Young Montreal

Morris Billingkoff

Fighting primarily as a bantamweight in the 1920s, Montreal was a "scrappy and durable" boxer who fought nine world champions during his career but never received a title shot.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. October 10, 1897 - d. June 1978

Career Highlights:
Born in Russia, Montreal fought out of Providence, Rhode Island as a flyweight and bantamweight during his career. He began his professional career in 1916, and won the American flyweight championship in 1919. He vacated the crown the following year though, when he moved up to the bantamweight class. As a bantamweight, Montreal fought the best boxers of his era. In 1920, he lost a 12-round decision in Providence to future world champion Abe Goldstein. The following year, he faced world champ Joe Lynch twice, but neither bout was for the title; both ended in 10-round no decisions.

Montreal continued to fight top competition and only seven days after his second bout with Lynch, he fought former (and future) bantamweight champion Pete "Kid" Herman. Montreal upset Herman on April 15 in a 10-round decision and then defeated him again the following month in another decision (Herman had lost the title to Lynch in December 1920 and would win it back two months after losing to Montreal the second time). Despite his strong showing, Montreal was not given a title shot by either Lynch or Herman in 1921.

Although he remained a contender in the 1920s and fought the top bantamweights in the world, Montreal did not have the same success against other fighters as he did against Herman. He lost to flyweight champion Pancho Villa in a 10-round decision in 1922 (a rematch the following year ended in a no decision), and then lost to former bantamweight champ Kid Williams in 1923 and 1924 (both 12-round decisions). After fighting a third bout with Lynch, which ended in a draw, he then fought the great Tony Canzoneri, losing a six-round decision in 1926 (Canzoneri's second year as a pro).

By the mid to late-1920s, Montreal's chances of a title shot were slim but he still fought the best the division had to offer. In 1926, Montreal battled future champ Bushy Graham twice within fourteen days; both bouts were in Providence and the fighters split the decisions. He also fought future champ Charles "Bud" Taylor in November 1926 and was knocked out in the third-round (Montreal defeated Taylor in a 10-round decision in their rematch in 1929). Two losses to flyweight champion Fidel La Barba in 1927 and three more losses to Bushy Graham in 1928 and 1929 (all decisions) convinced Montreal by the end of the 1920s that he would never get a title shot. He retired following his final fight with Graham in December 1929, having fought nine world champions during his career.

Origin:
Russia

Career Statistics:
Professional record:
Wins: 56 (11 by knockout)
Losses: 19
Draws: 6
No decisions: 21
No contests: 1

< Previous |  Next >