It's time for the best rivalry in sports.

Arch rivals square off at Nathan's hot dog-eating weigh-in
BY Zak Failla/DAILY NEWS WRITER

The big dogs are in town.

The two main rivals in the annual Coney Island hot dog-eating contest held a dramatic stare-down yesterday as they prepared to battle tomorrow for the biggest prize in competitive eating.

"Hot dogs on the Fourth of July - it doesn't get any better," said Joey Chestnut, 25, of San Jose, Calif.

This year's frank fight is a grudge match between Chestnut and six-time Coney champ Takeru Kobayashi of Japan.

"It's going to be a good battle this year," said Kobayashi, 31, through an interpreter. "I'm going to bring the belt back."

The two men, dubbed "eating legends" by organizers, have split the past four stomach-stuffin' contests on the Boardwalk. Now it's time to pass the mustard and settle the score.

"The first two years, he beat me," Chestnut said. "The next two years, I beat him, so we're even. He's why I push myself so hard."

The two men couldn't look more different. The barrel-chested Chestnut weighed in at 218 pounds and fought back a grin as the pair stood side by side for the boxing-style weigh-in.

Kobayashi is a wiry 132 pounds and kept an angry poker face as he glared up at Chestnut.

Mayor Bloomberg joked that the serial wiener eaters are "the most dedicated athletes in the world."

"July 4 isn't a holiday for these men," the mayor said. "It's going to be a day of reckoning."

Screw Wimbledone. Give me the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest. This showdown is the rubber match in a rivalry better than Ali/Frazier, Kobe/Shaq, Russell/Chamberlain or De la Hoya/Mayweather. I can't wait until Joey Chestnut takes Kobayashi down one last time. When he does I want the video below to be played in every home in America because that's when we as Americans are back on top.