And his publicist said Kobayashi planned to attend the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in the hopes of putting on a free eating demonstration for the crowd on the Brooklyn boardwalk.

Instead, Kobayashi surprised everyone Sunday by trying to crash the contest after Joey "Jaws" Chestnut gobbled his way to a fourth consecutive championship. He jumped onstage, wrestled with police and was arrested.

"Let him eat! Let him eat!" the crowd chanted as officers handcuffed the world's No. 3 professional eater, dubbed "The Tsunami." Kobayashi, 32, did not compete in the Fourth of July event because he refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating, the fast food equivalent of the NFL. On his Japanese-language blog, he said he wanted to be free to enter contests sanctioned by other groups.

But a few days ago, he told Japan's Kyodo News: "I really want to compete in the (Coney Island) event." Wearing a black T-shirt that said "Free Kobi," Kobayashi mingled with the crowd Sunday, standing inside a police-barricaded pen just under the stage. When the eating ended, he slipped up the stage stairs.

Security officers appeared and tried to usher him off. He grabbed a metal police barricade with both hands, clutching it tightly as the officers pulled at him. Finally, they dragged him down the stairs, with Kobayashi resisting.