It was based on a 1952 stage play by Ralph Peterson that had been turned into a British film in 1953.
George Baker wrote in his memoirs that he was surprised and delighted to receive the offer to play Docker, as it was a character part.
[5] Variety magazine thought it was a better adaptation of the play than the 1953 film version calling it: One of the best legit offerings yet to hit the commercial networks and provided punchy, if not entirely socko, entertainment ... A supremely professional job of plotting and characterization, the piece showed the fault on the small screen, of being overweight in its philosophizing and ruminating about the hopeless lot of boxers after age 29 or thereabouts... Acting champ was undoubtedly Thomas Heathcote as the punch-sodden Sailor; it was a fine performance that ducked all dangers of gimmicking by mannerism.
Harry Landis was in Heathcote’s class... while Alan Bates jabbed in some telling work as the novice.
If George Baker, as Docker, didn’t entirely succeed, that was scarcely his fault...Sean Connery came over competently ...