WRIGHT TOLD TO MOVE ON FROM SNAKEBITE

PETER WRIGHT has been urged to “reinvent himself” after enduring a disappointing World Championship run.

World No.31 Wright bowed out at Ally Pally in the second round, losing 3-0 to debutant Arno Merk with a below-par 79.20 average.

The Scot endured the toughest year of his career in 2025, slipping out of the world’s top 16, failing to win a title and not reaching a single major semi-final.

Former pro Matt Edgar reckons Wright should ditch his famous ‘Snakebite’ persona as part of a wider reset to get back to his best.

He told the Mission Darts Podcast: “The interesting thing for me with Peter Wright is that he’s said he doesn’t want to be Snakebite anymore.

“What that suggests is that the character he’s created no longer feels right, because the Peter Wright you see on stage isn’t the Peter Wright you meet backstage. That’s not who he really is.

“He isn’t flamboyant, colourful, bouncy or chirpy off the oche — he’s actually quite shy and reserved. So, with that, I think the first thing I would suggest to him is be Peter Wright.

“Be who you are if you don’t feel like you’re that character anymore, if you don’t feel you can be that person.

“Peter Wright has probably got to the stage now where he doesn’t believe in Snakebite anymore.

“It is the thing I talk about all the time. If you’ve got a lucky pair of socks, and every time I wear my lucky socks I win. But then you wear your lucky socks and you lose. The mystique has gone.

“Snakebite used to sit in interviews and go, ‘I’m going to go win this,’ and he did. Now he says the same things and he doesn’t.

“The 100 per cent belief in ‘I do what I say’ is gone. He needs to reinvent himself now and enjoy being Peter Wright. That would be my stance on that one.”

Wright previously admitted he wanted to compete on the oche as his true self, moving away from the wild mohawk and flamboyant outfits.

The eight-time major winner competed at last season’s Players Championship Finals without his trademark punk-esque look.

He said: “Yeah, I would like that.

“But it would disappoint my fans. And the kids, especially.

“So maybe just show them a bit of understanding… and we’ll see.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.