One day after Joey Chestnut was banned from competing in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, the 16-time champion announced his return — live on Netflix!
In a shocking revelation, the American competitive eating icon announced that she will reignite her sausage rivalry against Takeru Kobayashi at a live event on Netflix in September.
Professional eating’s most lucrative rivalry hasn’t had a head-to-head matchup in more than a dozen years because Kobayashi didn’t sign with Major League Eating before the 2010 Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The event will take place on September 2, which is Labor Day, and the event will be billed as ‘Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef’.
Kobayashi had retired earlier this year from competitive eating, but now appears to be making a surprise return to the table.
Joey Chestnut to face old rival Takeru Kobayashi live on Netflix in September
Chestnut was unrivaled in his final appearance at Nathan’s July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The fact that Chestnut is unable to retain its hot dog championship is due to its brand deal with Impossible Foods. Nathan’s sponsors the annual Independence Day eating competition and is a rival brand.
A source told the New York Post that Chestnut was paid $200,000 to appear in Nathan’s contest last year, and was even offered a four-year, $1.2 million contract starting this year.
Ultimately, Chestnut felt obligated to honor his unspecified agreement with Impossible Foods, who also issued their own statement Wednesday.
“We love Joey and support him in any contest he chooses,” the statement from a brand spokesperson read. ‘It’s okay to experiment with a new dog. Carnivores shouldn’t have to limit themselves to just one sausage.
The most lucrative rivalry in the professional food industry has not been fought for more than a dozen years.
Kobayashi is pictured participating in a hot dog eating contest in New York City in 2011.
Known as ‘Jaws,’ Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs to win the 2023 Nathan title, which was a slight decrease from the record 76 he ate in 2021.
Earlier this month, Chestnut was seen drinking pints of ice cream during a contest at a minor league baseball game. And the 40-year-old proved his eating prowess isn’t limited to hot dogs, as he managed to devour four liters of ice cream in one minute.
According MLB.comChestnut also ate 36 fried walleye nuggets in one minute during the pregame ‘Eat and Greet’ session with fans.
He also reportedly visited a minor league stadium in Lansing, Michigan, last August and ate a world-record 13 olive burgers in five minutes.
Chestnut is no stranger to eating ice cream competitively, as he also ate a record 23.5 ice cream sandwiches in six minutes in 2018, according to Eating in the Major Leagues.
Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs to win the 2023 Nathan’s title at Coney Island on July 4
Chestnut Breaks His Silence After Being Excluded from Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
In 2022, he said USA Sports TODAY He earned more than $500,000 and his net worth is over $4 million.
He has promotional deals with DUDE Wipes, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Wonderful Pistachios and Pepsi.
Chestnut has been on the competitive eating scene since 2005, when he stood out with a performance in the Fried Asparagus Eating Championship.
Since then, the Westfield, Indiana, native has set countless records, most famously with hot dogs, where his mark of 76 in the 2021 Nathan’s competition is unique.
