Luke Littler: Darts hits the bullseye with teenager’s rapid rise
Former electrician Cross was crowned world champion in 2018 in his first full season, while Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen were multiple champions in their 20s, with 16-time champion Phil Taylor Widely regarded as the greatest champion of all time.
Littler is currently ranked fourth in the world rankings, although that is based on two years of Medal of Honor.
Others believe the teenage spotlight means world number one Humphreys, 29, is denied the coverage he deserves, but no darts player has achieved as much as Littler at such a young age score.
“Luke Humphries is another fantastic player who will continue to be around for many years to come. Sport is a very cutthroat world. It’s about winning and taking the high ground. There’s going to be jealousy around that,” Hearn said.
“Luke Littler is the next Tiger Woods in darts so they better get used to it and the only way to compete is to get better.”
World number 38 Martin Lukeman is shocked as he describes facing peak Littler after 16-3 defeat In the Grand Slam final, The teenager won 15 games in a row.
“I can’t compete with that, it’s like God. He’s ruthless, he’s so good, it’s ridiculous,” he said.
Lookman can still see the benefit he brought, adding: “What he has done for the sport has been brilliant. Without him our wages would not have gone up. With more sponsors , more money comes in and everything is good.”
Hearn believes future competition could come from younger players than Littler.
“A few months ago I saw a 10-year-old kid who averaged 104.89 and went 4-3 with 136 runs. They smelled money, fame and hard work. Work hard,” he said.
While Plummer believes Littler wants to reach new heights, how far he can improve is anyone’s guess.
“He never said ‘How good am I?’ but I think he wanted to break the record and beat Phil Taylor’s 16 World Championships and 16 Match Play titles,” he said. “He’s young enough to do that.”
