The Black Widow has been outeaten.

Three-time defending champion Sonya Thomas has lost her hot dog eating title to 28-year-old Miki Sudo of Las Vegas, who wolfed down 34 franks and buns in 10 minutes to win the women's division of the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island.

The 47-year-old Thomas, from South Korea but who now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, was only able to devour 27 complete hot dogs and buns. She ate a record 45 dogs and buns last year.

The men's division is due to be held later.

Joey Chestnut, 30, from San Jose, California, who is nicknamed Jaws, hopes to put away his competition by downing a record 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the event which is held just steps from the beach.

Last year, Chestnut won with 69 franks and buns. Matt Stonie, who was second in 2013 with 51 dogs, returns for another bite at the top spot.

With Chestnut's seventh-straight victory last year, he bested his former rival, Takeru Kobayashi, with most consecutive wins. In 2010, Kobayashi refused to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, the biggest competitive food organisation, and was banned from competition.

This year, the Japanese native nicknamed the "Tsunami" will compete against five other competitive eaters at a separate event on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in a quest to down the most hot dogs without buns in 10 minutes.

Coney Island's top four competitors weighed in at a pre-contest event presided over by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

All the competitors said they were fasting, but Irish contestant Colin Shirlow grabbed a free hot dog during the weigh-in to get a first taste of the Nathan's Famous dogs they'll be gobbling down.