The champions will be competing against each other for the first time in 15 years on Sept. 2 for the Netflix live special event, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef , in a bid to determine the ultimate hot dog eating champion once and for all.
Netflix confirmed to DECIDER that actor Rob Riggle and WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Garcia (formerly known as Nikki Bella ) will be co-hosting the competition, with Cari Champion and Chris Rose calling the match.
The main event will also be preceded by two undercards.
YouTuber and 2015 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winner Matt Stonie is set to compete against an opponent who has yet to be announced. Guinness World Record holder Leah Shutkever will also be competing.
This will all be leading up to the highly anticipated face-off between Chestnut and Kobayashi, who have forged an epic rivalry that was recently chronicled in 30 for 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry .
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” Chestnut said in a release. “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!”
Photo: Sean Hagwell/Claire Planeta
Amid rumors of his retirement, Kobayashi maintained that he’s not going anywhere until he gets the chance to beat Chestnut once and for all.
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” he said. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
Chestnut currently holds the World Record for eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Kobayashi currently holds 10 world records and is a six-time champion of Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Contest.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef will be streaming live from the HyperX Arena Las Vegas.
The special is produced by Den of Thieves. David Friedman will executive produce alongside Nicole Lucas Haimes, and Daniel Calin, as well as Den of Thieves’ Evan Prager, Jesse Ignjatovic and Jared Morell. Friedman will also serve as showrunner.
This is the latest live sports event to come from the streamer after this year’s Netflix Slam . Next up, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will face off against each other in a live boxing event later this year.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef will air live on Netflix Sept. 2 at 12 p.m. PT.
This piece was updated to include information about the event’s producers .
For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com
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