He won his first eliminator bout for the British featherweight title in a sixth round disqualification against Len Davies, on 24 April 1943 at the Queensbury Club in Soho.

Phillips won his second eliminator bout for the British Featherweight title on 24 April 1944, against Jim Brady at Colston Hall in Leeds in a ten-round points decision.

On 21 June 1944, Phillips won a third eliminator for the British Featherweight title by a first-round knockout of George Pook at the Queensbury Club in Soho.

[1] On 25 February 1945, Phillips lost to Nel Tarleton for British Empire featherweight championship, in a fifteen-round points decision in Manchester.

[1] On 3 October 1945, Phillips defeated black Montreal boxer Danny Webb in a sixth-round knockout at Seymoure Hall in Marylebone.

In their April bout, there was bad blood between the two, and Crowley took the sting from Phillips blows with a smothering defense, and gained points with left hand jabs, especially during the final rounds.

[6] Phillips defended the title for the first time against Anderson on 1 July 1947 in an eighth of fifteen round disqualification for an illegal kidney punch at Olympia, Kensington.

[9][3] In his final attempt at the BBofC Featherweight title, Phillips lost to Ron Clayton in a more popular fifteen round points decision at the Ice Stadium in Nottingham on 26 February 1951.

The best known of the boxers he managed was British heavyweight champion Brian London, a contender for the World title who was a fixture in English boxing in the 1950s and 1960s.