“I was sleeping, the audience was sleeping” – Madars Razma & Mickey Mansell clash online after fiery Players Championship 32 battle

The usually more reserved world of the PDC Pro Tour erupted into a touch of social media drama this midweek, as Mickey Mansell and Madars Razma exchanged words online following their first-round meeting at Players Championship 32 — a match the Northern Irishman won 6–4 with a 102.67 average.

Razma, never shy of a tongue-in-cheek remark, appeared to take a swipe at the pace of play in his post-match comment on X (formerly Twitter). “I was sleeping and the audience was sleeping, but still, a quality performance from my opponent. I will be back to the last two Pro Tours in 2 weeks,” Razma wrote.

Mansell, who has long been nicknamed The Cyclone, wasn’t in the mood to let that slide. His reply carried more than a hint of needle: “After today you just moved inside the top 10 of my xxxx list,” he fired back.

The exchange quickly picked up traction among darts fans, with Mansell later doubling down in response to a supporter who suggested his “pedestrian pace” made him difficult to face. “Only for losers!” Mansell replied, a comment that drew both laughter and backing from other fans encouraging him to “take no shite.”

Criticism of Mansell’s pace is not new. Following a sudden-death thriller against him at the 2025 World Championship, Jonny Clayton admitted the experience was far from easy.

“I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy,” Clayton said at the time, referencing how difficult it can be to maintain rhythm against the Northern Irishman’s methodical throw.

Yet if Razma’s comments were intended as a dig, they come with a hint of irony. The Latvian himself has previously been on the receiving end of similar complaints. After their 2024 World Championship clash, then world champion Michael Smith accused Razma of deliberately breaking up the flow of play. “If he had 136, he'd go treble 20, 20 and stand back,” Smith said afterwards. “You’re a professional dart player.”

Both players have built reputations as methodical, deliberate throwers — a style that divides opinion among professionals and fans alike. For some, it’s a legitimate part of controlling the match tempo; for others, it risks crossing into gamesmanship.

Mansell, to his credit, has often defended his approach as simply the way he plays, not a tactic to unsettle opponents. Razma’s own comments seemed to be delivered half in jest, but they nevertheless touched a nerve among players who pride themselves on professionalism and respect.

Whatever the intent, their brief online spat offered a glimpse into the often-unspoken tensions of the Pro Tour floor — where rhythm, respect and tempo can be as decisive as finishing percentages. And with both men set to return for the final two Players Championship events in a fortnight, few would bet against a rematch with a little extra edge.