[1] As a young teenager, Battaglia was attracted to boxing following a chance meeting with then World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey at the Fort Garry Hotel.
As an amateur boxer, he represented Canada as a lightweight at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games.
On January 13, 1933, in Madison Square Garden New York, Battaglia fought Ben Jeby for the World Middleweight Championship.
[2] On May 11, 1937, in Seattle, Washington Civic Auditorium, Battaglia fought Freddie Steele for the World Middleweight Championship.
[3][4] After his boxing career ended, Battaglia became a dog breeder in Minnesota, and later owned a farm in Wisconsin.