"I'm one world title away from almost matching his career, and I'm about 25 years younger" - Luke Humphries hits back at Peter Wright's mind games

Luke Humphries is through to the last 16 at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, after easing past Nick Kenny 4-0 on Friday night. Next up, is a very intriguing showdown with two-time world champion Peter Wright.

"It was one of those games I didn't want to take for granted because of how well Nick played in his last game," reflected world number one Humphries when speaking go the media afterwards. "There's so much more to give but it just wasn't coming out tonight, but I'm pleased to be through. I'm not going to give up this world title without a fight and I'm looking forward to playing Peter Wright next."

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Already a mouthwatering showdown, the upcoming Humphries vs Wright clash has been added a little extra spice by some mind games being played by the Scottish world number 17. Rather than getting in Humphries' head with his comments though, 'Cool Hand' insists Wright has done nothing more than bemuse him.

"I wanted to say something back, but I'm one of those people who are like, 'Nah, let's leave it'," Humphries explained. "I didn't read the whole interview, but I've seen what he's said, and I'm thinking, how many times have people said, 'This is going to happen, and this is going to happen,' and it never happens? Michael van Gerwen is a good example. He's said so many things over the years, 'I'm going to smash this, smash that', and then he loses."

"So, yeah, Pete said something like Barney's [Raymond van Barneveld] going to smash me, and Peter's going to smash Jermaine Wattimena. Well, he's got his end of the bargain, but, yeah, I just think Peter loves to play the mind games, but they don't work with me," the world champion continues. "I'm one world title away from almost matching his career, and I'm about 25 years younger, so I think one world title would match everything he's ever achieved in the game. So I don't look into it too much. I think he's trying to play the mind games, but unfortunately for him, it doesn't work on me, and it probably won't work on Luke Littler. He said he doesn't fear us, but if I don't fear someone, I don't keep mentioning them all the time."

That's not to say Humphries is taking Wright lightly though, despite his poor form in 2024. "He is a dangerous player. I felt like he was okay in the practice room. Maybe he was a lot more ill than he showed, but I didn't really see any sign that he was as ill as he said he was. But I was here two years ago when I played Stephen Bunting and Vincent van der Voort, and I was really ill. I struggled, I couldn't perform anywhere near the top level," Humphries says, noting Wright's visible battle with a cough during his win over Jermaine Wattimena in the last 32.

"He actually played one of the better games he's played for a long, long time. But he's had a lot to say over the last couple of weeks where he says he doesn't fear me and Luke Littler. He said he's going to smash us, so, yeah, all the pressure's on him now because if he doesn't, the egg's on his face, not mine," Humphries concludes. "I'm really, really relaxed, and if he doesn't beat us, then it's going to look silly on him, not me."

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