The world of darts has a new epic rivalry that's drawing comparisons to one of television's most famous feuds, as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries continue their battle for dominance at the oche.
From Wolverhampton to Weatherfield
The comparison came from none other than 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, who likened their sporting contest to the legendary Coronation Street battles between Mike Baldwin and Ken Barlow. This comes fresh from Littler's stunning ascension to world number one in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) rankings.
The 18-year-old sensation achieved this historic milestone on Sunday, just hours before defeating Humphries 16-11 in the Grand Slam of Darts final in Wolverhampton. This victory cemented Littler's status as the youngest ever number one in PDC history, shattering the previous record set by Michael van Gerwen, who was 24 when he achieved the feat in 2014.
A Rivalry For The Ages
The sport's two top players have now faced each other in six major finals since the beginning of last year. The head-to-head record is perfectly balanced at three victories each, though Littler has claimed the spoils in their two most recent encounters.
Taylor believes their compelling contests are generating massive interest in darts. "Of course, you need your rivalries," he told The Sun. "It creates interest. I mean, if you put Coronation Street on television where somebody whacks somebody, you get the best viewing figures ever. Remember Mike Baldwin hitting Ken Barlow? It was probably about 100 million viewers!"
The Players' Perspective
When asked after the final if they are currently in a league of their own, Littler agreed wholeheartedly. Speaking to Sky Sports, he stated: "I think we are. The finals show it, the stats show it, and if everyone's getting bored of me and him, then someone needs to stop us; otherwise, we're going to keep winning."
He added: "We're always going to meet in the final if we get past our opponents, and we'll make it continue. Now I've got that number one spot, obviously, he wants it back, but now we're going to be battling even more."
Humphries concurred with his rival's assessment, saying: "Yeah, I do. I don't feel arrogant saying that. What can us two do? We're on opposite sides of the draw, and people can't stop us. I am trying to stop him, and I can't. It is up to everyone else to stop us."
"At the moment, us two are playing a level of this sport that is better than everyone else," Humphries concluded, expressing his desire for another world final showdown against Littler.
Taylor also offered a perspective on Humphries' fall to second place, suggesting it could be a motivating force. "Look, it's horrible when you go down to number two or number three in the world," he remarked. "Luke Humphries now, he's got something to get up and practice for, so it doesn't do you any harm. It just makes you think, 'right, I'll get up now and start playing a bit better and get back on form again.'"
