Longtime rivals Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi face off for the ultimate competitive eating challengo
On July 4, 1916, four immigrants to the U.S. were visiting NYC’s Coney Island when they gathered at the first Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand. Then and there, they decided that the one who could eat the most dogs would be deemed most patriotic.
Or at least that’s the legend told by the famed purveyor of street meat, which has continued to commemorate that occsasion with its iconic hot dog-eating contest each Fourth of July.
In recent years, that challenge has been dominated by two men: 16-time champion Joey Chestnut (a.k.a. “Jaws”) and six-time champ Takeru Kobayashi. That epic rivalry will come to a head in a live Netflix special when the two face off at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas.
The clash between Chestnut and Kobayashi dominated headlines at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest for years. However, these two competitive eating legends haven’t gone head-to-head in a hot dog competition since 2009, when Chestnut finally managed to topple Kobayashi off his throne after emerging victorious in a five-dog “sudden death” eat-off.
Chestnut, a native of Southern California, boasts an impressive 55 world records for competitive eating, and holds the world record for the most hot dogs eaten (76 in 10 minutes). Other records include eating 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes, 182 chicken wings in 30 minutes, 121 Twinkies in six minutes and 81 Eggo waffles in eight minutes.
Kobayashi — who hails from Nagano, Japan — is a formidable opponent. Nicknamed the “godfather of competitive eating,” the man exploded on the scene when he won Nathan’s annual contest by swallowing double the amount of hot dogs consumed by the previous record holder. He proceeded to win the title six consecutive times, breaking his own record year after year.
In the 30 for 30 documentary The Good, The Bad, The Hungry, Kobayashi estimated that he’d consumed a stomach-churning 10,000 hot dogs over the course of his career, doing some significant damage to his body along the way. “I no longer feel hunger,” he said, revealing he’d lost the ability to feel “full” anymore.
Kobayashi has fuelled rumours of retirement over the years, admitting that his heart is no longer in the game. “I don’t feel that joy about eating anymore,” he added, confirming that he’d been considering packing it in.
However, Kobayashi is now insistent that it won’t happen until he beats Chestnut.
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi told Netflix’s Tudum. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
Those are big words from a guy with a big appetite, but Chestnut is also ready to rumble. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better,” Chestnut declared. “I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!”
The live event on Monday, September 2, marks the first time these two have come face-to-face in 15 years, so fans of this culinary sport will witness a historic binge-eating battle for the ages.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, streaming live on Monday, September 2 at noon, Netflix