World-renowned competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut recently set the world record for hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. Chestnut downed 83 hotdogs on the Labor Day Netflix Special titled “Unfinished Beef.” The showdown was held at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 2nd.
This competition was unique in that competitors were not allowed to pour or dunk their hot dogs in water. This is a common technique in competitive eating. While the wieners themselves go down easily, the yeasty buns take time to chew. By dunking them in water, the buns become easier to chew. Additionally, any excess crumbs left behind would be weighed, and points would be taken off.
Despite the rule changes, Chestnut seemed quite delighted.
“At first I hated the rules because it slowed me down, but now I like them because it’s been a fun challenge,” Chestnut said in an interview with the Decider. “For years and years, I’ve been eating hot dogs the same way, and now it’s really been fun learning how to eat hot dogs again.”
The rule change was requested by Kobayashi himself, as he believed it may lead to cheating.
The competition was neck-and-neck after two minutes; while Chestnut ate 25 hot dogs, Kobayashi had eaten 31. At the five minute mark, Chestnut was at 51 hot dogs, while Kobayashi was at 45 hot dogs. The final tallies were Chestnut: 83 and Kobayashi: 66. Fans seemed to have a wide variety of reactions to hearing this news; some were disgusted, while it motivated others.
“It’s inspiring,” NHS Senior Nathan Twitchell said in an interview. “The man has put in years of practice, and it’s exciting to see one of his major goals come true.”
The trash talk started even before the two faced off. “He was an amazing champion until he started losing,” Chestnut said in an interview before the competition. He specifically referenced the times that Kobayashi blamed his losses on jaw problems.
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi said in a statement when the competition was first announced. “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.”
Kobayashi, 46, announced his retirement from eating earlier this year on a Netflix documentary after claiming he could not feel the sensation of hunger anymore. Kobayashi held the Nathan's title from 2001 - 2006 before Chesnut’s reign of terror. The Labor Day showdown would mark the eaters’ first face-off in over 15 years. The two had competed against each other for years in the Nathan’s Hot Dog competition held annually.
Despite the trash talk, Chestnut attributes much of his success to his fierce rivalry with Kobayashi. "I've been trying to hit 80 hot dogs for years. Without Kobayashi, I was never able to do it. He drives me. We weren't always nice to each other, but I love what he can do. We push each other to be our best," Chestnut stated after the competition. As a reward, Chestnut took home $100,000, as well as a WWE-made custom championship belt.
This competition takes place nearly 2 months after Chestnuts ban from Major League Eating. Many journalists, such as Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp, believe that Chestnut’s win serves as a reminder to Major League Eating that he is still the top dog. In mid-June of 2024, Chestnut was banned from Major League Eating due to his brand deal with Impossible Foods, a vegan alternative to regular meat.
However, Major League Eating claims that there is no ban.
“There is no ban,” Richard Shea, MLE co-founder, told TODAY.com. “Major League Eating wants him there. The fans want him there. Nathan’s wants him there,” The situation remains unclear, but many fans hope to see Chestnut back on the main stage.
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