NEW YORK (Blue MauMau) - America's defending champion, Joey Chestnut, has won one more time against Japanese contender and six-time champion, Takeru Kobayashi, for the title of mustard belt at Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest in Coney Island. This year saw the contest reduced from twelve minutes to just ten minutes of eating. The annual contest saw its first tie with the two scarping down 59 dogs each.
That lead to a sudden death showdown of seeing who could gobble five more hot dogs the quickest.
Looking like he was having difficulty holding down his lunch, Chestnut told ESPN immediately after the event on why he won. He stated, "It boiled down to who needed it more. He [Kobayashi] wanted it but I needed it."
He didn't elaborate on what he meant but it could be that he was famished going into the contest.
Through an interpreter, Kobayashi responded, "I lost because I wasn't quick enough in the tie breaker." He had hoped to reclaim the title from Chestnut since losing last year after a short-stint of recovery from a jaw ailment.
