By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Hours before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles were battling it out in Arizona for the NFL championship, a gathering of Del Rioans bellied up to the table for the right to be named Del Rio’s annual Wing Bowl champion.
Buffalo Wings and Rings hosted the annual Buffalo wing eating competition organized and overseen by local radio station KDLK. The 13th Annual Wing Bowl Challenge, held annually on Super Bowl Sunday, drew eight competitors this year, each one looking to down the most Buffalo wings within the five-minute time limit.
According to Wings and Rings owner Eddie Amezcua Jr., competitors had to eat the meat off the small bones and deposit them in a nearby bucket. Those would be the only ones counted. If the competition was too much for them to stomach, they were always welcome to throw in the towel.
As if the volume of food wasn’t enough, competitors had to deal with the restaurant’s hottest level of wing flavor – atomic. The spicy meal meant it would be a test of gastronomical strength against the ticking clock.
In the end, Robert Morales won the event with a total of 14 wings downed, four short of the event’s record of 18. For his efforts he won $250 and the inaugural wing bowl championship belt.
Lupe Buenrostro III finished second with 11 wings eaten. Buenrostro received plenty of support during his run with his father nearby encouraging him with every drum and flat placed in his path.
Joey Rios and Jose Infante finished tied for third with 10 wings each.
Morales, dressed in a Dallas Cowboys football jersey, was no stranger to the competition. A three-time competitor headed into Sunday’s showdown, Morales said he liked spicy food and felt that he had a bit of an advantage having competed in the challenge before.
After the time limit was done, KDLK General Manager Jay Gonzalez, who delivered the play by play during the event, spoke to Morales about his win. Morales said he was happy to have won and said that he had told his family that this year’s competition would be his last, but added that since he was the first time winner of the championship belt he felt obliged to return next year and defend his title.
Competitors also received a gift bag from Border Federal Credit Union. The second and third place finishers also received a cash prize for their efforts.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
