Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle believes what Luke Littler has achieved in darts is “ridiculous”, but thinks he will be truly appreciated when he defends his title at the World Darts Championship.
Littler defended his title for the first time with a 16-11 victory over Luke Humphries in the Grand Slam of Darts, becoming only the fourth player to retain the title, alongside Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price.
Not only that, but by advancing to the finals, he dethroned “Cool Hand” and became the number one player in the world. Littler made further history as the youngest world number one in PDC history.
This means Littler has won eight major titles in his short professional career, but Mardle believes the real day of judgment will come in December when Littler heads to Alexandra Palace on a mission to become the fourth player to win back-to-back world champions. In fact, he will hold the trophy alongside Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis.
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Littler held up the Eric Bristow Trophy and showed off his dance moves.
“That’s how you get judged. You’re always judged by being world champion and how much you win,” Mardle said.
“If he won five of these Grand Slams and only one world title, the question would be why he only won one world title.
“There was a time when Michael van Gerwen won 26 tournaments in one year but never won a world championship. He literally said he would trade everything to become world champion.
“It’s an interesting time, it’s an exciting time. It’s absolutely a big thing right now, but the world championship is the biggest thing.”
Rise of the teenager
With the ‘Littler effect’ in full swing, Mardle said given the level of darts being played by young people on the circuit, he wouldn’t be surprised to see a world championship semi-final for teenagers in just a few years.
“It’s ridiculous. And it seems even more ridiculous because we’ve never really seen it before,” he added.
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Littler had two big finishes at 167 and 160 as Humphries teased “The Nuke.”
“In four or five years, I wouldn’t be surprised if the semi-finals of the world championships were made up of four teenagers.
“If you said that in front of Luke Littler, he’d say, ‘Are you mad?’ I think that’s possible now.
“It looks like there’s going to be another Luke Littler around the corner. I’m not saying in the next year or so, I’m not saying in the next two or three years.
“Kids watching him will be inspired to want to be like him, just like I was watching Eric Bristow, like someone watching Phil Taylor.
“In a way, you have to forget about his age and everything now, because his experience and how good he is is beyond his years.
“Suppose he’s at this level for the next four or five years. Why can’t he win three or four more world championships?”
This means war: the golden age continues
Despite all his success, Littler has a rival standing in his way in Humphries, and both declare they are in “a league of their own” with the other teams.
Humphries is bullish that world glory will be his, and Mardle enjoys watching the two develop a rivalry.
“What was really cool was that I heard Luke Humphries say afterwards that they were the best two,” he said.
“I don’t think he’s made himself big enough and I don’t know why he’s making himself big now after losing the No. 1 spot, I’m sure he’s been doing that before.
“These two guys have a different way of doing things than other players. They feel like they can do it every day, game by game, in any situation. Other guys have to adjust to them, but they don’t have to adjust to anyone.”
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Humphries has announced he will fight Littler at the World Darts Championship.
“But when you look at the way they do business, others are very good, but not as good as they are, so that gives them a higher rating.
“It was good to hear that Luke Humphries has really come back after the loss.
“I wish he was this good when he was world No. 1 and world champion.
“It’s a great time for people who watch darts, come to darts, and be involved in darts because these two are creating a golden age, and they really are.”
Who will win the world championship?
So, if the World Championship is really Judgment Day, who is Mardle calling out to win?
He’s aiming for the predictable but most likely answer: another Luke vs. Luke final.
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Littler retains darts Grand Slam crown with convincing win over Humphries
“There’s probably seven, eight, nine guys that could win,” Mardle said.
“But these are two guys, they should win.
“I predict it will be a boring Luke-versus-Luke final and that’s the way it is because they are head and shoulders above the rest.”
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