I don't know where we get this idea that Sauron kept the Nine Rings in his possession during the Third Age. In the Council of Elrond chapter, Gandalf explicitly says, "The Nine the Nazgul keep."
Sure, somebody (I can't remember who offhand) says Sauron "holds the Seven and the Nine," but that doesn't mean they're always with him, and he can still control the Nazgul without holding their Rings (or so we must presume).
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"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door."
THE HOBBIT - IT'S COMING
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