Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi are friends, former rivals, and competitive eating icons. But the two giants of gluttony haven't actually faced off with one another in over a decade, the result of a contract dispute between Kobayashi and Major League Eating.
However, the eating icons could line up against another once more, according to Chestnut. In a recent appearance on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take," Chestnut announced that his contract with MLE — the organization behind spectacles of sustenance like the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest — expires after 2022.
That opens the door for Chestnut and Kobayashi to reignite their rivalry once again, perhaps as soon as 2023.
"It'll be my first year in a long, long time that I can actually eat against Kobayashi," Chestnut said. "So, me and him could find a way to compete because he'll never compete with Major League Eating again because they have just a childish contract dispute ... but there's a chance that I might be able to eat against him."
The biggest rivalry in eating may be returning. @joeyjaws
Presented by @Visible pic.twitter.com/LAotHSbVHO
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) July 13, 2022
MORE: What happened to Takeru Kobayashi?
Chestnut and Kobayashi helped bring competitive eating into the mainstream. Their clashes at the annual July 4 hot dog eating contest at Coney Island were the stuff of legend — Kobayashi won six straight mustard belts, while Chestnut defeated the Japanese star three times in the event.
Chestnut has continued his reign of dominance in the year's since Kobayashi's departure. He secured his 15th hot dog eating title in unusual circumstances this year.
Now, it seems he and Kobayashi are whetting food fans' collective appetite for another showdown.
Joey Chestnut teases possible 2023 eat-off against old rival Takeru Kobayashi: 'There's a chance' - Sporting News
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