Taylor claims amateur could stun Littler and win £501,000

PHIL TAYLOR says an amateur could pull off a “Rocky Balboa” fairytale and beat Luke Littler for £501,000.

The 16-time world champion has been helping judge thousands of hopefuls bidding for a place on Netflix’s new darts show Beat Luke Littler.

Taylor, 66, was on the panel alongside Sky Sports pundit Laura Turner and PDC President Barry Hearn at Saturday’s regional heat in London.

The Stoke-on-Trent thrower believes there is enough amateur talent for one player to produce the upset of their life against the teen sensation.

He told the Press Association: “The event is great to be honest, it gives people the opportunity to change their lives.

“It’s a Rocky Balboa kind of fairytale really. It will boost the profile of darts even further.

“The standard of the applicants is so far really good, there has been a lot of really talented players coming through.

“Any player who can throw a 12-leg dart has a great chance but it’s also about bottle as well as ability, so we will see.

“The amateur would need to have their best day and pray that Luke has a poor leg to be fair.”

Applicants who make it through the three-stage qualification process will earn the chance to face Littler in a one-off leg of 501.

A £501,000 jackpot is on the line, with the live show hosted by Gary Lineker and streamed on Netflix on October 30.

The second qualification heat will take place in Manchester next Saturday, with hopefuls aged 12 and over putting their skills to the test.

They first had to check out 501 in 24 darts or fewer before entering the reality TV element of the competition.

Successful players were then interviewed by the production team before facing Taylor, Turner and Hearn in the final stage.

The judging panel will decide whether each applicant has the ability to give Littler a realistic challenge.

Taylor won a record 87 major titles during a glittering three-decade career and has been retired from professional darts since 2018.

But the Power still reckons he could get the better of The Nuke if they went head-to-head.

Asked whether he could beat Littler himself, Taylor gave a typically emphatic response.

He replied: “A simple answer. Yes!”

Words: Aaron Nijjar

Image: Taylor Lanning