Editing Joe Davis (section)

===1919–1927===
Davis became a professional billiards player in 1919 at the age of 18.{{sfn|Williams|Gadsby|2005|pages=15–26}}{{sfn|Davis|1976|p=30}} His first professional match was in February 1920 at Brampton Coliseum, just outside Chesterfield, against Albert Raynor of Sheffield. It was a week-long match of the first to 8,000 points. Raynor conceded 1,000 points to Davis from the start. The match finished on 14&nbsp;February, and resulted in a victory for Davis by 145 points. His highest break of the match was 160.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000250/19200216/216/0008?browse=False |title=Joe Davis Beats A. Raynor |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=16 February 1920 |page=8 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=28 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> By the end of March 1920, Davis's highest recorded break in billiards was 468.<ref name="468 Break">{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001897/19200329/121/0007 |title=Billiards Prodigy. Chesterfield Youth Beats Midlands Champion. Remarkable Play |newspaper=Nottingham Journal |date=29 March 1920 |page=5 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=28 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He defeated the Midlands champion, [[Fred Lawrence]], at Chesterfield on 27&nbsp;March 1920 in a week-long match of the first to 8,000 points. Having received a start of 1,000 points, Davis won by 8,000–7,494, and made 23 breaks over 100, the highest of which was 262.<ref name="468 Break" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/19200329/181/0005 |title=Davis' Victory at Chesterfield |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=29 March 1920 |page=5 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> On 29&nbsp;November 1920, he began a week-long match of the first to 8,000 points, against Arthur F. Peall at the Victoria Billiard Hall in Chesterfield. Davis received a start of 1,000 points, but lost 7,785–8,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19201211/228/0009 |title=Billiards |newspaper=Derbyshire Times |date=11 December 1920 |page=9 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In March 1921, he lost 302–400 to Lawrence in the semi-final of an invitational professional tournament at [[Thurston's Hall]] held in aid of the [[Blind Veterans UK|St. Dunstan's]] aftercare fund.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lawrence in Final |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=26 March 1921 |page=3 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> He had eliminated Scottish champion Tom Aiken in his previous match.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000395/19210326/135/0007 |title=Break Of 147. Chesterfield Lad's Success in London |newspaper=Derbyshire Courier |date=26 March 1921 |page=7 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="p2" /> He also lost to Lawrence in the final of his first open professional championship, the 1921 Midlands Counties Billiards Championship. Lawrence won by 866 in the first-to-7,000-points contest.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000395/19210423/172/0008 |title=Joe Davis Beaten. Billiards Championship at Chesterfield |newspaper=Derbyshire Courier |date=3 April 1921 |page=8 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]. Retrieved 28 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{sfn|Davis|1976|pp=30–39}} At Manchester in April, Davis lost 13,208–15,000 against the northern billiards champion, Tom Tothill,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000250/19210502/182/0006?browse=False |title=Billiards. Tothill Decisively Defeats Davis |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=2 May 1921 |page=6 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> despite making a break of 495.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000250/19210430/212/0008?browse=False |title=Billiards. Splendid, Though Belated, Effort by Joe Davis |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=30 April 1921 |page=8 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

He faced the Welsh champion, [[Tom Carpenter]], in a match to 7,000 points at Cardiff in January 1922,<ref>{{cite news |title=Chesterfield Pro in Wales |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=17 January 1922 |page=9}}</ref> winning just one point.<ref>{{cite news |title=Billiards. Brilliant Ending to a Great Match |newspaper=Western Mail |date=23 January 1922 |page=5}}</ref> He won the 1922 Midlands Counties Billiards Championship, defeating [[Tom Dennis (snooker player)|Tom Dennis]] 6,417–4,433 in the week-long final in February.<ref name="ODNB" /><ref name="NHAM222">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Easy for Davis |work=[[Nottingham Journal]] |date=27 February 1922 |page=7 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]. Retrieved 11 May 2020.}}</ref> Later that year, a victory in the Second Division Billiards Championship, which included a win in the final over Peall in March,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001464/19220327/189/0007?browse=False |title=Brilliant Victory By Joe Davis. Chesterfield Billiards Star Enters The Select Circle |newspaper=Sheffield Independent |date=27 March 1922 |page=5 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=28 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> gave Davis an entry into the [[Billiards Association and Control Council]] (BA&CC) [[World Billiards Championship (English billiards)|Professional Championship]].<ref name="ODNB" />{{sfn|Davis|1976|p=54}} According to ''The Birmingham Daily Gazette'' report, he was "outclassed" by [[Tom Newman (billiards player)|Tom Newman]] in their championship match, which concluded on 15&nbsp;April 1922, losing 5,181–8,000.<ref name="BHAM22">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Davis beaten in billiards championship |work=[[Birmingham Daily Gazette]] |date=17 April 1922 |page=6 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]. Retrieved 11 May 2020.}}</ref>

Davis failed to qualify for the 1923 professional championship, losing to Lawrence in the Second Division semi-final at Chesterfield in February.<ref name="NHAM223">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Billiards |work=[[Nottingham Journal]] |date=26 April 1923 |page=7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On The Green Cloth. Lawrence's Fine Win Over Joe Davis. A Brilliant Rally |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=26 February 1923 |page=7}}</ref> On 11&nbsp;October 1923, he made the highest break of his career to that point, 599, against Lawrence at the [[Burroughes Hall]] in Piccadilly.<ref>{{cite news |title=Davis v Lawrence |newspaper=The Sportsman |date=12 October 1923 |page=2}}</ref> The final score was 14,000–10,743 to Davis.<ref>{{cite news |title=Davis v Lawrence |newspaper=The Sportsman |date=15 October 1923 |page=8}}</ref> He became Midlands champion for the second time in 1924, defeating Lawrence 14,000–12,263 in the final.<ref>{{cite news |title=Billiards |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=4 February 1924 |page=15}}</ref> On 28&nbsp;February 1924, he made a break of 980 in the Second Division Championship at Cardiff,<ref>{{cite news |title=Brilliant Billiards. Big Breaks by Davis at Cardiff, and Smith at Newcastle |newspaper=Daily Mirror |date=29 February 1924 |page=14}}</ref> during a 14,000–10,240 semi-final victory over Carpenter.<ref>{{cite news |title=Billiards. Davis Easily Qualifies to Meet Lawrence at Sheffield |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=10 March 1924 |page=6}}</ref> Davis won the championship that year, easily overcoming Lawrence in the final; his winning margin was 6,198 points with the final score 14,000–7,802. Lawrence was out of condition during this game, following a serious illness from some time before, and the result was never in doubt from the early stages.<ref>{{cite news |title=Billiards. Joe Davis Easily Regains Second Division Championship |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=31 March 1924 |page=8}}</ref>
[[File:Tom Newman 1930.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Tom Newman (billiards player)|Tom Newman]] (pictured in 1930) played Davis for the professional (World English Billiards) Championship each year from 1926 to 1930.]]
In 1926, Davis and defending champion Newman were the only two players to enter the professional billiards championship,{{efn|The only two entrants in the previous year's championship were [[Tom Reece]] and Tom Newman.{{sfn|Everton|2012|pp=79–81}}}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Davis The Only Entrant For Championship |newspaper=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=1 January 1926 |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A Billiards Fiasco |newspaper=Shields Daily News |date=12 January 1925 |page=1}}</ref> which is now regarded as the world championship. Newman defeated Davis 16,000–9,505.{{sfn|Everton|2012|pp=212–213}}{{sfn|Everton|2012|p=82}} He reached the final the next year and was again defeated by Newman.{{sfn|Everton|2012|p=83}} In a match of the first to 16,000 points, Newman's winning margin was 1,237.<ref>{{cite news |title=Billiards. Newman's Victory. Davis Beaten By 1,237 |newspaper=The Scotsman |date=9 May 1927 |page=5}}</ref> Davis achieved his highest break ever in billiards of 2,501 on 27&nbsp;April 1927 in this final. He used the {{cuegloss|pendulum cannon|pendulum stroke}}, which had recently been introduced by Reece, during this break.<ref name="pen" /> The technique involves scoring long runs of close direct {{cuegloss|cannon|cannons}} by tapping the cue ball lightly across them.{{sfn|Davis|1976|pp=73-75}}{{sfn|Shamos|1999|p=177}} There were calls for this stroke to be limited or abolished because it was so tedious to watch.<ref name="pen">{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/19270428/221/0009 |title=Billiards Sensation. Joe Davis Puts Up Record Break of 2,501. Pendulum Stroke Used |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=28 April 1927 |page=9 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
On 9&nbsp;August 1927, the Billiards Association Control Council decided to alter the rules to eliminate the big breaks made from ball-to-ball cannons alone. The number of consecutive direct cannons allowed during a break was limited to 35, and the pendulum stroke was defined as being in the category of the direct cannon.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/19270810/302/0009 |title='Pendulum' Barred. Only 35 Direct Cannons Now Allowed |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=10 August 1927 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription |page=9}}</ref>

Davis made a break of 1,011 on 20&nbsp;October 1927 in a match against Newman at Thurston's.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000669/19271021/223/0010?browse=False |title=Arrears Down To 517. Good Spurt By Billiards Champion at Night. Davis's Big Break |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=21 October 1927 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=1 April 2021 |url-access=subscription |page=10}}</ref> It was the first 1,000 break made under the new rules.{{sfn|Davis|1976|pp=86-87}} Davis won by 485 points in this match of the first to 16,000, after being given a 2,000 start.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000250/19271027/261/0011?browse=False |title=Billiards. A Great Distinction For Joe Davis. A Magnificent Break |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=27 October 1927 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 April 2021 |page=10 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000669/19271024/059/0003?browse=False |title=Davis Beats Newman. Billiards Champion Fails By 485 Points. Splendid Breaks |newspaper=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=24 October 1927 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |access-date=30 March 2021 |url-access=subscription |page=3}}</ref>