Denmark and Crazy Legs Conti as he becomes one of only two competitive eaters to make it to the finals of the Krystal Square Off five years in a row.

View the entire eight-minute hamburger eating contest below.

Rich LeFevre Wins Nail Biter In Memphis To Earn Krystal Square Off V Seat

Wherever competitive eating pro Rich LeFevre goes, the ladies are sure to follow, and they did in Memphis after he won the Krystal Square Off qualifier with 52 Krystals.

The Mid-South Fair in Memphis has been a familiar site on the Krystal Square Off circuit the past five years, and yesterday it drew many familiar names from the world of competitive eating as Krystal hosted the final qualifier of the year.

As expected, the event drew a tough field featuring some of eating’s finest including Rich LeFevre, Crazy Legs Conti, Juris Shibayama and Erik Denmark. All were looking to win a seat at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship this Sunday in Chattanooga, whether by victory or by grabbing one of the three wild card spots.

The sixty-four year old LeFevre, who has qualified for all four previous Krystal Square Off finals, was considered the slim favorite going into Sunday’s competition, and while he struggled to maintain the lead for most of the contest, in the end his experience triumphed over the youth and bravado of his competitors, earning him the win with 52 Krystal burgers. Shibayama, aka “Dr. Bigtime,” took second with 51 burgers, the same number he was credited with in Nashville a week ago.

Denmark, who promised a victory this week via his Twitter feed, improved upon his performance from a week ago when he ate just 43 Krystals, but he was penalized in Memphis for cramming two Krystals in his mouth after time was called. After deductions the Seattle-based eater was deemed the third place finisher with 50 Krystals. Crazy Legs, who last week downed half a century in Knoxville, finished two behind that mark in Memphis to finish fourth with 48 Krystals.

Click here for photos from the Krystal Square Off V Qualifier in Memphis.

Badlands Booker Backs Out Of Birmingham Krystal Qualifier

Competitive eating giant Badlands Booker will be missed in Birmingham tomororw.

Eric “Badlands” Booker will have to hope his 51 Krystals stick.

Expected to compete at the Krystal Square Off V Qualifier in Birmingham tomorrow where he was hoping to improve upon the 51 he ate last week in Nashville, Booker has just confirmed with us that he will not be making it down South.

Badlands is currently in the thick of the wild card race for this year’s Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 51 Krystals he ate in Nashville puts him second overall among the qualifying tour’s non-winners. The top three will compete at the finals next Sunday in Chattanooga.

But with so many top eaters heading to Memphis for the last qualifier on Sunday, Booker has a lot to worry about, and we expect he’ll be keeping track of the KSO Twitter feed to be the first to find out the top numbers posted.

Badlands had hinted at the possibility of bypassing Birmingham via his Twitter feed. After sending out a “tweet” on Tuesday saying “I will prove i’m better than that in Birmingham,” Booker followed up with another message pondering if 51 Krystals was enough to secure a wild card spot.

Then, yesterday the big man sent out a message on Twitter saying:

“Badlands is sweating it out this weekend, Hoping 51 krystals will be enough to make it to the finals on the 28th.”

In related Twitter news, Erik “The Red” Denmark recently remarked via Twitter: “I didn’t get ‘er done in Nashville But putting behind what we all witnessed I’m ready now for my last shot in Memphis.” His mark of 43 Krystals in Nashville was no doubt a disappointment for the west coast eater and makes him a long shot to win in Memphis or even earn a wild card spot.

Competitive Eating Grudge Match Looms In Nashville

Don't let Juliet Lee's pretty smile fool you. She'll be looking to chew up the competition at the Nashville Krystal Square Off V Qualifier this Saturday.

The Krystal Square Off V qualifier in Nashville this Saturday is shaping up to be the most fiercely contested showdown of the season.

Three of competitive eating’s top gurgitators–Erik “The Red” Denmark, Juliet Lee and Eric “Badlands” Booker–are all confirmed to compete, and while they’re no equals in looks (the glamorous Lee wins by a landslide there), the trio are virtually a dead heat when it comes to Krystals.

Both Badlands and Lee have put down 44 Krystal hamburgers as their career best, and Denmark has done just one better, chowing 45 at last year’s finals in Chattanooga.

And not to be dismissed is long shot local Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, who brings a personal best of 39 Krystals to the table Saturday.

So who has the edge? It’s tough to say, but with the wild card race getting tougher every week, the three will be gunning for nothing short of victory. Anything less and they’ll be sweating it out until the final qualifier is over on Sept. 21. Or even worse, they’ll be staying home on Sept. 28 when the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship takes place in Chattanooga.

The Nashville qualifier will be held at the Tennessee State Fair on Saturday, Sept. 13. Registration for the five amateur on-the-spot slots begins at 1:00 p.m. and contest starts at 2:00 p.m.

Eaters confirmed as of today include:

Juliet Lee
Eric Booker
Erik Denmark
Juris Shibayama
Nathan Biller
Pete Davekos
Bill Myers
Dave Goldstein
Andrew Wong
Steve Larson

Follow the action as it happens this Saturday by signing up for Krystal Square Off’s Twitter feed.