Al Phillips took both the British Empire and sanctioned British Boxing Board of Control British featherweight Title against the powerful black feather British Guianan Cliff Anderson in fifteen rounds at Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, England in 1947.
20 Facts About Al Phillips
1.
2.
Al Phillips was an action packed, two fisted pressure boxer who lacked the finesse of many earlier British and European champions.
3.
Al Phillips 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.
4.
Al 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.
5.
On 21 June 1944, Al Phillips won a third eliminator for the British Featherweight title by a first-round knockout of George Pook at the Queensbury Club in Soho.
6.
On 25 February 1945, Al Phillips lost to Nel Tarleton for British Empire featherweight championship, in a fifteen-round points decision in Manchester.
7.
Tarleton was thirty-nine at the time of the bout, to Al Phillips fledgling twenty-five years.
8.
On 3 July 1945 Al Phillips lost to Dave Crowley in an eight-round points decision in Soho.
9.
On 3 October 1945, Al Phillips defeated black Montreal boxer Danny Webb in a sixth-round knockout at Seymoure Hall in Marylebone.
10.
Al Phillips attacked again in the fourth putting Webb down for a two second count, and for the remaining two rounds dominated the bout.
11.
Al Phillips scored in the sixth with a series of straight lefts and then dropped Webb for the full count with a short right hook.
12.
On 16 April 1945 Al Phillips lost to Crowley at the Royal Albert Hall in an eight-round points decision.
13.
On 18 March 1947, Al Phillips officially took the British Empire and sanctioned BBofC Featherweight Title against black feather British Guianan Cliff Anderson in fifteen rounds at Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, England.
14.
Al 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.
15.
Anderson was knocked down once in the third, lost the fourth, and was less aggressive in the eighth when the referee called him for the kidney punch that ended the title match and allowed Al Phillips to retain the title.
16.
Al Phillips took the EBU European Featherweight Title against French boxer Ray Famechon on 27 May 1947 in an eighth round disqualification of Famchon for a head-butt that put Al Phillips on the canvas.
17.
Al Phillips took the title, though he had been down five times in the seventh round from blows by his opponent.
18.
On 11 September 1947, Al Phillips lost all three titles, the British Empire, BBofC, and European EBU lightweight title against Ron Clayton of Blackpool at the Anfield football stadium in Liverpool.
19.
Al Phillips was an avid golfer during his retirement, and a member of the Stanmore Club.
20.
Al Phillips died on 7 February 1999 in Stanmore, Middlesex London, and was survived by his wife Sissy, and one daughter.