UPDATE:
The showdown between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi in Netflix’s first-ever hot dog eating contest ended with Chestnut as the wiener, devouring 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes to Kobayashi’s 66, demolishing the record. Going into the event, Chestnut’s record at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was 76 while Kobayashi had never crossed the 70-dog mark in that venue.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
There is nothing — and we mean nothing more American than a hot dog eating competition. That’s why the most famous of them all, Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, is held on the Fourth of July. But with some controversies in the world of competitive eating, there will also be another showdown on Labor Day weekend, which so happens to be one of the other most dangerous holidays in the United States. USA! USA!
On Labor Day 2024, Joey Chestnut will face off against his number one rival, Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi, with the two being some of the most prominent in all of competitive eating. For the record, Chestnut has won Nathan’s contest a record 16 times, while Kobayashi has taken home the title six times. As far as the similarities and differences between Netflix’s Unfinished Beef hot dog eating contest, both do have a 10-minute time limit and enforce a no puking rule. Netflix’s contest will take it a unique step further, however, by taking into account any signifcant crumbs left behind. They, too, will not allow any dunking into liquid, which is commonly seen at Nathan’s.
To date, Chestnut holds more than 50 world records, including sucking down 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes (so suck on that, Cool Hand Luke!). Kobayashi holds his own, however, somehow choking down more than 17 pounds in cow brains in 15 minutes, which, speaking as someone who has never had the pleasure, seems like an awful lot.
Ahead of the hot dog contest, Chestnut stated, “Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival. Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. 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!” Meanwhile, Kobayashi — who had previously announced his retirement from competitive eating — said, “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time. 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.”
WWE superstars Rey Mysterio and Omos will present the winner of this hot dog eating contest with a custom championship belt. Netflix will begin hosting WWE Raw next year.
Who do you have your money on in this Netflix-hosted hot dog contest? Will Joey Chestnut do his country justice or will Kobayashi serve another upset?