Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan has left fellow legend Ken Doherty utterly stunned after launching a blistering, expletive-filled tirade against the sport's highly-publicised Saudi Arabian venture.
The seven-time world champion, known as 'The Rocket', delivered the explosive rant live on-air, dismissing the groundbreaking Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker as 'rubbish' and declaring he has no intention of participating in future events.
'I Don't Give a Damn About Your Rubbish Event'
The astonishing outburst occurred during a joint interview on Irish radio station Newstalk. Doherty, a former world champion himself, was left speechless as O'Sullivan brutally shut down discussion about the tournament's success.
'I don't give a damn about that event, it's a rubbish event... Do not mention that rubbish event to me ever again,' O'Sullivan fired across the airwaves at his colleague.
He coldly dismissed the significance of the Saudi tournament, where he controversially competed just weeks prior, prioritising his own exhibition schedule over the sport's global expansion.
O'Sullivan's Blunt Priority: The Exhibition Circuit
O'Sullivan's fury was triggered when Doherty suggested the event was a positive step for snooker. The Rocket immediately pivoted to promoting his own lucrative exhibition tour, revealing a stark clash between personal gain and the sport's governing ambitions.
'I'm doing my own thing, I'm doing my exhibitions... I'm not interested in that, I'm doing my own thing. I'm an entertainer, I'm a performer,' he stated, drawing a clear line between his role as a showman and his duties on the World Snooker Tour.
His comments suggest a deep-seated ambivalence towards the sport's new direction, despite his participation in the historic Saudi event, which featured the game's first golden ball.
Doherty Left Reeling in Awkward On-Air Clash
The interview descended into painfully awkward territory as a flabbergasted Doherty struggled to respond to the verbal volley. Attempting to steer the conversation back, he was met with further resistance from an unrepentant O'Sullivan.
'I'm just saying it's good for snooker that we're going to different places,' a defensive Doherty offered, only to be cut off once more.
The tense exchange highlights the growing divide within the sport between traditional tour loyalists and superstar players like O'Sullivan, who are increasingly building their own commercial empires outside the official structure.
This public meltdown raises serious questions about O'Sullivan's future involvement in the World Snooker Tour's ambitious global plans, signalling turbulent times ahead for the sport's administration.
