Joey Chestnut trounced Takeru Kobayashi in their showdown Monday on Netflix, with Chestnut eating a record-breaking 83 hot dogs and buns.
Chestnut shattered his previous record of 76 hot dogs to earn $100,000.
Kobayashi ate 66 hot dogs during the 10-minute contest.
“I’ve been trying to hit 80 hot dogs for years, and without Kobayashi I was never able to do it,’’ Chestnut said. “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 brought the competitive eating rivals together for the first time in 15 years over hot dogs.
“I feel like I did everything I could,’’ the Japanese eater said, through an interpreter.
Chestnut, the American powerhouse, and Kobayashi, the Japanese legend, faced off five times on the Fourth of July at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Chestnut won three of those contests between 2005 and 2009. Kobayashi stopped competing at Nathan’s the next year over what he said was a contract dispute with Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s contest.
The 10-minute Netflix showdown involved new rules: No dunking hot dog buns in water, no pouring water on the hot dog buns and no separating the hot dogs from the buns.
Chestnut, 40, entered the contest with a world record of 76 hot dogs and hot dog buns.
Kobayashi, 46, entered with a personal best of 64½, set in 2009.
In May, Kobayashi announced his retirement. But the chance to compete against Chestnut lured him back for what he said will be his final contest.
Follow along for updates, highlights and more from the Joey Chestnut-Takeru Kobayashi contest.
Chestnut defeats Kobayashi, 83-66.
One hot dog was deducted from Kobayashi’s total because of excess, uneaten food.
Chestnut: 83
Kobayashi: 67
Analysis: It’s a record-breaking rout for Chestnut! He breaks his record by seven hot dogs. Kobayashi breaks his personal best of 64½, but it’s not nearly enough to match Chestnut.
Chestnut: 77
Kobayashi: 63
Analysis: Chestnut sets a new record of 77 hot dogs with 1:10 left to eat!
Chestnut: 72
Kobayashi: 60
Analysis: Chestnut just five hot dogs from breaking his record of 76.
Chestnut: 66
Kobayashi: 55
Analysis: Chestnut now with his own record in sight.
Chestnut: 59
Kobayashi: 50
Analysis: Looks like the oddsmakers were right. Chestnut looking as powerful as ever. The chants go up, “Joey, Joey!’’
Chestnut: 51
Kobayashi: 45
Analysis: Chestnut pulling away.
Chestnut: 44
Kobayashi: 38
Analysis: Chestnut breaks his record pace for four minutes, according to Netflix livestream.
Chestnut: 35
Kobayashi: 31.
Analysis: Japanese fans crying.
Chestnut: 25
Kobayashi: 22
Analysis: Chestnut devouring dogs at a record pace and Kobayashi staying within striking distance.
Chestnut: 14
Kobayashi: 11
Analysis: Chestnut breaks his record for hot dogs in a minute. Kobayashi’s shirt is soaked with water.
Pat Bertoletti, the 2024 Nathan’s champion, is on Chestnut’s guest list.
Kobayashi’s guest list includes Tomoko Miyake and Russian Sato, competitive eaters who have flown in from Japan.
Chestnut and Kobayashi take the stage. Moments away from showdown commencing.
The action is moving indoors from poolside at the Luxor.
Chestnut and Kobayashi won’t have to contend with the blistering sun during their showdown, which will begin in about five minutes.
Barred from competing at Nathan’s, Chestnut competed on the Fourth of July at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas. He ate 57 hot dogs in five minutes, just one fewer than the 58 Pat Bertoletti ate in winning the Nathan’s contest. For Chestnut, that worked out to be 11.4 hot dogs per minute.
In his 19 Nathan’s contests, Chestnut has eaten 1,214 hot dogs. That’s an average of slightly more than six hot dogs per minute. (The first four contests Chestnut competed in were 12 minutes long. The contest has been 10 minutes long since 2008.)
In his nine Nathan’s contests, Kobayashi ate 487.75 hot dogs. That’s an average of almost five per minute. (The first seven contests Kobayashi competed in were 12 minutes long.)
Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs at Nathan’s in 2021 before setting the new record Monday. He ate 83 hot dogs in his defeat of Kobayashi.
His set his personal best at Nathan’s in 2009 with 64½ hot dogs. That’s the second highest total at Nathan’s, behind only Chestnut’s 76. Kobayashi has not participated in the contest since 2009.
The undercard continued poolside at the Luxor when Leah Shutkever, a British eater, shattered the record for watermelon eaten in three minutes. Yes, there is such a record recognized by Guinness World Records.
Shutkever scarfed down more than 2,000 grams of watermelon – about 4.4 pounds – crushing the previous record of 1,750 grams.
A World Guinness Records official was on hand to confirm the record.
Matt Stonie, the 2015 Nathan’s champion, went head-to-head against three Olympic medal-winning swimmers: Ryan Lochte, Ryan Murphy and Max Irving.
They were eating chicken wings, and Olympic swimmers looked like they were dog paddling.
Stonie looked like Michael Phelps. He ate 53 wings and the swimmers ate 26.
Technique made a difference. While the swimmers chewed the meat off the bone, Stonie stripped the meat off the bone with his hands and shoved it in his mouth.
Chestnut won a record 16 titles at Nathan’s in 19 contests (2005-2023).
Kobayashi won six titles in eight contests (2001-2009)
Yes, Chestnut is the prodigious favorite among oddsmakers and he decisively won an online poll conducted by Netflix on Monday.
But Chestnut lost in 2015 to Matt Stonie, who ate chicken wings during Monday's undercard and was the last person to take down Chestnut at Nathan’s.
“Joey’s a great eater but he’s not unbeatable,’’ Stonie said. “And I showed up hungry that day.’’
83, at Monday's "Unfinished Beef" in Las Vegas in 2024.
64½, at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2009.
Chestnut has been training at his home in Westfield, Indiana, and well enough to think he’s got a good chance to break his record of 76 hot dogs.
Kobayashi has been training in Los Angeles after leaving his home in Japan on July 15, according to his account on X, formerly Twitter. He has not indicated how many hot dogs he’s been eating during his practice sessions.
But Kobayashi has revealed he’s using Pokemon Sleep to measure his sleep time and he’s found a device that measures the best temperate for drinking water.
At the weigh-in, Chestnut and Kobayashi again agreed to the rules, which include no dunking the hot dog buns in water and no separating the hot dogs from the buns.
“We reviewed the rules, the referee's decision-making methods, penalties, and how to prepare water and hot dogs,’’ Kobayashi wrote on X. “This is a super professional team. Overall, everything is the most rigorous I've ever been in my competitive career.’’
The contest begins at 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 2.
Netflix will stream the contest.
HyperX Arena Las Vegas inside Luxor Hotel & Casino will be the host of the contest.
Netflix opened the livestream with some spicy videotaped quotes from the two eaters.
“He was an amazing champion, until he started losing … He could tolerate being next to me. That’s not champion behavior.’’ – Chestnut
“He used to be my main rival. But I kind of retired him.’’ – Chestnut
“I want to kick his ass.’’ –Kobayashi
The winner will get $100,000, according to the Netflix livestream.
300 for the contest, according to the Netflix livestream.
Who are you taking? That’s the question Netflix asked Monday in an online poll on X, formerly Twitter, that closed at 3 p.m. ET.
The results after 3,030 votes:
Chestnut: 79.7%
Kobayashi: 20.3%
The Japanese eating star is sporting a black track suit and black cap as he arrives for the contest.
Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Unfinished Beef’’ and shorts, Joey Chestnut, the world record holder, arrives.
It’s a buzz cut. Kobayashi has shorn the hair he once wore in braids.
The undercard events will take place before the livestream begins.
Matt Stonie, who beat Joey Chestnut at Nathan’s in 2015 and remains the last person to beat Chestnut there, will compete against a trio of medal-winning Olympic swimmers.
The trio is Ryan Lochte, a 12-time medalist with six golds; Ryan Murphy, a five-time gold medalist; and Max Irving, who won a bronze at the Paris Olympics.
They’ll be eating chicken wings.
It’ll be watermelon for Leah Shutkever, a speed eater who will attempt to set a world record for watermelon consumed in three minutes.
Dunking hot dog buns into water will not be allowed. The rule was requested by Kobayashi, who said dunking can leading to cheating. The rules prohibit separating the hot dog and bun, a key move for dunking. Pouring water on the hot dog bun is also prohibited. Drinking water, however, will be permitted.
Netflix has not specified what the penalties will be for rule violations.
Ballpark beef hot dogs.
Pat Bertoletti, 2024 Nathan’s champion: "Kobi’s going to show us why he was the best by putting up a big number, but Joey will prove why he is the best." Prediction: Chestnut 82, Kobayashi 74.
Bob Shoudt, Top 5 finisher at Nathan’s: "I think Joey’s going to have the lead the entire way. It should be pretty clear cut that Joey won without having to look at any kind of debris or anything." Prediction: Chestnut 78, Kobayashi 73.
John "Crazy Legs" Conti, competitive eater: "It's going to be a two-bite, three-bite scenario with these hot dogs," he said, referring to how many bites will be needed to consume each hot dog. "So it's going to be a very fast contest." Prediction: In a "bun buzzer beater," both Chestnut and Kobayashi will eat more than 70 hot dogs.
Just a little Netflix humor here.
Right, Netflix?
Jaws
The Tsunami
Their competitive eating history is rooted in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests held on the Fourth of July, and the first showdown took place in 2005.
Kobayashi, then the four-time reigning champion, ate 49 hot dogs. Chestnut, in his Nathan’s debut, ate 32 hot dogs and finished third.
In 2006, Kobayashi won his sixth consecutive title with 53¾ hot dogs. Chestnut ate 52 hot dogs – a 20-dog improvement in one year – and finished second.
Chestnut swept the next three contests, including one that went to overtime in 2008. After the 2009 contest, Kobayashi stopped competing at Nathan’s because of what he said was a contract dispute.
Both eaters have had strained relationships with Major League Eating (MLE), which runs the Nathan’s contest. After the 2009 contest, Kobayashi refused to compete because of what he called a contract dispute. Last year Chestnut was barred from competing because he signed a marketing deal with Impossible Foods, which MLE deemed a direct competitor to Nathan’s.
In 2008 at Nathan’s, Chestnut and Kobayashi were tied at 59 hot dogs apiece after the 10-minute contest. Chestnut prevailed in the subsequent “Eat-Off,’’ finishing a plate of five hot dogs and hot dog buns in 50 seconds. That was seven seconds faster than Kobayashi did it.
Netflix is prepared for such a scenario.
If the contest is tied after 10 minutes, a three-minute overtime will commence. If it’s still tied after the overtime period, the winner will be determined by the first to finish five hot dogs and buns.
There will be no dunking hot dog buns in water – a rule in place at the request of Kobayashi.
"When you dunk the bun in the water, then they tend to come apart, fall apart and you're losing a lot of the bread in the process,’’ he told USA TODAY Sports. “So the reason why this rule exists is to make it very clear to people who are watching the match … the number of hot dogs being consumed and also to hinder the possibility of cheating.’’
Kobayashi said he is not accusing Chestnut of cheating.
Another rule in place at the request of Kobayashi prohibits the separation of the hot dog from the bun.
"It worries me a little," Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports. "Sometimes the (hot dog) rolls out of the bun. It’s not clear if I have to put in back in or I can just grab 'em both at the same time."
Cari Champion and Chris Rose will call the head-to-head contest. Rob Riggle and Nikki Garcia will serve as hosts of the event.
Chestnut and Kobayashi shook hands after the weigh-in Sunday at the behest of the announcer. But it looked strained, with Chestnut smiling and Kobayashi stone-faced.
Last week, Chestnut said Kobayashi was not talking to him, much less shaking hands. Why?
"I had time to look back at how he treated me during the days that we competed together, the discriminatory, derogatory comments that he made about me," Kobayashi told USA TODAY Sports last week.
Chestnut said he had no idea what Kobayashi was talking about regarding the alleged discriminatory and derogatory comments. But of a relationship Chestnut said began to fall apart in 2010, Chestnut said: "I could have handled things differently. Probably should have."
Chestnut and Kobayashi competed without hot dogs on the table. The last head-to-head competition was in 2010 in Singapore in front of a pro-Kobayashi crowd and bowls of shrimp wontons. Chestnut ate 380 shrimp wontons and Kobayashi ate 370.
Recalled Chestnut, “He started out and he was pretty fast and he had a little bit of a lead on me. And then I caught him and it was obvious the crowd got quiet. … That was a great feeling.’’
The prized Mustard belt of Nathan’s lore will not be at stake. But there will be a championship belt up for grabs, and it will be presented by WWE superstars Rey Mysterio and Omos.
At Nathan’s, hot dogs are served five on a plate. There will be 10 hot dogs on each plate during the Netflix contest, according to Chestnut.
Chestnut said he welcomes the change because it'll reduce the number of times plates must be swapped out during the contest. "It's always like an ordeal … (having) to dance around the people giving you the plates," he said. "So plates of 10 is good. It'll allow me to just do a better rhythm."
Chestnut was barred from competing at this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this year after he signed a marketing deal with Impossible Foods. Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s contest, deemed Impossible Foods a direct competitor of Nathan’s because this year Impossible Foods started selling hot dogs. It was the first Nathan’s contest Chestnut has missed in 20 years.
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