Joey Chestnut Sets New World Record, Defeats Takeru Kobayashi in Netflix’s Hot Dog Eating Showdown
Legendary competitive eater Joey Chestnut proved his dominance once again by setting a new world record and defeating his longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in Netflix’s hot dog eating contest on Labor Day. The event, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” aired live from the Hyper X Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas, with actor Rob Riggle and former WWE star Nikki Garcia serving as hosts.
Chestnut, a 16-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, consumed 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, surpassing his previous record of 76 set in 2021. Meanwhile, Kobayashi, who holds six Nathan’s championships, ate 66 hot dogs during the same timeframe.
The rules for the event were similar to Nathan’s, with competitors not allowed to dunk or pour water on hot dogs and unable to separate hot dogs and buns. The two had not competed against each other since 2009, with Chestnut missing the Nathan’s contest this year due to his partnership with plant-based brand Impossible Foods, seen as a rival hot dog brand.
Chestnut expressed his gratitude towards Kobayashi after the victory, stating, “I’ve been trying to hit 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 we push each other to be our best.”
Kobayashi, who announced his retirement from competitive eating earlier this year, said that he gave it everything he had and felt satisfied with his performance. The Japanese sensation burst onto the scene in 2001, winning the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest with a record 50 hot dogs and buns, the first of his six consecutive victories on Coney Island.
The two remain the only men’s competitors to win the event more than four times, with Kobayashi winning six times and Chestnut winning 16 times. Chestnut’s victory in the Netflix event has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest competitive eaters of all time.
The event also featured undercard competitions, including a chicken wing eating contest between competitive eater Matt Stonie and three decorated Olympians, and a watermelon eating record attempt by British competitive eater Leah Shutkever.
With the victory, Chestnut earned $100,000 in prize money, a hot-dog shaped trophy, and a World Wrestling Entertainment-designed championship title belt. The event was a success for Netflix, with 2,400 hot dogs cooked in the last month for the contest, and 300 prepared for Monday’s main event.