Following a hiatus after the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship, the event was revived by Rex Williams on a challenge basis, with the champion being opposed by prominent players.
The 1957 champion John Pulman contested and won all seven challenge matches against various opponents in the next five years, until the tournament reverted to a knock-out format in 1969.
[1] The sport's origin dates to the late 19th century and British Army soldiers stationed in India.
[3] The championship had traditionally been played as a single-elimination tournament annually since 1927 with a hiatus during World War II between 1940 and 1946.
[10] The agreement between the BA&CC and the players in 1964 stated that there should be a minimum side stake of £50 involved, that matches could be of any duration agreed by both participants and that the challenger would be responsible for finding a suitable venue.
[14] Davis made a break of 108 on the afternoon of the final day, but Pulman won four of the six frames in the session to level the match at 15–15.
[25] In September 1965, John Pulman and Rex Williams left England to play a series of 51 seven-frame matches in South Africa for the World Championship.
[28] Although equalled by Bill Werbeniuk in 1979, this remained the highest break at the World Championship until Doug Mountjoy compiled a 145 in the 1981 tournament.
[30] The winner of the June 1965 South African Professional Championship was supposed to be given the opportunity to challenge for the world title, with that match being sponsored by brandy company Richelieu et Cie.
[32][33][34] Davis met John Pulman for a third challenge in April 1966,[31] in a series of matches promoted by the Lancashire Billiard Traders' Association.
[37] Australian player Eddie Charlton challenged John Pulman in Bolton for a 73-frame match played from 4 to 9 March 1968.
Charlton then extended the lead to 6–2, before Pulman won four consecutive frames to level at 6–6 by the end of the opening day's play.
[45][46] Pulman had been touring snooker clubs as promotional work for the tobacco brand John Player, and the company had sponsored his match against Charlton.
The good attendances for the challenge match led to John Player deciding to sponsor the 1969 World Snooker Championship as a knockout tournament.