A look back at every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest over the last 20 years.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.
With the Fourth of July comes everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure: the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual tradition featuring the art of consuming an absurd amount of processed meat in a short amount of time.
The competition rose to notoriety through the likes of Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, who have each won the event multiple times.
Kobayashi hasn’t competed in the annual Fourth of July contest since 2009.
NOTE: This post is from 2022.
Once a staple of the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest — from his record-setting debut in 2001 until his final competition over a decade ago — Takeru Kobayashi has since faded from the consciousness of fans of the event (or people who watch because what else is on TV?).
It’s easy to assume that someone who has held over a dozen competitive eating records and once won the Nathan’s contest six consecutive times simply got tired of shoving damp buns and franks down his throat and that’s why he hasn’t participated for so long. But his absence from the contest since 2010 is actually a lot deeper.
According to a New York Times report, Kobayashi had a dispute with Major League Eating (MLE), the sanctioning body of the Nathan’s Famous contest and others, over the exclusivity of its contracts. They reportedly restricted MLE signees from earning money outside of MLE and competing in non-MLE events, and gave MLE “exclusive representative” rights to negotiate revenue opportunities — of which it would earn 20% — on behalf of its performers.
Kobayashi’s refusal to sign the contract in 2010 resulted in his not being able to participate in MLE contests, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July contest.
That didn’t stop him from showing up as a spectator in 2010, but that’s when things really got real. Apparently spurred by chants from those in attendance, Kobayashi jumped on stage, hoping officials would allow him to compete. Instead he was arrested, never to take a Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest stage again.
So there you have it. That’s why you haven’t seen or heard from Kobayashi for so long and probably shouldn’t expect to see him this Fourth of July. But hey, at least there’s still current world record holder Joey Chestnut to look forward to making you gag.
