a two-pound advantage in weight, but a two-inch disadvantage in height, which may have played a greater role in his cautious self-defense, or he may have simply appreciated the extraordinary skill of the future world lightweight champion. In the remaining rounds, Williams did most of the punching and gained an advantage in points. In the tenth and final round, Kogon grabbed Williams by the waist after receiving a blow and moved him across the ring, finally landing on top of him as both boxers tripped on the ropes. The referee completed a count of six before the boxers were back on their feet. The judges sided more strongly with Williams giving no more than two rounds to Kogon. New England light champ, 1947 On January 6, 1947, Kogon captured the New England lightweight title when he won a twelve-round points decision from Pat Demers at the Arena in New Haven before his loyal hometown audience who were thrilled with the decision. Both men weighed in as lightweights at 135. In front of 5000 fans on March 17, 1947, LuLu Constantino lost decisively to Kogon at his most common venue, the Arena in New Haven in a ten-round points decision. Kogon won with effective counter-punching, giving him nine of the ten rounds according to the referee's scoring. He had an exceptional night and capped his fifth consecutive victory. On July 9, 1947, he retained the New England lightweight title when he stopped Greek boxer Nick Stato in a 12th-round knockout at the Auditorium in Hartford, Connecticut, six months after first taking it from Demers. With little more than a minute left in the final round in the outdoor arena, Kogon dealt two crushing rights to the jaw, and Stato pitched forward to the mat and was counted out by the referee. Stato was also down for the count of nine in the second, as well as at the start of the third. The bout may have ended after the second, but Stato had a chance to rest as the bell sounded at the count of nine. Stato fought back bravely in an exciting rally in the fourth through the seventh rounds. Kogon, however, won the eight and ninth rounds with sharp, well-placed rights. With the typical blood lust of the brutal sport, fans heaped verbal abuse on Kogon as they remembered his more timid fight against Willie Pep in the same