WADE SLAMS ‘RUDE’ LUKE VS LUKE WORLDS TALK

JAMES WADE has branded it “rude” to bill the World Darts Championship as a straight fight between the Lukes.

‘The Machine’ has been in magnificent form this year as he made two major finals and picked up his first senior title since 2022 at the Players Championship 19.

However, the spotlight has largely remained on Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler, who have dominated the 2025 season by sharing eight major titles between them.

But Wade insists the £1million prize at Ally Pally is far from a two-horse race, with plenty of other contenders capable of going all the way.

He told SunSport: “I don’t know if it’s because players run with their tail between their legs whenever they play them.

“I think it’s clear that Luke and Luke are the two best players in the world. That’s not hard to work out and they’re both playing the best darts.

“But I think it’s quite rude to the other darts players to say: ‘Oh, it’s going to be Luke and Luke.’

“I don’t think they roll over on purpose. Luke Littler’s got, I keep hearing, these big finishes he’s taking out.

“Especially what he did against Gezzy Price. Gezzy was on some real important shots and Luke took out 152 and 141, and he’s doing that a lot at the moment.

“You can’t keep doing them all the time. You do have bad moments.

“So I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s not them in the final. But I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s not both of them in the final.

“I think there’s some really good dart players out there and past champions have had a lot of luck in the early first or second rounds.

“It’s a long tournament. They’re both clearly the best players in the world at the moment and a lot of players say they’re not frightened to play Luke.

“But I think they are because you get players that are on their game at that time as well and then they don’t turn up. Or they really fluster against Luke.”

World No7 Wade has won 10 major titles, though his last TV event crown came in 2021 at the UK Open.

The Aldershot Slinger has won almost everything in darts, but the World Championship has always slipped through his fingers, despite making the semi-final on four occasions.

Wade admits he feels his record on the sport’s biggest stage should have been stronger over the course of his career.

He added: “I’m an underachiever. I should have won loads more things. Should have done loads more stuff so far.

“If I would have been in a good place, I would have done a lot more.

“I’m on about 30 to 35 finals I’ve lost. I remember them all.

“They probably would have gone differently if I’d have been in a bit of a different place.

“Almost 50 per cent of the times I’ve turned up, I’ve been in a fairly decent place, but I just seem to play poor there.

“I feel much more relaxed this year about darts in general, but maybe I’ve put a lot of weight or pressure on myself. I don’t know.

“I’m obviously not a fashionable darts player, and that frustrates me a little bit.

“That people just go on about other players and you just get completely overlooked and that’s a little bit of frustration.

“I’m awkward and I don’t mean to be awkward, I just am. I’m less awkward, but I’m still awkward.

“I don’t mean to be, but it’s just how I am, unfortunately. But I am better than I once was. I try not to be.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.