Stan Moody has slammed Kyren Wilson's behaviour after their match at the World Snooker Championship. The 19-year-old Yorkshireman began his Crucible debut in blistering fashion with two centuries and two further breaks over 80 to build a 6-3 lead against the out-of-sorts Warrior. Moody extended his lead by taking the first frame of the evening session, only for Wilson to reel off seven frames in a row to shatter the qualifier's hopes of emulating Ronnie O'Sullivan, the last teenager to win a Crucible match 21 years ago.
Wilson's Celebration Sparks Controversy
Wilson, who had been struggling with cue issues, celebrated his win by punching the air in delight before turning to shake the youngster's hand. Many observers felt the 2024 world champion's reaction was over the top, and Moody agrees, calling it "disgusting." Almost three months on from the match, he told Metro: "The celebration at the end, I thought it were a bit disgusting, to be honest. A world champion, world number two, I think it were a bit out of order, but it is what it is."
Moody's Stance on the Celebration
Moody continued: "I think Shaun Murphy said that he's got every right to do that. He has got every right to do it, but I think a lot of people looked at that and said he shouldn't really be doing that. I wouldn't have done that at his stage [of his career] against a young lad, first time there, but everyone's different, you know? It obviously meant a lot to him to beat me, so good on him." Moody added: "I'm not bitter at all. He got to 10 first and it is what it is. Classy player and I'll try to beat him next time."
Missed Opportunity for Moody
Moody, who had chances to extend his lead against Wilson, reflected: "I missed a red to go 8-3 and it's completely changed the match. If that red goes in, I'd probably win 10-3 because Kyren were gone. He couldn't make 30. I know he were saying about his cue and whatever else, but if he were winning, he probably wouldn't have been saying that. It were a chance missed, but I took a lot of confidence from it. Shutting out the world number two for all that time and making him go. That was probably the most positive thing I took from it."
Moody's hard-hitting comments suggest the youngster will not be intimidated by his big-name rivals as he looks to move up the world rankings from his current position of 40 during the 2026/27 season.
