A press release from Netflix takes the whole thing very seriously, quoting Kobayashi saying, “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time… Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.” Chestnut, meanwhile, says, “It’s time to give the people what they want!”
The competition will have extra intrigue because Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will both have to skip the annual July 4th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest that made their rivalry famous. A six-time winner, Kobayashi was banned from the contest in 2010 over a contract dispute. Then, on June 11th, Major League Eating announced a ban on Chestnut, a 16-time winner and the world record holder for most hot dogs, related to his deal with Impossible Foods.