Darts Legends: Who Do You Need to Know?

Darts is one of the most popular games in the World. You can find a dartboard hanging in many bars and pubs worldwide. Dart fans and players often hang dartboards in homes for the use of practice and to try and replicate the pub setups. The game’s status as a pub classic is unquestionable and has been part of pub culture for around 100 years. However, reducing darts to a simple pub game in 2022 would be a huge disservice.

The popularity of darts in the professional circuit has been rising in recent years. Fans from all over the World are becoming more and more interested in darts championships, especially over the Christmas period when the World Darts Championships is on the TV screens for two weeks. More people are tuning into Sky Sports TV and other Channels across the World to what is one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the World.

But what if you are new to darts? You’ve never heard of the big names and don’t know where to start. Well, then, this article is for you. We will look at a few legends in the darts world and discuss their accomplishments.

 

Phil “the Power” Taylor

In the history of darts, there is no name more critical than Phil Taylor. Nicknamed “the Power” Phil Taylor has participated in over 200 tournaments during a career spanning two decades. His success speaks for itself, as he is currently the most successful darts player in the World.

During his career, Taylor won 214 professional tournaments, 85 of which were major titles. Out of these 85, 16 were World Championships. For a long time, Phil Taylor also held the record for most PDC Pro Tour wins. However, that record was recently broken by Michael van Gerwen.

 

Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis

Another native of Stoke-on-Trent, Adrian Lewis, was the protégé of 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor, with whom he routinely practised in their home city of Stoke-on-Trent. With such an experienced and credited mentor in Taylor, everyone had high hopes that Adrian could follow in his footsteps to become a champion.

He did go on to win the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship. The same year Spain won the football Euro League, the company Playson slots was launched, and Barak Obama was reelected president of the United States. In addition to his two World Championships, Lewis is a four-time winner of the PDC World Cup of Darts, partnering with his mentor Phil Taylor.

 

Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen is the current superstar of the darts world. A legend in the making, Michael van Gerwen surpassed Phil Taylor’s record for most PDC Pro Tour wins and was also the youngest winner of the PDC World Championship, an honour he holds to this day.

Michael van Gerwen joined the darts world at the young age of 13. By 16, he had already won the BDO World Masters and made a name for himself at the Masters of Darts event. Today, he is ranked 3rd by the PDC Order of Merit. However, from 2014 to 2021, he held the number 1 spot. He has also won the PDC World Championship three times. Indeed, he is regarded as one of the best players of all time.

 

Peter “Snakebite” Wright

Hailing from Scotland, Peter Wright is somewhat of a legend in the darts world. Apart from being an excellent player and the current PDC World Darts Champion, Peter Wright made a name for himself due to his extravagant and eccentric dress style and behaviour.

Peter has twice won the PDC World Darts Championships and is the current and defending World Champion. He also holds several other titles and honours, including the World Matchplay championship title. Peter will be a player to watch in the 2023 World Darts Championships.