"No one is going to beat Phil Taylor's record so he must go down as the greatest of all time" - Michael Smith and other top pros debate Taylor or Van Gerwen as darts' G.O.A.T.
PDC
The discussion has often crossed the minds of many darts fans, but who is the best dart player of all time, peak Michael van Gerwen or peak Phil Taylor? It's not only a topic that causes debate amongst fans, but with top players too.
Taylor and Van Gerwen played only partially in the same era, but when both were at their respective pomps, they dominated darts with an iron fist for a number years. Both players won particularly large numbers of major titles, and Van Gerwen only came powering in at the top of the darting scene when Taylor was already approaching 50. "Scoring I'd go Van Gerwen," former world champion Michael Smith tells MDA Events. "But overall, like you could never leave Phil of 160-something because it would just be gone. Overall I'd say Phil, but it was two different eras I guess. I know Phil was around when Michael was coming through but he's taken it to another level with crazy 100+ averages."
"There's loads if questions like that. In basketball for example, the thing is Michael Jordan or LeBron James?" Devon Petersen chimes in. "Everyone has their time though. People want to find the greatest of all time but you'll never find that because the game is always evolving."
"No one is going to beat Phil Taylor's record so he must go down as the greatest of all time," adds Smith, who is one of the few to have managed to beat the 16-time world champion at the World Darts Championship.
'Rapid' Ricky Evans has a more outspoken opinion. "Taylor had the fear factor a bit more,'' he explains. "For me personally, I want to play Van Gerwen! Taylor scared opponents. Van Gerwen is brilliant don't get me wrong, but Taylor used to scare people off the board whereas Van Gerwen has got a bit more banter about him.
"With Taylor, all day you could feel his presence, you could feel that it was Phil Taylor," Petersen adds, echoing Evans' thoughts. "With MVG, he makes you want to play but Taylor, you were very wary of."
Put peak Taylor today he'd batter everyone with even bigger aves due to better equipment. Even now you rarely see players consistently ave over 100 apart from one or two players. Taylor would gobble them all up.
Of the current running 7 Major ranking titles Taylor has won 59. MVG has won 29. There are discontinued Majors that Taylor also won. Taylor at his peak was using old dart equipment and was still hitting 100+ averages. Peak Taylor with today’s equipment would be capable of beating any of the current players. The one factor you cannot include is by prize money earned as the prize pots are so much bigger now.
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- I've commented before,Phil should let us all remember how great he was,and leave your darts in the drawer. Another humiliation will tarnish everything,you couldn't even beat old blokes who you would have beaten before the game started !!rick6712-03-2025
- I've commented before,Phil should let us all remember how great he was,and leave your darts in the drawer. Another humiliation will tarnish everything,you couldn't even beat old blokes who you would have beaten before the game started !!rick6712-03-2025
- Aspinall was a no-show: Carl Sneyd steps in from the Challenge Tour.Scoobedybop11-03-2025
- Likewise, I have always been a fan of Mervyn and with this worry on his mind, it explains why his form and ranking plummeted. It is really sad to hear this, often chatted to Mervyn and Tracey during the Lakeside days, both are lovely people. It does seem naive not acknowledging the fact it was earnings, surely there must be others in the same situation. I really hope the Kings can get through this....would a go fund me be permittedrichieburnettrocks11-03-2025
- I always like Merv,but he does he seems slightly naive with his comments. I wish you all the best, hope you can get sorted,and try and get back to a decent game,a bit of money.....and get rid of the dogs,if that's your main concern,I believe your priorities may be slightly wrongrick6710-03-2025
- What’s with the dogs element to this story, trying to pull at the heart strings? Just goes to show that being a good dart player does not equate to being that bright. Seriously, ‘I thought you didn’t have to pay tax on winnings’ , your a pro dart player and its your line of work, your not playing the lottery or placing a bet. I think it was Phil Taylor who said you should put a third to one side of all winnings into a bank account, obviously Merv was wearing his earplugs at the time.Mysstree10-03-2025
- The thing is... the folks who "humiliated" Taylor in the Seniors Events never really achieved anything in the important events - like Taylor did. Taylor had/has nothing to prove... and beating Taylor after he had retired is of zero value. Taylor in his prime would have made easy work of all of them. Cheers.MrYnyslas197107-03-2025
- Taylor was humiliated in the seniors events,so he really has nothing to lose by playing littler. I think he should put his darts away,and let us remember what a great player he wasrick6706-03-2025
- actually, since you're asking... yes. yes i do.colt06-03-2025