A Guide To Wing Bowl 23
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS)— It's hard to believe where it started and where Wing Bowl has come in a few decades. Who even knew it would last a few decades from its humble beginnings in the lobby of the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel on Friday, January 29, 1993?
The winner that day was a guy named Carmen "The Beast From the East" Cordero, who downed 100 wings to win a Hibachi.
Now, the top eaters down 100 wings as an appetizer. Put it this way, the defending Wing Bowl champ, the indefatigable Molly Schuyler polished off 186 wings in the 14-minute first round last year.
The winner now receives a pile of cash, and an event that had its origins in front of a handful of people has blossomed into a national event that attracts tons of local and social media attention, and packs the Wells Fargo Center with more fans than the Sixers might get in a week.
The weigh-ins took place Thursday night and it doesn't appear as of Schuyler may be pushed this year, after downing an all-time Wing Bowl record 363 wings last year.
The top local eater is David "Tiger Wings & Things" Brunelli, who is a 5-to-1 favorite, seeded third behind last year's second-place finisher Pat Bertoletti, who finished with 356.
Below are some thumbnail facts on the eaters and their odds to unseat Wing Bowl queen Molly Schuyler.
Round Format
First round: 30 eaters-14 minutes.
Second round: Top 10 eaters advance for 14 minutes.
Final round: Top five eaters advance in a speed-eating two- minute round.
Eater Odds & Seeds
1. Molly Schuyler
Plumas Lake, CA
Weight: 125
Odds: 2-1 (overall)
2. UNKNOWN EATER
Odds: 4-1 (overall)
3. Patrick Bertoletti
Chicago, IL
Weight: 185
Odds: 5-1 (overall)
4. David "Tiger Wings & Things" Brunelli
Philadelphia, PA
Weight: 250
Odds: 5-1 (overall) 4-1 (local)
5. Bob "The Notorious B.O.B." Shoudt
Royersford, PA
Weight: 285
Odds: 6-1 (overall) 4-1 (local)
6. Gary "Egghead" Russell
Weight: 190
Odds: 8-1 (overall) 5-1 (local)
7. Tim "Gravy Brown" Brown
Chicago, IL
Weight: 185
Odds: 9-1 (overall)
8. Brendan "Skin & Bones" Lyman
Philadelphia, PA
Weight: 175
Odds: 10-1 (overall) 6-1 (local)
9. Sean "El Clownador" Gordon
Downingtown, PA
Weight: 245
Odds: 10-1 (overall) 5-1 (local)
10. Mick Foley
Long Island, NY
Weight: 287
Odds: 10-1 (overall)
11. Joe "Gentleman Joe" Menchetti
Cheshire, CT
Weight: 285
Odds: 12-1 (overall)
12. Kevin "Qwazy" Ambs
Conshohocken, PA
Weight: 250
Odds: 12-1 (overall) 8-1 (local)
13. Dimitry "Ukraine Train" Schupak
Langhorne, PA
Weight: 235
Odds: 15-1 (overall) 10-1 (local)
14. Kevin "Brutus" Bruton
West Chester, PA
Weight: 205
Odds: 19-1 (overall) 15-1 (local) 3-1 (college)
15. Monty "Moe Train" Wiradilaga
Kennett Square, PA
Weight: 250
Odds: 20-1 (overall) 10-1 (local)
16. Dan "Demo Dan" Brechbiel
Brookhaven, PA
Weight: 190
Odds: 20-1 (overall) 15-1 (local)
17. Matt "Santa Dog" Yeackel
Sicklerville, NJ
Weight: 260
Odds: 25-1 (overall) 18-1 (local)
18. Chris-Chen "Big Z" Zhou
Harbin, China
Weight: 290
Odds: 25-1 (overall) 18-1 (local) 4-1 (college)
19. Brian "Ginger Wings" Lafferty
Springfield, PA
Weight: 175
Odds: 25-1 (overall) 20-1 (local) 6-1 (college)
20. Dan "Stormin Norman" Davis
Philadelphia, PA
Weight: 240
Odds: 25-1 (overall) 20-1 (local) 6-1 (college)
21. Rich "CheesecakeBeefcake" Souders
Drexel Hill, PA
Weight: 168
Odds: 35-1 (overall) 25-1 (local)
22. Steve "The Animal Cannibal" Inglese
Royersford, PA
Weight: 215
Odds: 40-1 (overall) 25-1 (local)
23. Henry "Nacho Extreme" Lann
Braintree, MA
Weight: 300
Odds: 40-1 (overall)
24. Matt "Matt & Cheese" Yavoich
Wilmington, DE
Weight: 215
Odds: 45-1 (overall) 30-1 (local)
25. Keith "South Jersey Keith" Carman
Mt. Laurel, NJ
Weight: 215
Odds: 50-1 (overall) 25-1 (local)
26. Chad "Meat Fridge" Cerino
Franklinville, NJ
Weight: 225
Odds: 50-1 (overall) 40-1 (local) 8-1 (college)
27. Vincent "Big Fat Hoss" Garman
Aston, PA
Weight: 200
Odds: 65-1 (overall) 60-1 (local) 10-1 (college)
28. Gerry "Iceman" Spearing
Philadelphia, PA
Weight: 240
Odds: 75-1 (overall) 50-1 (local)
29. Al "Love Handles" Marnoch
Hatboro, PA
Weight: 225
Odds: 75-1 (overall) 50-1 (local)
30. Frank "The Animal" Bialowas
Weight: 235
Odds: 100-1 (overall) 75-1 (local)
Past Wing Bowl Winners
22: Molly Schuyler-363 (Wing Bowl record)
January 31, 2014 Wells Fargo Center
21: Jamie "The Bear" McDonald-287
February 1, 2013Wells Fargo Center
20: Takeru Kobayashi-337
February 3, 2012 Wells Fargo Center
19: Jonathan "Super" Squibb-255
February 4, 2011Wells Fargo Center
18: Jonathan "Super" Squibb-238
February 5, 2010 Wachovia Center
17: Jonathan "Super" Squibb-203
January 30, 2009 Wachovia Center
16: Joey Chestnut-241
February 1, 2008 Wachovia Center
15: Joey Chestnut-182
February 2, 2007 Wachovia Center
14: Joey Chestnut-173
February 3, 2006 Wachovia Center
13: Bill "El Wingador" Simmons-162
February 4, 2005 Wachovia Center
12: Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas-167
January 30, 2004 Wachovia Center
11: Bill "El Wingador" Simmons-154
January 24, 2003 First Union Center
10: Bill "El Wingador" Simmons-135
February 1, 2002 First Union Center
9: Bill "El Wingador" Simmons-137
January 26, 2001 First Union Center
8: "Tollman Joe" Paul-90
January 28, 2000 First Union Center
7: Bill "El Wingador" Simmons-113
January 29, 1999 Spectrum
6: Mark "Big Rig" Vogeding-164
January 23, 1998 Spectrum
5: Eric "Gentleman E" Behl-120
January 24, 1997 Electric Factory
4: Glen "Fluffmaster" Garrison-155
January 26, 1996 Electric Factory
3: Kevin "Heavy Keavy" O'Donnell-133
January 27, 1995 Club Egypt
2: Kevin "Heavy Keavy" O'Donnell-127
January 28, 1994 The Main Event
1: Carmen "The Beast From the East" Cordero-100
January 29, 1993 Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel
