The magic of the darts: Michael Smith mayhem

THE final of the 2022 World Darts Championship, and the crowning of perennial nearlyman Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith as Champion of the World after defeating three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen typified the spectacle of entertainment and euphoria that enthralled Alexandra Palace for three weeks. Winning by a seven sets to four margin tying three sets each during the match, Michael Smith pushed ahead in the second half of the match to convincingly claim the 2023 World Championship.

“That is the most amazing leg of darts you will ever see in your life! I can’t spake! [speak]”. The words of Wayne Mardle after Michael Smith completed a nine-dart finish nine (with a 141 finish) in the third leg of the second set after Michael van Gerwen missed double-12 and nine-darter himself by centimetres the throw before. Only Adrian Lewis had successfully completed a nine-darter in a final in 2011 beforehand. All the while an electric crowd is in rapture. Throughout the whole match, a grand total of 37 180s were thrown — a fitting end to the carnival that is the PDC World Championship. The atmosphere of Ally Pally is inseparably linked to the pandemonium of World Championships; that despite the event moving to the Haringey venue only in 2007, a four year extension signed in 2021 of four years until the 2024/5 Championships is welcome news. Claims that this 19 dart leg is the greatest ever certainly aren’t unreasonable — the determination and momentum carried by both players during the final was unbelievable at points and that’s a large reason why Ally Pally erupted in joy for Bully Boy.

As far as redemption arcs go in darts, the rise of Michael Smith to the pinnacle of darts as World Number One is a story of resilience and one of the great stories — finalist twice before, against Van Gerwen in 2019 losing 7-3 and in 2022 losing 7-5 to Peter Wright, having been level with Wright at five sets each. Winner of the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts and finalist in the 2022 UK Open — it looks like the era of dominance by Michael Smith has begun. In an interview with Phil Cartwright of the BBC, Michael Smith captured the emotion of the occasion — commenting that after his 7-5 loss to Peter Wright, he lost faith in winning the title; “I was questioning myself whether I’d get another chance”. Furthermore, his victory was humanised as he spoke about his oldest son’s reaction, crying throughout the final leg: “Just finally, their dad’s done it”. After his victory against then defending champion Phil Taylor in the 2014 World Championship, the former World Youth champion presented his confidence: “my aim now is to put my name on this trophy”.

The popularity of darts throughout Britain and towards Europe and the Australian subcontinent (driven primarily by local names such as Dutchman Michael van Gerwen) is rooted in the sense of entertainment any darts event produces. The

2022 World Championships best moments sometimes were the funniest moments — such as Jose de Sousa mistakenly checking out his opponents score. Another example and perhaps most bizarrely, was Gerwyn Price emerging into the arena wearing earplugs and later on wearing ear defenders responding to crowd jibes, in the most surreal image of the tournament. Entertainment is darts, and darts is entertainment. The World Championships often give the platform for younger players to make their name, and keep the carnival firing on all cylinders throughout every round — Martin Schindler’s 170 finish (the highest of the tournament) within the opening rounds whilst the rise of Gabriel Clemens to a semi-final after defeating Gerwyn Price in the Quarter-Finals only to be knocked out by Michael Smith proved that tournament darts never has a competition problem.

Darts action will come to Exeter on the 2nd of March as the fifth round of the Premier League of Darts will be held at the Westpoint Arena — four players confirmed to be playing in the Premier League this year via their PDC ranking: Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen, twotime World Champion Peter Wright and 2021 World Champion Gerwyn Price. The remaining four players to play in the series of one-night tournaments are yet to be confirmed, however likely players to be invited include Luke Humphries (winner of four European titles in 2022), Rob Cross (looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2021) and Joe Cullen as winner of The Masters.

Michael Smith is 2023 PDC World Darts Champion, Bully Boy completing his redemption arc and placing a target on his back as the most on-form player in the world.