Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi rivalry, explained: Revisiting who won epic hot dog showdowns from 2005-09

For the first time since 2000, neither Joey Chestnut nor Takeru Kobayashi participated in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2024. That left competitive eating fans hungry for more action from the two hot dog giants.

Those fanatics got their wish later that year, when the two champions went head-to-head in a special Netflix live event titled, "Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef."

"Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival," Chestnut said in a press release before the event. "Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!"

The two rivals had not competed against one another in a hot dog eating contest since 2009. Because Kobayashi announced his impeiding retirement before the Labor Day event, it was his final attempt to take down Chestnut — and it didn't pan out, as Chestnut prevailed by a margin of 17 hot dogs.

Here is more to know about Kobayashi and Chestnut's records and previous performances head-to-head at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

MORE: How many hot dogs did Takeru Kobayashi eat during his title run?

Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi rivalry

Kobayashi competed at the Nathan's Hot Dog East Contest from 2001 to 2009, and his career overlapped with Chestnut for five years. Chestnut didn't begin competing in the event until 2005. 

While Kobayashi won the first two of their five battles, Chestnut emerged victorious over his Japanese counterpart in 2007, beating Kobayashi by three hot dogs, 66-63. Kobayashi went on to finish second behind Chestnut again in 2008 and 2009.

The head-to-head rivalry fizzled out in 2010 due to a contract dispute between Kobayashi and Major League Eating, which sanctions the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. As a result, the Japanese competitive eater was banned from the Fourth of July tradition on Coney Island.

Since then, Kobayashi has not appeared in a Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, and that paved the way for Chestnut's dominance. The Kentucky native won just about every competition from 2007 to 2023, with the exception of 2015 when he was upset by Matt Stonie.

MORE: What happens inside an eater's body after the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

Chestnut did not take part in the 2024 competition, as he was banned by Nathan's after striking a deal with Impossible Foods, a competing company that creates plant-based meat alternatives to hot dogs. He announced his return to the event in 2025. 

Here is a look at the full head-to-head results between Chestnut and Kobayashi at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.