Joey Chestnut Breaks Own World Record, Defeats Takeru Kobayashi in Epic Hot Dog Eating Contest
American Joey Chestnut set a new world record by eating 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes during Netflix's Labor Day special event, ABC7 reported. This impressive feat took place at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas, where Chestnut surpassed his longtime rival, Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, by consuming a significant 17 more hot dogs than Kobayashi, who came in with 66 dogs.
The event streamed live on Netflix, was the first time Chestnut and Kobayashi faced each other in 15 years. Chestnut acknowledged the impact of the rivalry, 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". Despite having a history of not always being cordial, Chestnut admitted they pushed each other to excel.
Chestnut's 83 hot dogs also outstripped his previous record of 76 set three years ago. Kobayashi, who was Nathan's hot dog-eating champion from 2002 to 2007, tried but failed to reclaim the Mustard Belt from Chestnut in 2008 and 2009. This recent Netflix event offered a renewed opportunity for competition.
For his achievement, Chestnut earned $100,000, a hot-dog-shaped trophy, and a specially designed title belt. A total of 2,400 hot dogs were prepared over the last month for this contest, with 300 set aside for the main event.
Earlier this July, Chestnut was prohibited from participating in the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest due to a sponsorship conflict with Impossible Foods. As a result, the Mustard Belt went to Patrick Bertoletti, who consumed 58 hot dogs.
Both Chestnut and Kobayashi have established legends in the competitive eating arena, having dominated the Nathan's contest for years. Despite their fierce rivalry, the two have undeniably elevated the sport of competitive eating to new heights.
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