SANTA FE, N.M., June 26 (UPI) -- Nick Charles, who co-anchored CNN's "Sports Tonight" for 20 years, has died at his home in Santa Fe, N.M., of bladder cancer, his family said.
Cory Charles told CNN her husband died peacefully Saturday. He was 64.
Born Nicholas Charles Nickeas in Chicago, Charles grew up poor. He worked loading produce in high school and put himself through Columbia College Chicago driving a taxi.
Charles adopted his broadcasting name when he was hired by WICS in Springfield, Ill., in 1970 and was told the Greek name Nickeas was too ethnic. He went on to stations in Baltimore and Washington before joining CNN.
In 1980, Fred Hickman and Charles began co-anchoring "Sports Tonight" in what was still an unusual pairing of white and black anchors.
Charles was especially passionate about boxing, although he covered the full range of sports. He said he identified with boxers.
"You have to walk down that alley way to the ring," he said. "You're going to get hit. You have to take pain to get it. You have to fight through fear. There's just such an empathy I have for these guys. They want it so badly."
Mike Tyson sent a Twitter message Saturday calling Charles "a true warrior" and his "friend and brother."
