Luke Humphries managed to win the World Matchplay earlier in the month of July by defeating Michael van Gerwen by 18-15 in the final. It was already the reigning world champion's eighth win in a row over "Mighty Mike.
ADVERTISEMENT
Van Gerwen once held a 12-4 and 13-5 lead over Humphries in the head-to-head between them, but in a few months, "Cool Hand Luke" has been catching up at lightning speed, and the balance is currently balanced: 13-13.
The first meeting between the two players in 2024 was still won by Van Gerwen, who beat Humphries 6-5 in the final of the third round of Premier League Darts play.
They then met five more times in Premier League Darts. Those encounters were all won by Humphries, who also eliminated Van Gerwen in the semifinals of the playoffs. In addition, the Englishman also triumphed twice against the Dutchman on the Euro Tour circuit.
According to Darts Orakel's statistics, few players can say they have won eight consecutive times over Van Gerwen. Three players saw their series end after eight consecutive wins. Colin Lloyd won from the Vlijmen player eight times in a row from 2007-2011, while Mervyn King did the same from 2007-2010. Raymond van Barneveld faced his compatriot eight times from February 2007 to November 2012 and won all these matches, including in the 2012 Grand Slam final.
In almost the same period, Phil Taylor managed to take victory against his Dutch rival no less than fourteen times in a row. These included two encounters at the World Darts Championship (2008 and 2009 editions), and one at the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship. In the end, Van Gerwen still managed to win 26 of the 61 encounters with 'The Power'. 'Mighty Mike' himself never won against Taylor more than five times in a row.
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.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
🎯
Players, that MvG has lost to 8+ times in a row (stats @DartsOrakel):
8⃣ Colin Lloyd, 2007 - 2011
8⃣ Mervyn King, 2007 - 2010
8⃣ Raymond van Barneveld, 2007 - 2012
1⃣4⃣ Phil Taylor, 2007 - 2012
8⃣ Luke Humphries, 2024 - *
There is a new sheriff in town!
#dartzn@lukeh180