On February 25, 1920, he faced the reigning featherweight champion, Johnny Kilbane, in a 8-round non-title bout which, without a disqualification or knockout, had no official winner.

In evidence of his extraordinary defensive ring skills, he was one of only two American boxers of his era to have never been knocked out, though he fought over two hundred fights.

He began professional prizefighting that year, winning one of his first fights on July 1 against Joe Goodney at the Fairmont Athletic Club in the Bronx.

He lost only seven of his first sixty-five recorded fights with BoxRec between July 1916 and September 1919, beating Eddie Wallace in 1918 and 1919 in Philadelphia and Montreal.

[2] Valgar's trainer throughout the 1920s was the legendary Ray Arcel, and his manager was Billy Gibson, who also trained long reigning world lightweight champion Benny Leonard.

By agreement, a knockout would be required to win the official decision and in hundred fights only Benny Leonard had ever knocked out Kilbane.

On February 26, the New York Times trumpeted the headlines in a large article, "Johnny Kilbane Outpointed By Benny Valgar in their Eight Round Bout at Newark."

He defeated Alex Hart, Basil Galiano, and Solly Seeman, in February, March and May 1925, finally losing to Jimmy Goodrich in twelve rounds in the semi-final bout of the tournament on June 15, 1925, in Queensboro Stadium in New York.

Before they became champions or serious contenders, Valgar beat the exceptional boxers Rocky Kansas, and Jack Bernstein by the decision of newspapers.

He beat Frankie Britt, Hilario Martinez, Jimmy Fruzetti and Billy DeFoe by decision, although these boxers never became champions.

Retaining his exceptional defensive skills, he was able to avoid the rough losses and knockouts common to so many boxers in their late boxing careers.