"Can we just sweep this under the rug? I said: Fine by me" – Mensur Suljovic cleared the air with Joe Cullen after World Darts Championship incident
PDC
On Thursday evening, Mensur Suljovic appeared as a guest on Sport1’s show Madhouse as part of the build-up to the Premier League of Darts. The Austrian darts legend joined live and spoke with Katharina Kleinfeldt, Max Hopp, and Basti Schwele about his daily life, his form, and the sport’s development in his homeland.
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Suljovic set a positive tone early with a charming reply. Asked where he was at that moment, the Viennese explained he was at a service station. A billboard with various dishes was visible in the background. It fit perfectly, as the conversation quickly turned to food.
Suljovic also revealed his top culinary choice on the road. “I prefer to go to Burger King, I have to be honest,” said the Austrian with a broad smile. At the same time, he made it clear that this only applied when traveling. At home, things were very different, he stressed, because that’s where his wife cooks best.
His birthday, which he had celebrated just a few days earlier, also came up. Suljovic explained that he spent it much like his current evening. Instead of a service station, however, he had been at the airport.
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The discussion then shifted to the sporting side. When Kleinfeldt asked what gets better with age, Suljovic turned the focus to the younger generation in darts. He was particularly impressed by their consistency and resilience.
“I think this concentration from the young people is getting better and better, and this endurance,” said Suljovic. The top players can now deliver at the highest level week after week. Whenever you think the next week might be a touch calmer, they raise the bar again. The Austrian had only praise for the standard on stage and offered the players his “absolute respect.”
Basti Schwele then touched on Suljovic’s own age and asked whether the 54-year-old had been forced to scale back his tournament and training workload. Suljovic answered openly and honestly. Breaks and holidays are definitely important at his age. At the same time, he made it clear he still invests a great deal.
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Gewann 2017 die Champions League of Darts: Mensur Suljovic
“Yes, Basti, absolutely. I’m 54 years old now. You really have to take a break, you have to take a holiday,” said Suljovic. He immediately added, however, that there is hardly a day without training for him. Even on holiday he takes his darts and his dartboard with him. It’s the only way he can keep up with the best.
He currently practices especially often with Max Hopp. Around the Players Championship events in particular, they throw together frequently. In this context, Suljovic also shared an amusing anecdote about a perfect leg.
“When he threw a 9-darter in a match, I threw a 9-darter in practice,” reported Suljovic. With a laugh, he added that Hopp was still a touch better in that regard because he hit the 9-darter in a match. Suljovic paid the German great respect for that. A 9-darter or even a 10-darter is, for him, a clear sign that consistent practice pays off.
The incident with Joe Cullen was, of course, also addressed. Kleinfeldt asked Suljovic about his relationship with the Englishman after tensions at the 2026 World Darts Championship. Suljovic made it clear he had long since drawn a line under it.
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“At the Winmau World Masters he immediately said: Can we just sweep this under the rug? I said: Fine by me,” said Suljovic. For him, the matter had been settled from the start, even if Cullen apparently wrestled with it longer. By now it’s all over.
Max Hopp, who was also discussed on the show, reminded viewers that Suljovic and Cullen had already met again this year. The Austrian had a humorous answer ready for that as well. “But this time I played in his rhythm, I played faster, and then he lost,” said Suljovic with a laugh.
The conversation then turned to his stage persona. The question was whether his demeanour is more of a strength or perhaps a weakness. After all, it can disrupt an opponent’s rhythm, but possibly his own as well.
Suljovic’s assessment was surprisingly critical. “Unfortunately a weakness, because I’m not always fully focused,” he explained. At the same time, he made it clear he would remain a fair sportsman regardless. “However, I’m definitely a gentleman, I always have been and always will be.”
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Suljovic was particularly forthright on Austrian darts. Asked about the development in his homeland, he chose clear words. In his view, the standard is currently in a difficult phase.
“Unfortunately, at the moment a very bad situation,” said Suljovic. There is hardly any new talent coming through, and many players lack the courage to take the final step and really push forward. He drew a comparison with Germany, where an enormous amount has happened over the past ten years. Austria, by contrast, has rather lost ground in that time.
Around for at least 10 more years
Suljovic even said that Austria is now roughly ten years behind Germany. He described Germany’s Bundesliga as brutally strong. A comparison with Austria is hardly possible at present. Even if he felt a little sorry to say it, he wanted to express his assessment honestly and clearly.
Finally, talk turned to his future plans. From the presenters’ perspective, Austria’s current situation means one thing above all: Suljovic will likely have to carry on for quite a while. He had no objections to that idea.
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“I just turned 54, I’ll be around for the next ten years at least,” said Suljovic with a broad laugh. He also sees a clear task for himself. “Max needs a partner,” he remarked with a wink. His sporting ambition remains high anyway. Suljovic wants to return to the world’s top 32. And even if that doesn’t work out, the ranking would at least have a charming side effect for him: “If not, then I’ll stay 54, 55 – just like my age.”
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026