More Like Stuffed With Bullshit

Is it a case of “jaw arthritis” or is it because he’s scared? Yeah, right — jaw arthritis is for old people:

Could the reign of hot-dog eating dominance be near an end for Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi?

The Japanese competitive eating phenom — and six-time winner of the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest on Coney Island — is listed as “day-to-day” due to jaw pain just a week before the July 4 competition, officials said yesterday.

But Kobayashi, who narrowly defeated American Joey Chestnut last year to win the Mustard Belt for the sixth consecutive year, still plans to compete at Coney Island and in the Pizza Hut P’Zone Challenge July 10 in Manhattan.

According to Kobayashi’s blog, jaw arthritis has hampered the perennial eating champion so badly that he can only open his mouth wide enough to fit one finger without pain. Nevertheless, Kobayashi said he intends to defend his title and “be the pride” of his mother, who passed away in March.

Earlier this month, Chestnut, 22, of San Jose, Calif., broke Kobayashi’s world record by eating 59.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship in Arizona. He won a year’s supply of hot dogs, a trip to New York and a $250 gift card. Kobayashi’s previous best was 53.75 hot dogs during the 2006 Coney Island contest.