Fighters who moved back and forth between weights the most effectively

Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley.

 

Hearns moved up to Middleweight to defeat Murray Sutherland and than went back to 154 pounds and defended his title 3 times

 

Maxim basically started as a HW, Jake LaMotta started out as a LHW & Bob Fitzsimmons won the LHW title after winning the HW title.. others would be Donaire, Michalczewski Armstrong, Carlos Ortiz.. there are many..

 

Henry Armstrong is the obvious poster boy for this as he held championships at 3 weight classes simultaneously. And there were only 8 at the time.

 

many, many of the MW's & L-HW's until the 1950s/60s, and basically all of the weight divisions really.

after that I think it became more of a progression of natural weight gain increasing with age, and not so much 'jumping' per say.

But most I'd say up until then.

 

Emile Griffith had no trouble with this and even won the Middleweight title weighing 150 lbs. Incredible fighter

 

Its hard to say because most of these guys were fighting at HW a few pounds over the limit. Earlier it wasn't a given a fighter had to exceed the LHW or even MW limit at all to fight at HW.

Nowadays if fighter is at a weight class they fight to the maximum limit if possible. A fighter could in theory gain 1 or 2 pounds and fight at the next weight class but this is not done. Back in the day fighters were planning to fight in two weight classes. When fighters today have to go back it usually means something went wrong at their intended new weight class. Since a fighter is thinking of adjusting to their new weight class and the one after that they aren't really thinking about how tough it will be to get back to their old weight if things take a uturn. Like if Bob Fosters going to HW hes going up with the idea hes beating Ali and Joe Frazier and hes going to fight at HW now.

With Moore the likely explanation for his longevity also would explain why he could handle weight cuts so well. Moore earlier in his career was in chronic pain with large stoumach ulcers. After his surgery he weighed like 100 pounds and almost died. After that cutting to 175 is small potatoes.

 

Harry Greb regularly fought contests at MW, LHW and HW, arguably accumulating the greatest win resume of all time at the former two weights.

 

Mosley is one that comes to mind. Often fighting big fights at 154 and 147 throughout his career

 

Thomas Hearns won a championship
from welterweight to cruiserweight.
At Every weight class between those
divisions.

 

He went up and beat Andries just before he won the middleweight title too.

 

You stole Archie Moore from me

 

Jimmy Bivins seemed to move around quite a bit and had success doing so