American competitive eater Joey Chestnut showcased his prowess by defeating his longtime rival, Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi, in a highly anticipated hot dog-eating contest streamed live on Netflix.
With a grand prize of $100,000 and the title of “Greatest of All Time” at stake, Chestnut consumed 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes, surpassing Kobayashi’s total of 66 in their first direct competition in 15 years.
At 40 years old, Chestnut passionately devoured the hot dogs, washing them down with water in front of a cheering crowd at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, exceeding his previous personal record of 76 hot dogs.
Kobayashi, aged 46, had announced his retirement earlier this year, yet he returned for this contest to seek redemption against Chestnut.
“I was trying to get to 80 hot dogs for years, and without Kobayashi, I was never able to do it,” Chestnut remarked after the match. “He motivates me. We haven’t always been friendly, but I appreciate how we push one another to excel.”
Netflix referred to the contest as “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” drawing comparisons between the two competitors and boxing legends like Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, as well as NBA greats Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
Following the contest, Kobayashi expressed through a translator that he felt he performed to the best of his abilities.
Just last month, the two appeared on NBC’s “TODAY” show and shared excitement about the upcoming event, with Chestnut predicting they would break personal records. “I think we’re going to make world records,” he said.
Known as “Jaws,” Chestnut was notably absent from this year’s July 4 contest at Nathan’s iconic location in Coney Island, New York City. He stated that event organizers, Major League Eating, ruled him ineligible after he began collaborating with a competing plant-based eating entity, although they denied he was banned.
Kobayashi’s re-entry into competitive eating was surprising, especially since he revealed in the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut” that he was stepping back from the sport due to concerns about his health and the lasting impact of his extreme eating habits, estimating he had consumed around 10,000 hot dogs in his career.
However, during his appearance on “TODAY,” he expressed that the chance to eat hot dogs with Chestnut again “means a lot” to him since his retirement. “Literally, I’m back for one day,” Kobayashi, nicknamed “The Tsunami,” stated.
Kobayashi was instrumental in popularizing competitive eating through his successive wins in the Nathan’s contest in the early and mid-2000s. The last time he and Chestnut faced off was July 4, 2009, when Chestnut won by eating 68 hot dogs compared to Kobayashi’s 64½. Chestnut has since established himself as the dominant champion of the event, while Kobayashi stopped competing in 2010 due to contract disputes.
Chestnut, who noted that they would enjoy hot dogs again on Labor Day, emphasized the competitive spirit that has characterized their rivalry.
Netflix allotted the contestants 10 minutes to consume as many hot dogs as they could, imposing stricter rules, including prohibitions on dunking the hot dogs or separating the wieners from the buns.
The Labor Day special featured additional events, including competitive eater Matt Stonie defeating three Olympic athletes—swimmers Ryan Lochte and Ryan Murphy and water polo player Max Irving—in a chicken wing-eating contest. British competitive eater Leah Shutkever also set a record for watermelon consumption in three minutes under Guinness World Records.