Following a 15-years-long rivalry, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi reunited last weekend to face off in what may be the greatest showdown in competitive eating history.
Chestnut and Kobayashi — both hailed as the strongest competitive eaters in the world — took part in “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” a Netflix showcase that settled the question of who is the true champion amongst the two.
The latest showdown comes after the infamous 2007 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, in which Chestnut fueled rumors that Kobayashi’s jaw injury at the time was a sham. Kobayashi was officially barred from competing in the annual contest after he ran up on stage during a 2010 competition that he wasn’t participating in. Since then, Chestnut has dominated every year (except in 2015), thus intensifying his growing feud with Kobayashi and heightening his own status as one of the best eaters in the world.
“Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” also marks Kobayashi’s final hot dog eating contest. Earlier this year, Kobayashi announced in the Netflix documentary, Hack Your Health, that he plans to retire from competitive eating.
“This isn’t just any match. This is the match of my rival,” Kobayashi said in a press conference, per Food & Wine. “I came here to win, and I would love to eat more than Chestnut.”
In the end, Chestnut took home the winning title. He also set a new world record, eating an astounding 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
