Las Vegas — Joey Chestnut set a new world record on Monday by consuming 83 hot dogs in the Netflix “Unfinished Beef” Labor Day competition, extending his dominance over rival Takeru Kobayashi.
The competition, held at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas and streamed live on Netflix, followed the format of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Chestnut and Kobayashi had 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible. The event was well-prepared with 300 hot dogs provided, though competitors were prohibited from dunking the hot dogs in water, separating the beef from the buns, or causing excessive mess, with penalties for regurgitation and crumbs.
Chestnut’s performance surpassed his previous record of 76 hot dogs set at the 2021 Nathan’s contest. Kobayashi, who ate 67 hot dogs, fell short of Chestnut’s record.
Chestnut, reflecting on his achievement, stated, “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.”
Kobayashi, who announced his retirement from competitive eating earlier this year on the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: Secrets of Your Gut,” responded through an interpreter, “I feel like I did everything I could.” The Nagano, Japan native revealed in the documentary that he can no longer feel hunger.
Kobayashi, who held the Nathan’s title from 2001 to 2006, was succeeded by Chestnut, who has since secured 16 wins in 17 years. Chestnut was unable to compete in the Nathan’s contest this year due to a ban related to his partnership with Impossible Foods, leading to Patrick Bertoletti winning the “Mustard Belt.”
Looking ahead, Netflix’s next live event will feature Jake Paul’s boxing match against Mike Tyson, set to take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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