"The guys coming through are going to knock your teeth out": Barry Hearn sees 'tsunami of talent' incoming amid Luke Littler effect
PDC
PDC President Barry Hearn has warned that a tsunami is imminent and it is one that features a myriad of top talents in the ilk of new PDC World Champion Luke Littler.
Littler has been compared to Tiger Woods by the boss of darts after a rise which has seen him take the world by storm in the past year and is even more so since winning his maiden World title.
Hearn already sees the effects saying that kids are already throwing scary numbers and hitting nine-dart finishes all after Luke Littler burst onto the scene with his run at the World Championship 12 months ago.
A sport that already has its fair share of rising talents is about to get a whole lot more and Hearn warned that they are ready to knock the teeth out of others and that Littler is merely the tip of the darting iceberg.
"I would probably liken it to the arrival of Tiger Woods winning his first Major," he told the Sunday Times.
"Tiger was playing golf at two. Littler has been playing darts since birth almost it seems like. The similarities are there. Littler is bringing in a whole audience of youngsters, commercially he’s a huge success, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg."
"The guys coming through are going to knock your teeth out. Littler is not just a once-in-a-generation prodigy. He’s the guy holding the flag for the next generation of superstars and they are coming through in huge numbers.
"We’ve already seen the start of it. On the junior tour, these kids are ten years old throwing nine-darters. Because of the interest, predominantly from Littler and his success story, kids are being inspired and their parents are encouraging them. Trust me when I say, in the next five years, we have a tsunami of talent that will change the game."
Will never get tired of watching this🏆🥹 pic.twitter.com/F7QJovv3GA
— Luke Littler (@LukeTheNuke180) January 5, 2025
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- No, I wasn't expecting Heta to be in it either having won nothing of any significance. Although he is charismatic and has personality unlike the boring and dull as dishwater Dobey. It is quite pathetic and desperate the way Bunting and Arsepinall pander to the crowd to dance to their walk on music, that has worked though. I would like to see more players involved on a weekly basis similar to the Modus Super Series. A knockout tournament with 16 winners from each week. The Premier league is too boring with the same players. Plus it would eliminate all the whining and booing from unselected players.richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- Why is World Champion Richie Burnett not highlighted in bold font nor 2 time World Champion Scotty 2 Hotty. COME ON RICHIE BURNETT AND SCOTTY 2 HOTTY Although where the hell has 2 HOTTY been the past year!richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- It's not tennis, snooker or golf, nobody mentioned Fallon,great as she is. Beau beats her week in,week out. But she isn't interested. If you want to include crowd pleasers,get Les Wallace back!!! He was a world champion,and wore a kilt!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I'm glad wright and van Ben bergh were overlooked. Too much dancing,not enough darting. Bunting is always quality,as for price,he's a crowd pleaser(!!?) too. Aspinall has had his problems,but it's nice to see him back,he's a decent chap. Dobey is a top player,big hitter,so I won't complain. Cross will finish bottom,much as I like him,he seems to be off lately. I'm glad they didn't pick a Belgian just for the audience. But I don't agree with the tournament or format,so I guess it's immaterial to me. They might as well turn up at a random pub and play for the beers!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I think the PDC's choice is too conservative. EIther or both of Damon Heta and Mike de Dekker should have been in, at the expense of Aspinall and possibly Price. I guess the PDC's reasoning is that they do not want too much turnover from year to year, and so having already rejected Smith and Wright, they have kept Price and Aspinall, but I guess those two are "on probation".
UndartedWaters06-01-2025 - Two from the three of Price, Aspinall and Dobey should have been excluded, De Decker and Edhouse should have been in. I would have offered a place to Beau Greaves though i doubt she would have accepted it and probably not really ready for it confidence wise.Mysstree06-01-2025
- Tennis has a protected ranking system for injuries and Golf has a system that as a Major winner you get invited back of a number of years regardless of your ranking. Barry Hearn gave Stephen Hendry a wildcard for some tournaments though he still had to enter at the qualification stage. Doubt the PDC would give Burnett an exemption as he has never won a PDC Major, same would apply to Steve Beaton. It’s a slippery slope to abandoning a meritocratic system, if the PDC did do so they could then (for example) award a place to Fallon Sherrock even though she has yet to qualify at any level for a tour card.Mysstree06-01-2025
- I'd have said the same about Ady Lewis,but the PDC is indeed a law unto itself,so sorry bud,get your leg kicking and do it for the good lads!!rick6705-01-2025
- COME ON RICHIE BURNETT Surely a World Champion and player with the calibra of Richie should be exempt from ever losing a tour card and having to qualify.richieburnettrocks04-01-2025
- That's true, Richie. Taylor used to call it, "Manley's millions."MrYnyslas197103-01-2025