Moe Herscovitch

Moe Herscovitch joined the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1913 and played football with the Montreal Football Club of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (a precursor to the Canadian Football League’s East Division) until 1915, when the club folded due to World War I. In 1916 he joined the Royal Canadian Army and served with them during the conflict, taking up boxing while abroad. Upon his return he suited up with the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers, the successor to the Montreal Football Club, and won the division championships in 1919. The team was unable to contest for the Grey Cup, however, after it was cancelled due to a dispute with the Canadian Rugby Union. Herscovitch remained active as a boxer during this period, and was selected to represent Canada in the middleweight division at the 1920 Summer Olympics. After winning his first bout against Paul Munting of the Netherlands, he had a walkover in his planned fight with Bob Bradley of South Africa, and then lost to eventual gold medalist Harry Mallin of Great Britain. In the third place match, he knocked out Hjalmar Strømme of Norway to win the bronze medal, while his countryman Art Prud’homme took home silver.

Herscovitch turned to professional boxing after the Games and won his first fight, against Eddie Harkins of the United States, in February 1921. His record was spotty, although he did manage to defeat Prud’homme in 1922, and he retired in August 1924 after five straight losses, finishing with a record of 9-14-1. Afterwards he had a career as the physical director of the Montreal YMHA, where he taught and coached boxing. He also remained active in football, playing into the 1930s and coaching and managing thereafter. He eventually took up administrative roles and served as President of the Quebec Rugby Football Union during the 1940s. Outside of sports, he worked as an insurance broker until his death in July 1969.