Competitive eater Joey Chestnut has been barred from participating in Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. This took many by surprise since he has won 16 times in a row since 2016. But fear not! For Chestnut will gorge again, in a face-off against rival competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi. (Who is actually coming out of retirement for this.)
The showdown between the two competitive eating all-stars has been dubbed “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” and will stream live on Netflix in September.
What Happened With Nathan’s?
Major League Eating (MLE) announced Chestnut’s ban on June 12th claiming it “bent over backward to accommodate” him for 2024’s competition. This included allowing him to participate in another contest on Labor Day. The last straw was when he accepted a brand deal with plant-based competitor Impossible Foods, breaking an exclusivity clause with Nathan’s.
“This was all of his choosing,” George Shea of Major League Eating said. “The fans want him, we want him there.”
“For nearly two decades, we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions,” a spokesperson for MLE said. “However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Netflix Showdown
The next day on June 12th, Netflix announced “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.” Which has Chestnut who holds 55 world records for competitive eating, square off against the “godfather of competitive eating,” Kobayashi. Kobayashi won the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest six consecutive times from 2001 to 2006 and holds over 10 world records. He was also banned from Naththan’s over contract disputes.
The pair are currently two of the biggest names in the sport. However, there have been rumors swirling around Kobayashi retiring. “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi told Netflix. “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.”
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” said Chestnut. “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!”
“Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” will live stream on Netflix on September 2nd.
