Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi face off in Netflix’s hot dog contest.
Champion competitive eater Joey Chestnut has been excluded from the upcoming 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest due to conflicts with brand partnerships. However, fans can still witness the reigning champion in a different meat-based showdown via a live-streamed Netflix special, where he will go up against his greatest rival: Takeru Kobayashi.
Chestnut holds the world record for the most hot dogs consumed, a feat accomplished when he devoured an impressive 76 dogs (with buns) in just 10 minutes in 2021. This is just one of his remarkable 55 world records in the realm of competitive eating. Kobayashi, for his part, boasts 10 world records within the sport.
The standalone Netflix special, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” is set to air on Labor Day, September 2, 2024, at an undisclosed location. The event aims to resolve a food rivalry that has spanned years; Chestnut even called Kobayashi his “fiercest rival” in a statement from Netflix.
Chestnut and Kobayashi to compete for the first time in 15 years.
Kobayashi was the reigning champion of the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest from 2001 to 2006, until Chestnut claimed the title in 2007. Since then, Chestnut has triumphed in 16 out of the 17 years he has participated. However, the two have not faced each other directly since 2009, when Chestnut took the win.
In May 2024, Kobayashi announced his retirement from competitive eating in the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut,” expressing concerns about his health — a reasonable worry for someone who has consumed approximately 10,000 hot dogs throughout his career. Yet, he seems drawn to one final showdown. “I won’t truly retire until I defeat [Chestnut] one last time,” Kobayashi stated, adding that the live event allows “fans around the globe to witness my victory over him.”
Chestnut, on the other hand, acknowledges Kobayashi as both an inspiration and a rival: “Competing against him has made me significantly better,” he shared with the streaming service.
Now, 15 years since their last contest, the duo will settle their long-standing rivalry as they attempt to consume as many all-beef hot dogs as possible on Labor Day — the traditional end of the hot dog season.
