WRIGHT WARNED NOT TO QUIT AFTER ALLY PALLY FLOP
23/12/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Phil Lanning
PETER WRIGHT has been told not to make any “knee-jerk” decisions to quit the game.
The two-time World Champion suffered a shockingly poor defeat to World No163 debutant Arno Merk at the Ally Pally.
Wright, 55, was a shadow of the player who has won two crowns on that stage in London.
Sky Sports’ top pundit Wayne Mardle admits it’s hard to watch ‘Snakebite’ struggle.
He said: “I know Merk won, but the story is about Peter Wright, unfortunately. And I’ve got to say, from a friend’s point of view, it was an awful watch. Watching an absolute champion, a legend of our sport, someone who’s helped the sport grow play like that. I didn’t enjoy it one bit.
“I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t know what kind of questions Peter is asking himself, whether it’s like, it’s fine. I’ll carry on. I love the game. And I hope that happens, by the way.
“I don’t want him to because he’s always said that I don’t want to retire, I just don’t want to retire, I love it. And I don’t want him to have this knee-jerk reaction because it’s happened at the World Championships.
“It’s so weird. If you play like that elsewhere, it’s okay. You don’t really think about it. It’s one of those.
“But when you do it in the World Championship, and I know this because I’ve done it, you end up questioning whether you’re good enough ever again to compete. And it’s about competing. It’s about winning.
“He’s a winner. He’s an absolute winner. I just hope he’s okay because that is one of those where you will think about that. That sleepless night stuff.
“I just hope he doesn’t make one of these knee-jerk reactions like we’ve seen from other players over the years. I’m retiring. Next week they’re back.
“He’s been such a classy ambassador for darts as well, brings that fun, but also brings that amazing ability and that touch of class. I hope he’s okay.”
It was another calamitous blow to Wright who has dropped from No4 seed at the championship two years ago down to No30 for this year’s event.
Wright will miss the World Masters due to being outside the top 24 in the world and will next be seen on TV at the UK Open in two months time.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
