Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut wins Nathan’s July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest
You can’t keep a good dog down.
Side-lined competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi went berserk Sunday and was arrested storming the stage after a contract dispute kept him from competing in the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating competition.
Cops slapped the cuffs on the diminutive former champ after he watched from the crowd as archrival Joey (Jaws) Chestnut took home the mustard yellow belt.
Wearing a “Free Kobi” T-shirt, Kobayashi tried to force his way onto the stage during the awards ceremony, climbing over the Coney Island crowd and struggling with cops who tried to stop him.
“He tried to jump on stage during the awards ceremony to disrupt it,” said contest organizer Richard Shea. “It’s unprofessional and unsavory and, frankly, rather frustrating.”
Kobayashi, 32, was taken to the 60th Precinct where charges were pending.
The 128-pound pro was barred from competing this year after refusing to sign a contract that he claimed took away his freedom.
Event organizers said he had always signed the same contract in previous years and did not understand why he was balking now.
“He jumped off my wife’s back. He’s trying to upstage Joey,” said Vincent Oliveri, of Marine Park. “He should have just competed and signed the contract.”
via Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut wins Nathan’s July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest.
