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Jun 30, 2007 11:17 am US/Eastern
Hot Dog Champ Denies Ailment Is A Ploy
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) ―
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Competitor Joey Chestnut recently broke Kobayashi's hot-dog eating record. (File)
CBS
The six-time defending Nathan's hot-dog-eating champ is dismissing speculation that his announcement of a painful jaw could be a ploy.
Some have suggested that Takeru is trying to lull his main opponent into complacency ahead of next week's contest at Coney Island.
But he says that's "not even funny." He tells a Tennessee newspaper, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, that he can only open his mouth to the width of two fingers.
Kobayashi said this week that misaligned wisdom teeth and his competitive eating career have led to painful arthritis in his jaw. But he's still hoping to be able to relax the jaw and win another title at the Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Nathan's Famous.
Competitor Joey Chestnut recently broke Kobayashi's hot-dog eating record. Chestnut says he's perplexed by Kobayashi's reported condition.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
