"I told him I’m not here to be your friend, I’m here to smash you up": No room for sentiment as Gerwyn Price whitewashes good friend James Wade

Gerwyn Price produced a dominant display to whitewash James Wade 5–0 and get his first points on the board at the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts, keeping his hopes of progression alive in Wolverhampton.

The Welshman, who suffered defeat on the opening day of the Grand Slam of Darts, bounced back in style with a ruthless performance with an average over 100 and two ton-plus checkouts. It was a statement response from the former champion, who thrives under pressure and looked back to his fiery best on stage. “Yeah, not just a victory, but a 5–0 win goes well in my favour,” Price said afterwards. “It was a tough one against Wadie — he’s a great friend of mine, and whoever came through, I said to him we’ve got a good chance of going on and winning this tournament. So yeah, it was a tough one, but I’m glad I came through.”

The draw meant Price’s second group game carried knockout-level pressure — something he admitted he relishes. “Sometimes I prefer that pressure, you know, when you know if you lose, you’re going home,” he said. “In a knockout situation I seem to find my best stuff, and yeah, I played well today. James missed a couple of chances, but I was clear to go.”

The pair shared a light moment before the match, with Wade leaving Price waiting during the walk-on — something that didn’t go unnoticed. “I said to him when he came on, ‘Did you not read the players’ brief?’” Price laughed. “He’s a good friend. Sometimes he tries getting to you a little bit, and it does work now and again but not today.”

Back at the Aldersley Leisure Village, Price’s track record speaks for itself and he admitted the venue brings mixed emotions depending on form. “It’s a nice feeling when you’re winning, but I hate coming here when I’m losing,” he said. “It’s happened before — I’ve lost in the group stages and gone on to win the tournament, so it doesn’t matter as long as you’ve got one life. I’ve used that one, so no more left!”

What pleased him most about his 5–0 win was rediscovering the on-stage aggression that has long defined his game. “I think it was just being myself — showing the aggression, being myself up on stage, and letting my energy go,” he explained. “Whether it was 5–0 or 5–4, I just wanted to win, but 5–0 is a bonus.”

At 4–0 up, a clinical tops finish drew a smile from Wade — a reaction that even Price found a bit puzzling. “Possibly it was because of the way I react as well,” he said. “People do smirk or laugh sometimes at how I am. I don’t know if it was me or the checkout because he’d missed — we’ll have to ask him!”

Price also admitted that his trademark intensity had been missing in recent months — but it returned naturally in this high-stakes clash. "I think I’ve lost that sort of aggression a little bit, which I need to try and find again,” he said. “I don’t do it on purpose, but today was a big game and it came out. Sometimes you need that adrenaline, and it worked for me today. I’ve played players in the past who’ve given it back, and I feed off that — not many players do.”

Asked how he might get that fire back more consistently, Price said it’s something that can’t be forced. “It’s just natural — I don’t force it. Today was a crucial game, and after a couple of good checkouts it just came out. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. Hopefully it comes out more often in big games and finals.”

Fans also noticed a change to Price’s walk-on song this week, with the former world champion confirming the switch to a Gerry Cinnamon track called Discoland. “I actually love the song,” he said. “They just need to crank the volume up a bit — it’s a bit boring when it’s quiet! I had it playing in the car a couple of times and, if the volume’s up, it’s a cracking song. Especially for the Premier League — hopefully I’m in it next year — it’s a good one to get the crowd going.”

Despite their friendship, there was no room for sentiment when Price and Wade met on stage. “I said to him backstage, ‘James, I’m your friend off stage — on stage I hate you,’” Price revealed. “I told him, ‘I’m not here to be your friend, I’m here to smash you up.’ Maybe that hurt him a little bit, I’m not sure.”

The win leaves Price in control of his group destiny heading into his final match, but he’s not getting ahead of himself.

“I’m usually pretty good in the group stages and I usually top the group,” he said. “Nine times out of ten I come through all three games. When my back’s against the wall and I have to battle, sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t — but this time I have. I’ve got one more game to go — I’m not qualified yet, but it’s looking good. I’m feeling confident, and it was good to get a 5–0 win. There’s still another game to go, otherwise I could be out.”