Battalino's best known competitors among his non-title victories included
Lew Massey,
Bud Taylor, Eddie Shea and
Al Singer. Battalino defeated Lew Massey on May 5, 1930, in a ten round mixed decision in Philadelphia before a crowd of 7,000. Massey was close to being knocked out in the seventh but was saved by the bell. The non-title bout was described as slow and deliberate and featured frequent clinching, though much was initiated by Massey who feared Battalino's right. Massey had defeated Battalino the previous January in a ten round unanimous decision. Battalino defeated 1927 World Bantamweight Champion
Bud Taylor in a ten round points decision before a modest 6,600 fans on August 18, 1930, in East Hartford, Connecticut. In a compelling win, Battalino was awarded eight of the ten rounds by the referee with only the eighth to Taylor. Using his right to protect his head and body, Battalino was very effective with his left, but almost always from inside, and the fight's consistent infighting and frequent clinching, did not please the crowd. It was not until the eighth that a steady flurry of punches from long range took place, and Taylor was able to land a strong left to the chin of Battalino. In a non-title bout, Lois "Kid" Kaplan, 1925 world featherweight champion, defeated Battalino in a ten round points decision before a crowd of 7,000 on September 24, 1930, at Hurley Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut. The referee and the single judge both gave Kaplan a convincing nine of the ten rounds, in an exciting bout that featured no knockdowns. The referee gave Kaplan all but the fifth, which he scored as even. Battalino was forced to fight on the defensive most of the way, but managed a few staggering rights to the head and heart of Kaplan, though they were never sufficient to slow Kaplan's attack more than momentarily. Governor Trumball of Connecticut attended the bout and spoke briefly. On September 15, 1931, Battalino defeated Eddie Shea before a crowd of 5000 in Hartford in a ten round points decision. Battalino took a number of hard shots in the second, third, and fourth, but he fought fiercely in the infighting and may have landed some of the hardest and cleanest blows of his later career. From the fourth round on, Battalino's infighting dominated and he was eventually credited with eight of the ten rounds. While still holding the championship, Battalino decisively defeated 1930 world lightweight champion
Al Singer, before a crowd of 17,000 at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 11, 1931. Battalino may have bobbed and weaved away from Singer's early volleys in the first, and was likely shaken by a blow or two, but his counterattack was devastating to his opponent. Though Singer started strong very early in the opening round, he was soon put down three times by Battalino, and went down in the second from a series of rights to the chin for a count of seven. After he rose, he was chased around the ring by Battalino who put him down again with a right to the chin for a count of four, just before the referee justifiably called the bout a
technical knockout and helped move Singer to his corner. Singer's labored retreat from Battalino after he was first put down, his inability to defend himself, and his struggle to mount an attack, indicated a boxer who had, at least for the moment, lost most of his physical faculties. Both boxers were above the featherweight limit preventing any chance of the match being a featherweight title match. ==Relinquishing the world featherweight championship, March, 1932==