Joey Chestnut Squashes Beef With Kobayashi As Winner Of Netflix's Unfinished Beef

To say it has been a tumultuous, but endlessly-interesting year for competitive eating is an understatement. Long the marquee event for the sport, the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest barred 16-time champion Joey Chestnut from competing after he inked a deal to promote rival (albeit vegetarian) hot dog brand, Impossible Foods. That kept him from taking home another Mustard Belt, and some felt robbed of the opportunity to see Chestnut possibly scarf down another record.

Those fears were short-lived. Chestnut and his longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi — who has six Mustard Belts of his own from the Nathan's Famous competition — announced a one-off exhibition match for Labor Day 2024. Aired live on and produced by Netflix, "Unfinished Beef" featured profiles of the main competitors as well as undercard matches that saw other competitive eaters gobble up watermelon and scarf down chicken wings. There was also a major rule change: Chestnut and Kobayashi were not allowed to dip the hot dog buns in water to lubricate them and expel air, a technique allowed by the Nathan's Famous contest. Despite the change, Chestnut walked away a winner, downing a staggering 83 hot dogs and buns to Kobayashi's 66. The number marked more than just a win for Chestnut — it set a personal best and world record in the field of hot dog eating.

"Unfinished Beef" took place in the only logical place it could have: inside the HyperX Arena in that capital of American indulgence, Las Vegas. Hosted by comedian Rob Riggle and WWE star Nikki Garcia, the event was the first time Chestnut and Kobayashi have faced off since 2009. That was two years after Chestnut first bested Kobayashi, who was beset by a debilitating jaw injury that left him nearly unable to open his mouth. Just this year, he announced that he was retiring from competitive eating altogether after years of the sport began to take a toll on his body. Kobayashi reports that he no longer derives joy from eating or experiences sensations of hunger or fullness. As reported in the Netflix documentary "Hack Your Health — Secrets of your Gut," Kobayashi learned from doctors that years of competitive eating — and the training that goes along with it — had actually impacted his gut-brain connection.

That said, he postponed his retirement for one last shot at a title. Both men put up a valiant fight, but it was clear early in the 10-minute span that Chestnut was pulling ahead. He approached the hot dogs with efficiency and seeming ease, while Kobayashi appeared to struggle at times to get the hot dogs down. To add insult to injury, he was docked one dog on his total tally due to the weight of food that fell around him, only further propelling Chestnut to victory and the $100,000 purse that came with it.