"I've beaten him this year – I can beat anyone" – Joe Cullen ready for Luke Littler test in Budapest

Joe Cullen booked his place in the second round of the 2025 Hungarian Darts Trophy after a dramatic 6–5 victory over Germany’s Lukas Wenig. The Rockstar eventually got the job done, but the win was anything but straightforward. Despite being the superior player for most of the contest, Cullen managed to put himself under pressure.

“It was my fault. I just put myself in that situation,” Cullen admitted afterwards. “Normally I’m good at forgetting – if you miss a chance, I can usually just move on. But I missed those three darts at double 16 to go 5–2 up. From 5–2 down it’s a long way back for anybody, and instead of just focusing on the next leg I let it slip a bit. Lukas could have pinched it in the end. Like you said, I thought I was the better player, but it should have been much more comfortable than that.”

The last few weeks have seen the Yorkshireman pick up some encouraging results, including another Pro Tour title, as his game continues to trend upwards.

“It’s not a coincidence,” he explained. “When I put some work in, the results come. Even if the wins don’t always follow, the performances are there. I’ve been doing a bit more work lately – not as much as I should with how busy the schedule is – but it’s tough to find the time. That win in midweek was massive for me, and then obviously the World Series at the weekend was a bit of a comedown, but that’s not ranked anyway. I’ve done the hard work and I want to give myself the best chance to qualify for the Europeans. If I’d lost tonight it would have been an uphill task, definitely, but I got the win, and that’s all that matters.”

Qualification for the European Championship is firmly in Cullen’s sights, and his victory in Budapest could prove pivotal in that chase.

“It does, yeah,” he said when asked about the importance of the result. “But do you know what? I saw a stat on Twitter – I think four of my losses on the European Tour this year were games where I had match darts. That’s probably 10, 12, maybe 13 grand I’ve thrown away. If I’d taken those, I wouldn’t even be in this position. But I am, so it’s up to me to get out of it. I was in the same situation for the Grand Prix and managed to win a tournament. Tomorrow is probably the toughest task I could have, but I’ve beaten him this year, so I’m looking forward to the challenge. He’s an unbelievable player, but on my day I can beat anybody. So yeah, bring it on.”

Cullen now faces Luke Littler in the second round – a daunting task against the teenage sensation, but one the Rockstar is relishing.