Ronnie was never 287 or 296 competing onstage. That was made up for the magazines. I can't believe you believe that crap. All the other stuff you'll question or reject but not that claim??? You don't believe the reported heights but you believe the made up bodyweights? I knew a guy who went to the 2004 Mr. O and saw Ronnie in the lobby(or somewhere) and asked him "How much do you weigh this year?" and Ronnie replied "270, same as last year". 270 was Ronnie's max contest weight, not 296.
I was going by the weight Ronnie claimed in the Battle for the Olympia 2003 DVD, and what was reported elsewhere. That figure could be wrong...but Ronnie's claimed weight in 2002 was 245, and in 2001 was 265. I felt that based on those previous claimed weights, that Ronnie was 287 in 2003.
Also, Jay was reported as being 255-lb in 2003. I thought Ronnie looked around 30-lb heavier.
That being said, I do think 270-lb could be correct. Even 270 is pretty massive. I didn't really have any reason to doubt Ronnie's claimed weight, and I also felt he was comparable to Markus Ruhl, who was said to be in the 285-293 pound range.
My experience from expos are that bodybuilders are pretty bang-on about their heights. As for their weights, you had situations like Dexter Jackson missing the weigh-ins at the Ironman every year while claiming 235, and Kai Greene weighing in with like 10-lb of clothes on, lol.
So I found that bodybuilders didn't much lie about height, but lied a bit more about weight. I didn't have any reason to doubt Ron's claimed 287-lb weight, but he could have been 270-lb as well.
In 2005, Ronnie was one of the only bodybuilders who followed the IFBB memo to reduce mass for the Olympia. He came in smaller than 2003, and he was said to be 275.
Here are shots of Ronnie in 2003, where the 287-lb body weight claim was made:
