By Morgan Barrett on 180UK Debut
The 2025 World Darts Championships was full of shocks and surprises from nine-dart finishes, countless upsets, Dominance and the new star getting his first World Championship title.
Luke Littler became the youngest Darts World Champion
Let’s start at the end of a fantastic tournament where the then 17-year-old superstar Littler became the youngest ever player to win the tournament beating an all time great in Michael Van Gerwen in a final to remember at the Ally Pally.
The teenage star dominated MVG and cruised to a 7-3 victory in what was a dream finale between the master and a youthful challenger had it’s fairy-tale ending with a passing of the torch and the crowning of a new king at the Ally Pally and making history
A record number of seeds crashed out early
It was a PDC World Darts Championship record as 14 seeds exited the tournament in the opening two rounds.
Former world champion Michael Smith suffered a 3-2 defeat to Kevin Doets which was the catalyst of what was to come. Gary Anderson was brushed aside as Jefferey de Graff beat the Scotsman 3-0 along with Raymond van Barneveld being shocked by Welshmen Nick Kenny.
The upsets kept on coming when the 6th seed Dave Chisnall exited the tournament after a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Ricky Evans.
It was the number five seed Rob Cross who became the record-breaking 14th seed to exit in the first two round after he was beaten 3-1 be Scott Williams.
Two Nine Darters
Everybody loves a nine darter! and darts fans did not have to wait long for the first nine dart finish with Christian Kist hitting perfection in his first-round defeat to Madars Ramza.
Despite being eliminated from the competition the Dutchman made history winning £60,000 and a donation of the same amount to Prostate Cancer UK and for a member of the crowd.
The nine darters kept on coming when Damon Heta achieved perfection in his second-round defeat to Luke Woodhouse.
The Australian Produced an astonishing nine darter with the celebrations to match with both men celebrating together on the Alexandra Place stage, a great moment that will be replayed for years to come.
The Rashad Sweeting show
The Darts World Championships is an opportunity for players across the globe to make a name for themselves in front of the packed-out crowd and we often see players win over the crowd each year.
This year it was the Bahamas Rashad Sweeting who won over the crowd during his first-round exit to de Graff, ‘The Candyman’ was the clear underdog but one the first set 3-1 and with the second set locked at 2-2 and sweeting stepped up to the oche on 194 hitting two treble 20s leaving 74 with the easiest route to go being treble 14 or 18, The Bahamian hit the max setting the crowd alight
Sweeting then hit the ‘cold’ Palmer celebration after smashing in a 180. Despite, the loss he became the first player to represent the Bahamas at the Ally Pally and won over the crowd with a memorable performance.
Peter Wright defeated the reigning champion Luke Humphries
After a very difficult 2024 campaign for Snakebite finishing bottom of the premier league and falling to 16 in the world ranking, he overcame his struggles to dethrone the reigning champion Humphries in the last 16.
Wright produced a performance more like the old Peter Wright averaging over 100 and hitting 70% of his doubles winning 4-1.
The shock win was a memorable moment and after all the struggles the Scotsman had faced, he was visible emotional in what was one of the games of the tournament.
A thriller at the Palace
Gerwyn Price and Joe Cullen’s third round match was an all time classic and one that will be remembered by darts fans.
The Welshmen started quickly and quickly took a 3-0 lead in sets and what looked to be a simple win for ‘The Iceman’ but ‘The Rockstar’ thought otherwise with Cullen winning three straight sets to send the game into a seventh and deciding set.
The deciding set did not disappoint with the action remaining close when Price took a 5-4 lead with match darts but missed them, and Cullen punished this with an incredible 170 finish that sent the crowd into pandemonium and forced a sudden death leg.
Despite the incredible ‘big fish’ checkout by Cullen it was the 2021 champion that sealed his place in the 4th round checking out 45 to win it, although, Cullens comeback and jaw dropping 170 will be talked about as one of the best Ally Pally moments