Kobayashi Downs Record, Eats 337 Chicken Wings At Philadelphia Wing Bowl

PHILADELPHIA — Competitive-eating champ Takeru Kobayashi (tah-kah-roo koh-bee-yah-shee) conquered Philadelphia's annual gustatory gorge-fest by eating 337 chicken wings in a half-hour before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Wing Bowl XX.

The Japanese phenom demolished the record of 255 set last year by Jonathan "Super" Squibb.

The Friday morning extravaganza drew thousands to the Wells Fargo Center before sunrise to watch competitors stuff themselves with chicken wings.

Kobayashi claimed a $20,000 cash prize for his victory. It was the six-time Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest champ's first time competing at Wing Bowl, though he consumed a cheesesteak in 24 seconds as part of an eating exhibition last year.

Squibb had been trying to win his fourth consecutive Wing Bowl crown, but the Berlin, N.J., man finished a distant second with 271 wings.

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Is he the top dog? Current Mustard Belt holder Joey Chestnut has won three consecutive Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contests -- and he's considered the favorite this year. Chestnut, pictured here after downing a record-setting 68 dogs last summer, says he wants to break the record this year.

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Is he the top dog? Current Mustard Belt holder Joey Chestnut has won three consecutive Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contests -- and he's considered the favorite this year. Chestnut, pictured here after downing a record-setting 68 dogs last summer, says he wants to break the record this year.

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Comments

[siegfried728711]

12:23 PM on 02/15/2012

what, no desert!!!!!

[whoknew222]

05:15 PM on 02/13/2012

That's a lot of wings.

[siegfried728711]

12:24 PM on 02/15/2012

fly away come fly away with me...

[jstanavgguy]

06:49 PM on 02/12/2012

Speaking as someone from Philadelphia, this 'event' is a spectacle of the bizarre.

Look at the videos you can find on youtube

[DocSyracuse]

06:42 PM on 02/12/2012

Looks like he found a solution to the un-winnable scenario.

[xandrasmom]

10:49 AM on 02/10/2012

Competitive eaters, and serial competitive eaters like that gross dude on TV, are, IMO, truly disgusting. Just a terrible thing to do with food and an assault on your body. Sick!

[SoulOfDespair]

02:00 PM on 02/06/2012

Just looking at his hands gross me out :c Subconsciously washing my hands...

[ladameennoir]

08:25 PM on 02/05/2012

Japan's greatest accomplishment since the 1980s.

[Mailman]

05:26 PM on 02/05/2012

Don't want to go in that rest room after he's done.

[littlebrowngirl]

03:54 PM on 02/05/2012

Santorum dreams he could be in this contest.

[DocSyracuse]

06:39 PM on 02/12/2012

Why?

[littlebrowngirl]

03:53 PM on 02/05/2012

Chris Christie has won this contest many times over without even knowing it.

[Mailman]

05:24 PM on 02/05/2012

That's funny.

[frankcaprafan]

01:08 PM on 02/05/2012

Clearly, this was fixed. This man cannot be trusted, as he is a known associate of Keyser Söze.

[DocSyracuse]

06:41 PM on 02/12/2012

Well, the greatest trick the de'vil ever pulled was convincing everyone he didn't exist...

[siegfried728711]

12:27 PM on 02/15/2012

poofff

[siegfried728711]

12:25 PM on 02/15/2012

well said frank ::::::)))))

[frankcaprafan]

12:48 PM on 02/15/2012

Thanks. ;-)

[justgigging]

12:58 PM on 02/05/2012

That many wings I believe he can fly...

[manroj1]

04:13 AM on 02/05/2012

Kobayashi is truly "The Man"!

[cheechazteca]

11:08 PM on 02/04/2012

A great candidate to visit one of those 'colon cleansing clinics'
Who knows what they might flush out of him!

[jmartinjr]

09:46 PM on 02/04/2012

The hungry people have a safety net. Just ask Romney.