American competitive eater Joey Chestnut showcased his skill by defeating Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi in a hot dog-eating contest streamed live on Netflix. The contest, filled with excitement, offered a grand prize of $100,000 and the title of “Greatest of All Time.”
Chestnut consumed 83 hot dogs within the 10-minute timeframe, surpassing Kobayashi’s 66, marking their first direct competition in 15 years. The event was held at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where Chestnut, 40, not only claimed victory but also set a new personal best, exceeding his previous record of 76 hot dogs.
Kobayashi, 46, who announced his retirement earlier this year, made a comeback for this contest, seeking redemption against Chestnut. Reflecting on his motivation, Chestnut remarked, “I was trying to get 80 hot dogs for years, and without Kobayashi, I was never able to do it. He drives me. We weren’t always nice to each other, but I love the way we push each other to be our best.”
The event, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” positioned the two eaters as rivals akin to iconic figures in the sports world. Following his defeat, Kobayashi expressed through a translator that he “felt like I did everything I could.”
In a prior appearance on NBC’s “TODAY” show, both men had optimistic predictions for the contest, anticipating that they would break personal records. Chestnut, known as “Jaws,” was notably absent from this year’s Nathan’s July 4 contest due to an eligibility dispute with organizer Major League Eating, although they stated he was not banned.
Kobayashi’s comeback was surprising; he had previously revealed in a Netflix documentary his concerns about the effects of competition on his health, estimating that he had ingested around 10,000 hot dogs in his career. Despite stepping away from competitive eating for five years, he stated that the chance to match up with Chestnut again had significant meaning for him.
“I’m literally back for one day,” Kobayashi, who goes by the nickname “Tsunami,” remarked.
Historically, Kobayashi’s victories in the Nathan’s contest popularized competitive eating. The last time they faced off was on July 4, 2009, when Chestnut won with 68 hot dogs to Kobayashi’s 64. Following that, Chestnut ascended as a premier champion, while Kobayashi withdrew from the event in 2010 over contractual disagreements.
Netflix granted the competitors 10 minutes to consume as many hot dogs as possible while introducing stricter rules, including a ban on dunking the food in water or separating the hot dogs from the buns.
The Labor Day special also featured other contests, such as Matt Stonie defeating Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and Ryan Murphy, as well as water polo athlete Max Irving in a chicken wing-eating challenge. Competitive eater Leah Shutkever set a Guinness World Record by devouring an exceptional amount of watermelon in three minutes.