DARTS LEGEND BELIEVES WRIGHT WILL BE A NIGHTMARE FOR LITTLER
19/02/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
PHIL TAYLOR has thrown his support behind former rival Peter Wright, predicting the Scot could become a “nightmare” for his opponents once again.
‘Snakebite’ endured a difficult 2024, suffering four first-round exits at ranked televised PDC events and finishing bottom of the Premier League with just two wins in 18 matches.
However, there were signs of a resurgence at the 2025 World Championship, when the former two-time winner battled his way to the quarter-finals and produced a incredible ton-plus average to eliminate World No.1 Luke Humphries in the fourth round.
Taylor and Wright shared a long-standing rivalry, with ‘The Power’ winning 22 of their encounters while Wright claimed 11 victories.
Despite the losing record, eight-time Major winner Wright was notably disappointed when the 16-time World Champion retired from professional darts in 2018.
Speaking to the MODUS Super Series, Taylor explained why Wright’s reaction to his retirement could now spell trouble for top names like Luke Littler and Humphries.
He said: “I don’t think he (Wright) wanted me to retire because he always wanted someone to aim at.
“Peter loves if somebody is playing better, like Luke Littler at the minute, or Luke Humphries. That will inspire Peter and it will also inspire Michael van Gerwen as well.
“I predict he’s going to be a nightmare for these players next year. When he gets the hump and he gets on that practice board, he’s brilliant.
“So I think the two Luke’s are going to have a tough year this year.”
Whether or not Wright can rediscover his past form, Taylor will still be watching. A big reason for that is the rise of teenage sensation Littler and his growing rivalry with Humphries.
Before the two Lukes began dominating the sport, Taylor admitted his interest in darts had disappeared.
However, their emergence has reignited the passion of the 85-time Major winner.
He added: “It’s made me watch darts again. I’d gone off darts a little bit. I was watching the same players I played with for ten years.
“So I went off it a little bit, then the Luke’s have come through. It’s made it exciting for me. Then you’ve got a few new faces who are playing really, really well from different countries.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
