"I work for the government so haven't had a pay cheque in a week": Stowe Buntz nearly withdrew last minute from CDC Continental Cup

Despite entering the 2025 CDC Continental Cup with doubts over even attending, Stowe Buntz produced a statement performance in his opening win before bowing out in the semi-finals to David Cameron. It was Alex Spellman who went on to lift the title with an 8–5 victory over Cameron in the final, but Buntz’s honesty and grit were among the standout stories of the weekend.

Speaking after his first-round win, Buntz — known to fans as the Neon Nightmare — revealed the turmoil he had faced in even making it to the event in not being paid for a week that he had to chat with his sponsors and other people in his team to find a solution.

“I honestly didn’t want to be here this weekend,” Buntz admitted to Online Darts. “A lot of people don’t know I work for the government, so I haven’t had a pay cheque in a week and a half. Getting pay cheques was zero dollars, and coming to this event I had to talk to a couple of sponsors, talk to my family, and make the right decision. The decision was to come.

“Coming to this event, I was shaky as can be. I know Joey’s a phenomenal player — one of the best upcoming, if not the best upcoming shot we have in North America. So I knew if I wasn’t focused, he was going to take advantage and make me pay.”

Despite his mental and financial strain, Buntz delivered one of his sharpest performances of the season when it mattered most. “I don’t know where my head was at,” he continued. “I didn’t want to be here at first, then I wanted to be here, then I was second-guessing myself because I warmed up like garbage. But when it was time to get on stage, I probably shot the best darts I’d thrown all day — and I’d been there since three o’clock when the venue opened. I’m a mental wreck, a mess, but I got through it with a solid performance, and I hope that speaks volumes going into tomorrow.”

When asked about his ability to switch on when it matters, Buntz shrugged off talk of a “champion’s mentality” but revealed a simple, grounded mindset. “Man, I don’t know what a champion’s mentality is,” he said. “My mentality is, when it’s go time, it’s go time. You walk up to the board — let’s go. You get to the oche — it’s go time. All those excuses and negative thoughts, you’ve got to erase them and just go to the line and throw. I was fortunate that’s what I did.”

He also spoke candidly about the weight of outside pressures that can affect players at this level. “I’ve said it in so many interviews — when you walk up and everything outside of what you’re about to do is good, it doesn’t have to be great, but if it’s good, the sky’s the limit,” Buntz explained. “But if you’re worried about the light bill, the mortgage, college tuition, whatever it may be — it’s going to reflect in your performance.

“It takes the best players in the world to zone those things out, dig deep, believe in themselves and perform at a high level. I was fortunate enough tonight to do that.”

Despite his strong showing, Buntz downplayed talk of being among the elite, even after his explosive rise over the past year that included a nine-darter and a Grand Slam of Darts debut. “That’s fair — people can assess me how they want,” he said. “But my own assessment is different. I don’t think I’m one of the best players in the world — and I’ve never thought that.

“Look at my last two World Championship performances — they were lacklustre at best. I had a good Grand Slam that got my name on the radar, but since then, I haven’t been able to replicate it or motivate myself to do it again. I just haven’t had it — and I can’t pinpoint why. If I could figure it out, I’d fix it tomorrow morning and show up tomorrow night averaging 115. But I’m treading water pretty well, competing against the best in North America and holding my own. I’ll keep doing that as long as I can.”

With another World Championship appearance at Alexandra Palace confirmed for December, Buntz was already asked about his hopes of finally producing his best darts on the biggest stage.

“I went into the first one riding the high from Wolverhampton, then last year I tried something different and it didn’t work. To be honest, I’ve got no clue what the hell I’m going to do to prepare. I’m just trying to get myself through tomorrow night — that’s a struggle in itself.

“If I don’t figure it out, I’ll go to Worlds and give it my A-plus effort. If that’s not enough, then I’ll start January with the CDC, put in the hard work, and try again next year. I’m a hot-and-cold player — sometimes I’m hot, sometimes I’m cold, like an iceberg — but you’ve got to push through it.”

And ever the straight-talker, Buntz even admitted he’d swap his World Championship place for another crack at Wolverhampton if he could.

“If I could trade my Worlds spot tomorrow for Wolverhampton, I would,” he said. “I like that format — you get to play three matches, and even if you lose your first, you’re not out. It makes everyone dig deep, and it really shows who you are as a player. But I’m going to Worlds — and hopefully after tomorrow, I’m going to Wolverhampton, MSG, and a bunch of other places. Who the hell knows what I’m doing, to be honest with you, Phil.”

Even in defeat to David Cameron in the last four, Buntz’s fighting spirit, raw honesty, and humour shone through — qualities that continue to make him one of the most engaging figures on the North American circuit.

“It’s a crazy sport,” he said. “It’s amazing to compete — to just throw everything out there and say, ‘Screw it, I’m here, let’s go.’ It is what it is. Like it or love it — that’s what I’m doing. Who knows what happens next?”