NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1/19/05 CONTACT INFO: Micah Collins (cell):484-410-1080. For technical assistance with the photo or press release please email: [email protected] or call (cell) 484-716-3845 A high resolution Grayscale Photo of Wing Kong is available at his webpage: http://www.safetydispatch.com/wingkong/ Photo Credit: Eric Livingston

LOCAL MAN EARNS A BERTH IN WING BOWL

Drexel Hill resident Wing Kong (real name Micah Collins) is competing in renowned chicken wing eating contest in front of 20,000+ at Wachovia Center– and millions of listeners on WIP-AM

WHAT: Drexel Hill resident Wing Kong (real name Micah Collins) will represent his Delaware County community on an unusual stage — 610WIP’s 13th Annual Wing Bowl, which will be held n Friday, Feb. 4 at the Wachovia Center. Wing Kong has taken a brash approach to the event — “I want other eaters to be on notice that the footsteps they hear are mine.

QUALIFYING STUNT: Wing Kong qualified on Dec. 9 by eating 2.5LBS of Liverwurst in 7 minutes on live radio. The eating stunt earned Wing Kong a berth in the 25-person competition — one of the premier competitive eating events in the county.

ADDITIONAL FACTS:

The 6-foot, 3-inch Wing Kong decided to qualify for Wing Bowl at the suggestion of his work colleague and trainer, Andy Kaufmann of Hunterdon Valley. “One time on a lunch break I bet him that he couldn’t eat a Large Pizza, he ate the pizza, and then ate my cheese steak and fries too,” Kaufmann said. “I knew then that this guy had talent so I called up the radio station and told them I had a guy that could out eat anybody. I told them I had ‘Wing Kong’.”

Asked how one would go about training for such a unique event, Wing Kong replied that he relies on his experience as an Offensive Tackle for Wesley College in Delaware, “I’ve been pushing the limits all of my life,” Wing Kong said. “I learned on the gridiron that you show up every day, and work as hard as you can to become the best. It is the desires and passions of the mind that force the body to reach it’s potential. I intend to give this event my all, I was born for this. God made me to eat wings”

As for where he has been training, Wing Kong practices at Wingers 814 East Lancaster Ave., Villanova, which is one of his sponsors. “I take this event very seriously. I train daily like any high level competitor would. A regular office worker couldn’t run a 26 mile marathon without extensive training, it could kill them. That same person shouldn’t try to eat 160 wings either.”

At home, Wing Kong’s alter ego Micah Collins is described by his wife as “a sweet guy, and a wonderful Father to our 2 children, but when he is inspired, he is tenacious and unwavering. I don’t ever think I’ve seen him this polarized and focused.”

His feelings on the legitimacy of competitive eating as a sport: “The best sports have always been based on the primal foundations of humanity and society. Football is a simulation of warring tribes. Ball games utilize our developed hunting skills to hit moving targets. Competitive eating is an exhibition of our greatest primal drive, the need to eat.”

WING BOWL BACKGROUND (from 610wip.com)

WIP’s Wing Bowl 13 will be held on Friday, February 4th at The Wachovia Center! Grand Prize is a 2005 Suzuki Verona, valued at over $17,000, courtesy of Matt Blatt Suzuki in Vineland, NJ.

Wing Bowl 1 aired on January 29, 1993 from the lobby of the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel in Center City, Philadelphia.

About 150 people showed up to Wing Bowl I, and there were only two contestants.

The Wing Bowl 11 (2003) champion was Bill “El Wingador” Simmons, who became the only Wing Bowl Champion to win four times!

The Wing Bowl 12 (2004) champion was the 99 lb. Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, who ate a record 167 wings, beating four time Champion “El Wingador”!

Since its inception in 1993, media coverage of Wing Bowl has grown to the point where every one of the major Philadelphia television stations has been at the event. The ABC, CBS and FOX affiliates all aired live reports from the event during their morning news. Features on the event have appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News as well as a host of newspapers in the surrounding counties. The event has been featured on ESPN and the syndicated television shows Reel TV and the Montel Williams Show. Segments on Wing Bowl have appeared on TV newscasts in cities throughout the country. Several Wing Bowl contestants, including “El Wingador” even competed in Fox’s ” Glutton Bowl in the spring of 2002.

Former Philadelphia Mayor and current Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has attended and presented the winner with a “Liberty Bell” trophy at Wing Bowls II, III, IV and VI. Other dignitaries who have made appearances at Wing Bowl include former heavyweight boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb, Former 76ers President Pat Croce, Philles Manager Larry Bowa, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter and more! Plus, Major League baseball umpire, Eric Gregg has been the “Commissioner” of Wing Bowl since its second year.

ATTENTION: Wing Kong will be appearing at “Wingers” chicken wings located on 814 East Lancaster Ave., Villanova (610) 919-4338 on Friday January 21 at 4:30pm

Wing Kong is also available for demonstrations of his wing eating or training techniques. Please contact Micah Collins.