Being banned from America's most famous eating competition isn't stopping Joey Chestnut from staying in the news.
(WXIN/WTTV) — Being banned from America's most famous eating competition isn't stopping Joey Chestnut from staying in the news.
Streaming giant Netflix announced on Wednesday that Chestnut, the number one ranked competitive eater in the world, will face off against long-time rival Takeru Kobayashi, who was dubbed "the godfather of competitive eating" before claiming to retire earlier this year.
The event is set to stream live on Monday, Sept. 2 on Netflix, the streamer posted on social media. The Labor Day competition will be a "winner-take-all" head-to-head battle and has been dubbed "CHESTNUT VS. KOBAYASHI: UNFINISHED BEEF."
"A rivalry simmering for 15 years," said Netflix.
The contest will be the first time Chestnut and Kobayashi, who hold 22 world hot dog eating championships between them, have faced off in 15 years.
Chestnut, a 16-time champion, was recently banned from the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The contest, held annually on Fourth of July in Coney Island, said Chestnut is no longer allowed to participate after he reportedly inked a deal with Impossible Foods, maker of plant-based sausages.
Kobayashi, who announced he would be retiring from competitive eating in the 2024 Netflix documentary "Hack your Health: Secrets of Your Gut," will now be returning in another event from the streaming platform. He himself was banned from the Nathan's competition in 2010 due to contract disputes.
No other information, including a start time for the competition, was provided by Netflix.
