Clinical Joe Cullen dismisses Wessel Nijman and will face Gerwyn Price in mouth-watering last 32 tie at World Darts Championship

Joe Cullen has thrown in one of his best performances of the year in a clinical 3-0 dispatching of the much-fancied Wessel Nijman at the Alexandra Palace, setting up a post-Christmas meeting with Gerwyn Price at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship.

On paper one of the ties of the entire second round, Cullen, who came as close as anyone to defeating Luke Humphries at the Ally Pally last year, faced off against one of the brightest up and coming stars and the bookies' 6th favourite to become world champion in Nijman. In the opening exchanges though, it was all about Cullen as the Englishman powered into an early 2-0 lead. Nijman got off the mark in the third leg, but the first set went to 'The Rockstar' as he held throw in leg 4 on double 16.

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Double 16 was again successfully nailed by Cullen in the opening leg of set 2 for a 66 checkout, continuing to put the pressure on his younger opponent. Nijman wasn't exactly playing badly himself though, averaging in the mid-90s and the Dutch prodigy levelled the set up in the following leg. Following two more holds of throw, the second set was pushed all the way to a decider. Cullen had the darts in leg 5, and thanks in part to two 180s, sealed the second set on double 13.

Coming out firing in set 3 with a 14-dart hold, Nijman proved he wasn't finished off just yet. The Dutchman still hadn't broken the Cullen throw though and after Nijman missed five darts at the outer ring in leg 2, Cullen kept that streak going. The former Premier League Darts runner-up then broke the Nijman throw to move one leg away and a few moments later, the victory was sealed.

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