Young Montreal

Morris Billingkoff was born on October 10, 1897 in Russia. He was 7 years old when his family immigrated to Montreal before settling in Providence’s North End in 1904. He would become a future Jewish bantamweight boxer who captured the hearts of boxing aficionados in Rhode Island. He was professionally known as Young Montreal. According to Geraldine R. Foster of Jewishrhody.com: "Young" because many bantamweight fighters used pseudonyms with the first word “Young" and "Montreal" because after his family moved to the Providence the kids called him "Montreal". That was probably due to the fact, he said, that they couldn’t remember Billingkoff.

His interest in boxing caught the eye of Sam "The Nose" Feinberg. Feinberg became Morris’s guide through the local pugilistic world. After a period of training, Young Montreal, at 5 feet 3 inches tall and 118 pounds, first professional bout took place on Feb. 23, 1916 in the flyweight division, a win over Young Bowman at the Rhode Island A.C. on points. Three years later he won the American Flyweight Championship on April 10, 1919 against Johnny Rosner of New York in a one-sided 12 round bout at the National A.C. He vacated it the following year when he decided to fight as a bantamweight. He won the New England Bantamweight title and defeated a number of leading fighters in that class including bantamweight world champions Bud Taylor, Bushy Graham, Memphis Pal Moore, Pete Herman and Joe Lynch. However, fighting out of Providence he never had the political pull to demand a world title fight.

Young Montreal, or Monty as a local sportswriter called him, fought 106 professional bouts, winning 11 by knockouts and 46 by decision. During his career he was knocked out only once. Although he fought reigning champions, the bouts ended in stand-offs. To uncrown a champion, the contender needed to score a knockout. In August of 1925 he bested Harry Martin at the Cycledrome in front of 5000 spectators for the New England Bantamweight Title. "Montreal Victor in Title Contest Scores decisive victory over Harry Martin in 10-round N.E. Bantam Bout." wrote the Providence Journal. In June 1927 his reputation was challenged when he was sought in a plot to burn down the Crown Hotel in Providence. Montreal had rented the pool and billiards room in the basement of the hotel and authorities had found gasoline and TNT there. The following week his home was slightly damaged by explosives and Montreal was also questioned about the large quantities of liquor found in the cellar of the home (during Prohibition). He was ranked by Ring Magazine as the #2 Bantamweight in the world for part of 1929.

Young Montreal fought locally on the boxing card in Providence at Infantry Hall, R.I. Auditorium, National A.C. and the Cycledrome. He also boxed at the Clinton Oval and the Coliseum in Woonsocket and the Rhode Island A.C. (Thornton) and Marieville Gardens (North Providence). He was, by all accounts, a “scrappy” and “exciting” boxer who took on the best bantamweight fighters in the world. This "almost-champion" retired in 1931. After 16 years in the ring the only outward sign he had been a boxer was his cauliflower left ear. For years after his retirement, Young Montreal frequented the bouts at the old Rhode Island Auditorium. Whenever he was introduced he was greeted with enthusiastic applause. In his later years he volunteered his services as a boxing coach to orphanages and the Catholic Youth Organization.