Every competitive sport has its famous rivalries, but when it comes to competitive eating, one rivalry defines the sport itself. It’s the decades-long battle between Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. Kobayashi dominated the competitive eating scene and popularized it for much of the early 2000’s, until Joey Chestnut took the throne and has stayed on it ever since. But when we pull back the curtain, it goes way deeper than the athletes themselves - it’s a culture war, a battle against major sports league contracts, and even a fight for freedom and legacy. Let’s sink our teeth into it.

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