Last week, we reported that the Fourth of July would be cancelled if Takeru Kobayashi didn’t compete in this year’s Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Well, our worst fears came true, and the 32-year-old Japanese competitive eater didn’t participate in the event. But, for some reason, the holiday still went off without a hitch, and millions of Americans celebrated their nation’s independence by watching the reigning champion, Joey Chestnut, steamroll the competition for the fourth year in a row.

Yes, Chestnut won the Nathan’s classic once again—this time, by inhaling 54 hotdogs in ten minutes. But, let’s be honest here: without Kobayashi, there was no real competition for Chestnut. Tim “Eater X” Janus came in a distant second with 45 hot dogs, which is admirable but a far cry from Kobayashi’s 60+ effort last year.

However, the real story of the day wasn’t Chestnut’s victory; it was what transpired shortly afterwards.

Stealing a page out of the World Wrestling Entertainment handbook, Kobayashi, wearing a “Free Kobi” t-shirt, appeared at the conclusion of the competition and stormed the stage. Eventually, he was detained by the NYPD for refusing to leave.

Competitive eating: It's all fun and games until Kobayashi gets angry.

[Via USA Today; Video via the Associated Press]