Nathan’s may have banned Joey Chestnut from the July 4 event, but he’s still going to be taking part in a hot dog-eating contest in 2024.
Netflix has announced that it will live stream rivals Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi facing off in a hot dog-eating contest on Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef will feature the showdown that will determine the ultimate hot-dog-eating champion — in which the competitors will fight to eat the most all-beef hot dogs. The 16-time hot dog eating champion (Chestnut) and the six-time hot dog eating champion (Kobayashi) will be facing off for the first time in 15 years. The location and specific timing will be announced at a later date.
Joey Chestnut is a world record-holder for eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes and has dominated the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for the past eight years in a row. He cannot compete in the 2024 contest because of his deal as Impossible Foods’ spokesperson, as he revealed on X on June 11.
As for this upcoming contest on Netflix, “Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” said Chestnut in a statement. “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!”
In 2001, Takeru Kobayashi won his first Hot Dog Eating Championship by eating double the amount of hot dogs the previous record holder ate. He has no plans to retire. “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” said Kobayashi. “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.”
Their rivalry dominated headlines at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 as they battled back and forth for the championship title. The last time the two faced off in a hot dog eating competition was 2009, with Chestnut besting Kobayashi in a five hot dog sudden death eat off. To catch up on the long-standing competitive eating rivalry ahead of the rematch, check out 30 for 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry on Netflix.
Who do you think will win this Netflix contest?
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, Live, Monday, September 2, Netflix