Joey Chestnut Breaks His Own Hot Dog-Eating Record for Labor Day Special

Joey Chestnut set another hot dog-eating world record on Labor Day, going head-to-head with his rival, Takeru Kobayashi, in Netflix’s “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” special. Chestnut devoured 83 hot dogs while Kobayashi finished 66. The competition marked the first time in 14 years that these two legends faced off.

In this latest contest, Chestnut eclipsed his previous world record of 76 hot dogs, which he set in 2021. Remarkably, he reached the 76-hot dog mark in just eight minutes and 45 seconds this time, ultimately finishing with 83 hot dogs.

For fans of competitive eating, the Labor Day special was a long-awaited event. While the sport is usually spotlighted around the 4th of July, this rematch between Chestnut and Kobayashi was significant. The event took place at the HyperX Arena Las Vegas, offering a nostalgic clash between the sport’s top names who hadn’t competed against each other in over a decade.

“I’ve been trying to hit 80 hot dogs for years, and without Kobayashi, I was never able to do it,” said Chestnut after accepting his $100,000 prize, championship title belt, and a trophy shaped like a hot dog. “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 was hosted by Rob Riggle and Nikki Garcia and also marked a milestone for Kobayashi, who plans to retire from competitive eating. Earlier this year, the six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion discussed his retirement at the age of 46. “I hear people say they’re hungry, and they look very happy after they’ve eaten … I’m jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger,” Kobayashi said in the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut.” He also questioned the long-term effects of competitive eating on his body.

The special also served as a return for Chestnut, who has been a fixture in Independence Day competitions with 16 titles to his name. However, Chestnut was absent from this year’s Nathan’s contest due to a new partnership with a plant-based company. The switch from Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs to a plant-based alternative made him ineligible to compete due to exclusivity contracts.

“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Major League Eating said in a statement at the time.

“Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” is now streaming on Netflix.

Source: TheWrap