Earlier this month, Joey Chestnut moved himself from "also ran" status to world record holder by not just breaking the old record, but by smashing it. Now it seems, the excuses are coming out, posturing, subterfuge, the friendly psych-out of your opponent.Takeru Kobayashi, 29, of Japan, the former record holder and six-time winner of the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, may not be up to another winning performance.
It seems that according to his website, his "jaw has abandoned the frontline" during his extensive training for his title defense on Cony Island NY. A specialist has diagnosed him with arthritis of the jaw which may prevent his title defense but he has found a doctor he can trust to help him dedicate himself to healing.
While it is preferable to meet head-to-head with your most capable opponent, I am sure that if Chestnut does win this year, he will do so convincingly. As for Kobayashi, he may really have a serious jaw problem from years of competive eating contests and I wish him the best in healing. It also could be the "smoke and mirrors" psych game that so many competitive athletes use against their closest competitor.
My best wishes to them both because I am not going to even think of attempting to eat 50+ hotdogs, not even if they gave me a 6 month time limit.
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