I think "Come out Smokin'," the 1972 biography by Phil Pepe, might have given a weight of 240 pounds, but that could merely be a guesstimate. Joe had a more practical concern to deal with. He was having trouble fitting his legs in his pants. At his competitive slimmest under 200 pounds, his thighs reportedly measured 27 inches, substancial for a man of that height and weight. 250 seems a perfectly reasonable pre-athletic number to me. He came in at about 230 for Jumbo Cummings, a comeback he trained hard for and exhibited decent stamina in (actually winning the nineth round). Of course Joe himself would be the best one to ask about this. (Unfortunately, interviewers don't always think to ask him such interesting questions, like about his experiences with Bonavena and Mathis, the draw with Cummings, those sparring sessions with friends Holmes and Norton, or how much he might have weighed when he nearly drowned in the inaugural Superstars competition.)
