Ryan Lochte and Ryan Murphy Team Up for Wing-Eating Contest on Labor Day

Taking a break from their usual roles of competing in the water, swimming stars Ryan Murphy and Ryan Lochte teamed up with water polo player Max Irving for a poolside eating competition on Labor Day. 

The three Olympic medalists teamed up for a wing-eating contest at the Luxor Resort and Casino in Las Vegas as part of the live Netflix show “Chestnut vs Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef”. 

Murphy, Lochte and Irving faced off against professional eater Matt Stonie to see which side could eat more chicken wings in three minutes. 

Before the contest began, Lochte joked that he had been secretly training for this moment since he was 10 by eating pizza and wings every Friday, while Murphy and Irving chimed in to say that they had some techniques up their sleeves to help them win. 

Despite their supposed preparation, the Olympic athletes’ prowess in the water was not enough to overcome a competitive eater; Stonie managed to scarf down 53 wings compared to the Olympians’ combined total of 36 wings. 

Hosts Rob Riggle and Nikki Garcia made light of the results, telling the athletes that they may want to stick to swimming. 

Murphy is a three-time Olympian and nine-time Olympic medalist, including gold, while Irving is a two-time Olympian. Murphy and Irving both competed in the 2024 Paris Games, where Irving helped the U.S. men’s water polo team win bronze. Lochte, who retired from competitive swimming in 2021, is a three-time Olympian and 12-time Olympic medalist. 

“Chestnut vs Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” aired live on Netflix on Labor Day, showcasing competitive eaters Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi competing in a hot dog-eating contest to settle their long standing rivalry.

You can see a clip from the Olympians’ contest here, and the whole show is available on Netflix.