Editing Joe Davis (section)

==Professional snooker career==
Coinciding with Davis's peak as a billiards player, public interest in billiards was waning because the top players were becoming so proficient that the game was considered boring for spectators.{{sfn|Williams|Gadsby|2005|pages=15–26}} By 1924, breaks of over 1,000 were becoming increasingly common, and amendments to the rules were under consideration to make high breaks more difficult.{{sfn|Everton|2012|pp=81–86}} In February 1925, Davis played Newman in a game of snooker, and made a break of 96, which was a new record for a professional match, exceeding the existing record of 89 set by Newman in 1919.{{sfn|Everton|1986|p=50}} As a billiard hall manager, Davis noticed the increasing popularity of snooker and with the help of [[Birmingham]]-based billiards equipment manager [[Bill Camkin]], he persuaded the BA&CC to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season.<ref name="ODNB" />{{sfn|Trelford|1986|p=52}} The final of the [[1927 World Snooker Championship|first snooker world championship]] was held at Camkin's Hall in 1927; Davis won the tournament by defeating Dennis 16–7,{{efn|The final score was 20–11 after {{cuegloss|dead frame|dead frames}} were completed to take the total to the agreed 31 frames.}} and took the winner's prize of [[Pound sterling|£]]6&nbsp;10[[Shilling|s]].<ref name="WC history">{{Cite web |title=Betfred.com World Championship – History |date=2 March 2011 |work=World Snooker |publisher=[[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]] |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0,,13165~2306123,00.html |access-date=14 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315202302/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0%2C%2C13165~2306123%2C00.html |archive-date=15 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=27–30}}{{sfn|Kobylecky|2019|pp=47–48}}

Davis won the World Championship every year until 1940, and again in 1946 when it was next held after being interrupted by the war.{{sfn|Hale|1987|pp=246–249}} He compiled his first snooker century break against Fred Pugh in January 1928,{{sfn|Everton|1986|p=50}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Break of 100: New snooker record by Joe Davis |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=20 January 1928 |page=10}}</ref> and made the first official century break of the World Snooker Championship, in 1930.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=16–17}} As defending champion in [[1928 World Snooker Championship|1928]], Davis was seeded into the final to face the winner of a knockout competition between the other entrants.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Thorn |first=A. Stanley |title=Notes from headquarters: Professional snooker championship |magazine=The Billiard Player |publisher=W. G. Clifford |date=November 1927 |page=2}}</ref> Lawrence qualified for the final, which Davis won 16–13.<ref>{{cite news |title=Joe Davis retains snooker title |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=18 May 1928 |page=10}}</ref> In [[1929 World Snooker Championship|1929]], the final was held in the back room of a pub owned by the losing finalist, Dennis,{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=49}} who then became runner-up for the third time in four years when Davis defeated him 25–12 in the [[1930 World Snooker Championship|1930]] final.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=164}} In both [[1931 World Snooker Championship|1931]] and [[1934 World Snooker Championship|1934]], the tournament was contested by only Davis and one other player.{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|p=1}} The losing finalist in [[1932 World Snooker Championship|1932]] was McConachy, the first player from outside the British Isles to enter the World Snooker Championship,{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|p=1}} and Smith was the runner-up to Davis in [[1933 World Snooker Championship|1933]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Snooker Champion – Joe Davis secures title for seventh time |work=Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald |date=24 June 1933 |access-date=20 November 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330624/505/0017 |page=17 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 1934, Davis travelled to Australia to play [[Horace Lindrum]] in an invitational match, the World Snooker Challenge.{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=49}} Davis won by 46 frames to 29. From [[1935 World Snooker Championship|1935]], the World Championship became more remunerative for players,{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=49}} after public interest increased when Davis set a new championship record break of 110 against Newman in their semi-final.{{sfn|Everton|1986|p=51}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Snooker's Pool – The Professional Championship |newspaper=The Times |date=18 April 1935 |page=6 }}</ref> Smith was the runner-up that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Snooker's Pool – Davis retains the Championship |newspaper=The Times |date=29 April 1935 |page=5 }}</ref> Davis won against Lindrum in the [[1936 World Snooker Championship|1936]] and [[1937 World Snooker Championship|1937]] finals.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=165}} Lindrum declined to enter the [[1938 World Snooker Championship|1938]] tournament,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Glasgow Herald]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mz5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dVkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3960%2C829186 |date=4 December 1937 |page=18 |title=Snooker – World Professional Title}}</ref> and it was [[Sidney Smith (snooker player)|Sidney Smith]] who finished second to Davis in both that year and [[1939 World Snooker Championship|1939]].{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=165}} The 1940 final was contested between the Davis brothers; Joe took an early lead but Fred won 11 frames in a row to take a 20–14 lead. Joe eventually won the match 37–35, with Fred winning the {{cuegloss|dead frame}} to take the score to 37–36.{{sfn|Kobylecky|2019|pp=47–48}}
[[File:Joe Davis 1940.jpg|thumb|alt=Joe Davis playing at a billiard table, with a large mirror behind him reflecting the table|Davis playing in an exhibition match (with angled mirror behind), {{circa}} 1940]]
Due to World War II, the World Championship was not held again until 1946.{{sfn|Kobylecky|2019|pp=47–48}} During the war, Davis toured the United Kingdom playing exhibition matches to raise money for charities.{{sfn|Everton|2012a|p=25}} At some exhibitions, including those at the [[London Palladium]], a large angled mirror was positioned next to the table to allow the audience a clear view of the {{cuegloss|playing surface}}.{{sfn|Trelford|1986|p=60}} Davis successfully defended his title in [[1946 World Snooker Championship|1946]], his 15th consecutive win, and thereby held the title for 20 consecutive years. As of 2022, he has won more world championships than any other player.<ref name="WST">{{cite web |title=Joe Davis |url=https://wst.tv/players/joe-davis/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112181156/https://wst.tv/players/joe-davis/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 January 2020 |website=World Snooker Tour |access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref> Davis retired from the event following this victory, having won the title at all 15 events from 1927 to 1946, making him, as of 2022, the only undefeated player in the history of the World Championship.{{sfn|Nauright|Zipp|2020|p=277}} Davis remained the best player until his retirement in 1964; his brother Fred came closest to Joe's standard during this time.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pp=50–51}} According to snooker historian [[Clive Everton]], Davis's retirement from the World Championship reduced its prestige.{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=50}} Snooker journalists and authors [[Hector Nunns]] and [[David Hendon]] share this opinion.<ref name="WPBSAH" />

With the exception of the World Championship, snooker tournaments were contested on a [[handicapping|handicap]] basis where, using pre-determined numerical handicaps, one player would concede a set number of points to his opponent at the beginning of each frame, for example allowing his opponent to start with 14 points rather than zero.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pp=50–51}} Despite offering a handicap to the other players, Davis won the [[News of the World Snooker Tournament|''News of the World'' Tournament]] on three occasions during the 1950s;{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=27–29}} his brother Fred and future world champion [[John Pulman]] each won it twice.{{sfn|Morrison|1989|p=86}} In 1959, Davis attempted to popularise a new version of the game called [[snooker plus]], which had two extra {{Cuegloss|colour ball|colours}}, an orange and a purple. The [[1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament|1959 ''News of the World'' Snooker Plus Tournament]] was contested using this variant.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=123}} According to Everton, "the public rejected the game for the gimmick it was."{{sfn|Everton|1979|p=80}}

Davis scored the first officially recognised [[maximum break]] of 147 on 22&nbsp;January 1955 at [[Thurston's Hall|Leicester Square Hall]] in an exhibition match against Smith.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-official-147-break-in-snooker/ |title=First official 147 break in snooker |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225033253/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-official-147-break-in-snooker/ |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The BA&CC initially refused to recognise the break because it was not made under their version of the rules; the match had taken place under the rules used by professionals that included the "play again" rule under which the opponent can require a player who has made a {{cuegloss|foul}} shot to play the next shot as well. The Association eventually recognised the break in April 1957, shortly before the "play again" rule was incorporated into the rules for amateur players.{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=50}}<ref name="TOBIT" />

Davis was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in 1963.<ref name="TOBIT">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Obituary: Mr Joe Davis |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |page=16 |date=11 July 1978 }}</ref> He continued to play professionally until 1964.{{sfn|Everton|1985|p=50}} Davis died on 10&nbsp;July 1978,<ref name="EBRIT" /> two months after falling ill while watching his brother Fred play [[Perrie Mans]] in the [[1978 World Snooker Championship]] semi-final. The day after the match, he collapsed in the street and required a lengthy surgical procedure. He died from a chest infection that he contracted during his recuperation.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pp=48–51}}{{sfn|Everton|2012a|p=67}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/11/archives/joe-davis-a-snooker-champion-who-retired-unbeaten-was-77.html |title=Joe Davis, a Snooker Champion Who Retired Unbeaten, Was 77 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 July 1978 |page=2}}</ref> The house in Whitwell where he was born bears a plaque commemorating him.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=27–30}}