- Breaking record: Competitor Joey Chestnut devours 83 hot dogs within 10 minutes.
In a showdown between two renowned hot dog consumption titans, American Joey Chestnut surpassed his own global record. The 40-year-old gobbled down 83 frankfurters wrapped in buns in a mere 10 minutes, surpassing his previous best of 76. Meanwhile, his Japanese opponent, Takeru Kobayashi (46), boosted his personal achievement, but only managed 66 hot dogs during the competition in Las Vegas.
This was their first encounter in 15 years. The high-stakes event, "Unfinished Beef," aired live on Netflix on Monday, with the contestants shoving hot dogs and buns into their mouths using both hands, followed by gulps of water. The spectators cheered on enthusiastically as the duo demonstrated their impressive skills.
Chestnut took home a trophy and a $100,000 prize. He revealed that he had been striving to consume 80 hot dogs for years, and the presence of Kobayashi motivated him to deliver his best performance.
Weighing 100kg, Chestnut is significantly heavier than his 71kg competitor (Kobayashi). Their last face-off took place in 2009, with Chestnut emerging victorious with 68 hot dogs.
Kobayashi, a trailblazer in competitive eating, claimed the prestigious "Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest" in New York City on July 4th an unprecedented six years in a row from 2001. However, he was prohibited from participating in the event in 2010 due to contractual disagreements.
For the first time, Chestnut secured the "Nathan's Famous" title in 2007 and has since held it a grand total of 16 times. Last July, the renowned "Jaws" was disqualified from the event due to a sponsorship agreement with plant-based food company Impossible Foods. In his absence, American Patrick Bertoletti clinched his inaugural title with 58 hot dogs.**
Chestnut's curiosity about surpassing the 80-hot dog mark was heightened by Kobayashi's presence. Despite Kobayashi's past successes, such as winning the "Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest" six times in a row, he struggled to match Chestnut's performance in this recent competition.
