Joey Chestnut is a real eater.
The competitive eating supernova showcased his verve — and gullet — with a stunning showcase at Las Vegas' HyperX Arena, downing an otherworldly 83 franks to vanquish his longtime rival, Takeru Kobayashi.
There was plenty of fanfare when the pairing came to clash underneath the Sin City glow. With 22 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest crowns between them, Chestnut and Kobayashi represent the best of competitive eating, icons who have thrust themselves into the global consciousness, one link at a time.
Chestnut started the competition the better of the two. He put forth a frightening pace in the opening two minutes of the contest, throwing down 25 dogs to put himself out in front. Kobayashi made history of his own, racing to a career-best total. It wasn't enough to outdo Chestnut, whose taste for hot dogs continued to shine through as remnants of beef spilled across his face and chest.
The result was a predictable one: 83 hot dogs, an unofficial world record. Chestnut even found a new eating tactic for himself; he's planning on employing the hot dog and bun method when competing in hot dog competitions in the future.
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Chestnut and Kobayashi's fight for munchie supremacy. Follow below for highlights, analysis and more as two of the 21st century's greatest showmen stretched their stomachs to levels previously unseen in the spotlight.
Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi live results, highlights from 2024 Netflix special
(All times Eastern)
4:08 p.m.: Chestnut pays tribute to his longtime rival, saying that he wouldn't have cracked 80 franks without his longtime adversary.
4:05 p.m.: Chestnut wins the gold...and a championship belt, gifted to him by none other Mysterio himself.
4:04 p.m.: 83 dogs for Chestnut! 66 dogs for Kobayashi! Chestnut takes the crown!
4:03 p.m.: He hits 80! Kobayashi sets a new best personal mark with 66 dogs!
4:02 p.m.: Chestnut breaks the record! He's going for 80!
4:01 p.m.: Chestnut ties the record for most hot dogs in a 10-minute stretch!
4:00 p.m.: Chestnut looks well on his way to claiming the title. He could set a world record as well; he's downed 70 franks with 2:30 left.
3:58 p.m.: Halfway through the contest, Chestnut holds a five hot dog edge over Kobayashi. That advantage looks to be getting bigger, too.
3:56 p.m.: Chestnut is on fire through three or so minutes. He's up to 40 hot dogs, while Kobayashi is at 35.
3:54 p.m.: Chestnut sees his record for most hot dogs in a single minute with 13. Kobayashi returns the favor, breaking his personal record for most hot dogs in the opening minute with 11.
3:53 p.m.: And we're off from HyperX Arena!
3:52 p.m.: The duo set up their stations to their liking. Here we go...
3:49 p.m.: Kobayashi struts into the arena next. He shaved his head for this one, the final competition of his glittering career.
3:48 p.m.: Chestnut takes to the pulpit first!
3:40 p.m.: WWE standouts Rey Mysterio and Amos make their way to the stage to hype up the crowd! We're about three minutes from the start of Chestnut vs. Kobayashi!
3:32 p.m.: Shutkever does it! History is made in Sin City! She now holds the world record for most watermelon ate in three minutes!
3:30 p.m.: Next up! The watermelon contest! Shutkever will attempt to eat more than 2,400 grams of watermelon — the equivalent of nearly 20 hot dogs.
3:18 p.m.: Stonie vanquishes his American foes! He eats 53 wings in three minutes; 17 more than his Olympic competitors. What a performance by the competitive eater-turned YouTube supernova.
3:15 p.m.: First matchup up the day is Stonie vs. Team USA. Here we go...
3:07 p.m.: In addition to the glory, the victors will also receive a $100,000 grand prize.
3:05 p.m.: Netflix's executives brought out the big guns for this one. Riggle, Nikki Garcia (formerly of WWE's Bella Twins), Chris Rose and Cari Champion are all offering their analysis for today's matchup(s). We're about 40 minutes from the food war.
2:59 p.m.: We're mere moments away from the start of Netflix's live event. For a reminder, Chestnut and Kobayashi aren't the only standouts set to compete with one another. So too will Matt Stonie and Olympians Ryan Murphy, Ryan Lochte and Max Irving, who will face off with one another to see who can eat more chicken wings. Leah Shutkever will also attempt to set a world record for most watermelon ate in a three minute spell.
2:40 p.m.: Although there's a mutual respect between Chestnut and Kobayashi for their eating skills, there doesn't appear to be much love lost between the two. Chestnut revealed that Kobayashi blocked him on social media when the Japanese standout had his riff with Major League Eating. Years later and that block remains in place, Chestnut told Pablo Torre.
2:30 p.m.: It's a packed house at HyperX Arena for this one. What better way to spend Labor Day than watching two eaters munch their way to glory under the Sin City glow.
2:25 p.m.: The (potential) champ is here: Joey Chestnut has arrived at HyperX Arena for Monday's clash of food titans.
2:20 p.m.: Plenty of fanfare for today's contest. Look no further than the face-off between the two, a symbol of the competition's significance on the world stage.
2:15 p.m.: Here's a look at how competitive eating's two greatest talents prepared for today's festivities:
2:00 p.m.: A reminder for those who haven't been here before: Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will be tasked with stuffing as many franks down their gullet as possible in a 10-minute interval. There are a handful of rules to take into account; for starters, neither competitor can dunk the buns or hot dogs into liquid. Additionally, all hot dogs must be downed while residing in the bun.
Here's comedian Rob Riggle with more:
What time is Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi today?
- Start time: 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. local time)
- Live stream: Netflix
Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will butt heads — and stomachs — live from Las Vegas' HyperX Arena starting at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. local time).
The action can be found exclusively on Netflix, which paid above the odds to air the broadcast the most recent chapter in Chestnut and Kobayashi's epic rivalry.
MORE: Why isn't Joey Chestnut in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Hot Dog Eating Contest TV schedule 2024
| Event | Time (ET) | TV channel/live stream |
| Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi | 3:00 p.m. | Netflix |