Joey Chestnut remains undisputed.
In an epic matchup against rival Takeru Kobayashi, Chestnut has again proven his hot dog-eating supremacy. The 16-time Nathan’s hot dog eating champ out-ate his rival in on Monday, chowing down 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to beat his own world record and defeat Kobayashi once and for all.
Kobayashi put up a valiant effort, setting a new personal record, but his 66 hot dogs could not hold up to Chestnut.
The matchup took place at the head-to-head Unfinished Beef competition, which was broadcast by Netflix. The two have not competed against each other since 2009, but Chestnut has come back 15 years later to cement his legacy.
Over the last two decades, Chestnut and Kobayashi have been the most famous names in the world of competitive eating. The Japanese sensation burst onto the scene in 2001, winning the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest with a record 50 hot dogs and buns — the first of his six consecutive victories on Coney Island. In 2007, Chestnut came onto the scene, toppling Kobayashi with a then-record 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes.
The two remain the only men’s competitors to win the event more than four times — Kobayashi with six and Chestnut with 16. The two haven’t competed against each other in competitive eating’s most famous event since 2009, after Kobayashi wouldn’t sign an exclusive deal with Major League Eating; he hasn’t competed in the 4th of July competition since. This year, Chestnut missed an opportunity at a 17th Mustard Belt after signing a deal with another organization.
Now, Chestnut has made his dominance clear once again.
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Joey Chestnut smashes his world record with 83 hot dogs, destroying Kobayashi
Joey Chestnut has surpassed his rival in dominant fashion, consuming 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes, surpassing his own world record. Kobayashi’s personal best of 66 is nowhere near enough to dethrone the 16-time hot dog eating champion.
Kobayashi initially had 67, but was deducted on after an assessment from the officials.
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Chestnut and Kobayashi, covered in sweat and water, seem very satisfied with the competition after it’s over — specifically Chestnut, as he is awarded the championship belt and trophy.
Chestnut showed appreciation for his nemesis, despite their rivalry. “He drives me,” he says in a post-matchup interview. “We push each other to be our best.”
Kobayashi, through a translator, says that he gave it everything he had. He gets a hearty cheer from the crowd as well — a valiant effort from the Japanese champ.
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He’s hit 80! 30 seconds still remain, and Chestnut has absolutely smashed his own record.
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And he does it! Chestnut beats his previous record with more than a minute still remaining, eating 77 hot dogs with more to go.
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Chestnut is pulling away, hitting 70 with two and a half minutes remaining — well ahead of his world record pace. He is more than 10 dogs ahead of Kobayashi now.
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Halfway through the 10-minute period, and Chestnut is still ahead, 51 to 44.
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Four minutes have passed, and Chestnut is still holding a steady five-dog lead, with 43 franks while Kobayashi has 38. Chestnut’s lead has slowly grown, but Kobayashi is not slowing down.
Several members of the Kobayashi side of the audience are in tears; it’s clearly a very intense environment.
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After one minute, Chestnut has the early lead, 13 to Kobayashi’s 11.
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And we’re off! Chestnut and Kobayashi start with 30 seconds to set themselves up — drink a little water, prep the throat — before the competition begins. Both are starting out strong, downing three hot dogs in seconds.
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The competition begins…
And here we go! The competition begins with the signature intros, but this time with hype videos and an extra bit of drama. The crowd is unexpectedly split, with equally strong cheers on both sides.
The two champs are focused and ready to go.
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Reminder, there is no separation of hot dog and bun, and no dunking in water — both strategies that Chestnut and Kobayashi consistently use. (Luckily, that second one might make this event a little more appetizing.)
Chestnut holds the record at 76 dogs; that may go down today.
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The hot dogs have arrived; per the broadcast, 300 hot dogs have been made for this main event.
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We’re almost five minutes out from the main event. The winner of today’s competition will take home a trophy, a special championship belt and $100,000.
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Leah Shutkever beats a watermelon eating record on-air
Shutkever does it, setting the record after consuming 2400 grams (more than five pounds) in less than three minutes. She beat the record by more than 700 grams, accomplishing it with ease and grabbing her 35th record.
Shutkever managed to eat the first 2000 grams (~4.5 pounds) in the first two minutes of her three-minute time, and finished with nearly 30 seconds remaining.
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Next up is Leah Shutkever, a British eating who hold several Guiness World Records. She is attempting to set another record on-air, consuming more than four pounds of watermelon in less than three minutes.
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These early matchups are taking place in an unusual location for competitive eating: next to a rooftop pool filled with inflatable hot dogs and a small but excited audience, and accompanied by the USC marching band.
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Matt Stonie out-eats three Olympians with ease
Stonie is absolutely stripping the wings down to the bone with incredible efficiency, shoveling the meat into his mouth with an equally impressive, clinical manner. Meanwhile, the three Olympians are eating at, you know, a normal pace.
Stonie takes the easy win, eating up 53 wings while the three Olympians finish up 36 between the three of them. Turns out that high-calorie diets don’t always translate to speed.
Stonie, mouth full of chicken and water, looks highly satisfied with the win.
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First off, Matt Stonie will attempt to out-eat a trio of Olympic athletes — water polo player Max Irving and swimmers Ryan Lochte and Ryan Murphy — with a tray of wings.
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Notably, the hot dogs in today’s competition will not be Nathan’s brand. Instead, they will be using Ball Park Franks-brand dogs, with Great Value (Walmart brand) buns.
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The main event will be starting off in a little under 40 minutes, but first there will be a series of competitive eating undercards.
One of the events will feature Matt Stonie, who shocked Chestnut in 2015 to win the Nathan’s hot dog eating competition with 62 dogs. Stonie is the only person that is not Chestnut or Kobayashi to win the competition since 2001.
