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Takeru Kobayashi

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Takeru Kobayashi Fast Facts:

Enjoyed sports (baseball, running, weight-lifting) in his school years, while also demonstrating his intestinal skills, downing 10 bottles of milk to break a school record.
Burst onto the U.S. scene by chowing down 50 hot dogs and buns---nearly doubling the previous record---in 12 minutes to win the 2001 Nathan's International Contest on Coney Island.
Devoured the competition at "Nathan's" for five more years before three dramatic losses (2007 to 2009) to upstart American Joey Chestnut.
Burnished his reputation as a global force by setting records in consuming noodles, lobster rolls, rice balls, cow brains, vegetarian dumplings, pork buns and bratwurst and more.
Triumphed in four of the first six editions of the Krystal Square Off, a hamburger-eating contest in Chattanooga; defeated rival Chestnut in 2009, after Chestnut's victory in 2008.
Threw down 10 whole pizzas in 12 minutes to defeat Canadian favorite "Furious Pete" in an August 2010 contest in Ontario.
Missed out on the 2010 Nathan's event due to a contractual dispute with organizers (IFOCE/Major League Eating). Kobayashi was arrested after storming the stage after a contest and his name was removed from the champions billboard in April of 2011. (He later said: "They cannot erase what people remember.")
Enjoyed a cheesesteak in 24 seconds as a between-rounds stunt at Wing Bowl 19, a 2011 Philadelphia competition Kobayashi was scouting for possible future entry.