{"id":88271,"date":"2023-11-29T13:34:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T13:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/?p=88271"},"modified":"2023-11-29T13:34:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T13:34:46","slug":"all-11-world-darts-championship-winners-reunite-for-one-night-only-so-how-many-can-you-recognise-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/sport\/all-11-world-darts-championship-winners-reunite-for-one-night-only-so-how-many-can-you-recognise-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"All 11 World Darts Championship winners reunite for one night only – so how many can you recognise? | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN told Phil Taylor "you were lucky I wasn\u2019t born ten years earlier" as darts \u00adlegends came together to mark 30 years of the PDC.<\/p>\n
All 11 winners of the professional World Championship attended a celebration at\u00a0the Leicester Square Theatre.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And while 16-time world champion Taylor was the headline act, Van Gerwen couldn\u2019t resist ribbing The Power about their rivalry.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman said: \u201cPhil\u2019s so lucky I wasn\u2019t born early!\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Gerwen, 34, who claims to live rent-free in Taylor\u2019s head, added: \u201cPhil has always been scared of me anyway. He doesn\u2019t want to tell anyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn every interview, they ask him questions. What is your favourite meal, Phil? \u2018Yeah, Michael, Michael, Michael\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhil, where did you go on holiday? \u2018Yeah, Michael, Michael, Michael\u2019. Always.\u201d<\/p>\n MVG and Taylor met three times at world level and the Stoke thrower won each time, most notably 7-4 in the 2013 final at Ally Pally.<\/p>\n Mighty Mike, a three-time world champion, said: \u201cI had chances to beat him. It\u2019s annoying. It\u2019s probably my biggest regret at the world championship.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I played him three times and should have won two of those games. I didn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou can only blame yourself for that. That\u2019s probably my biggest mistake I made at the world championships.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to stay truthful to yourself or you will never be a better player. If you want to compete with the big boys and if you want give it to them, you have to perform.<\/p>\n \u201cDeep inside his heart, Phil knows I was the one who made it really difficult for him in loads of games.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you still have to do it. I did it in loads of other tournaments but never at the world championships.\u201d<\/p>\n Taylor \u2014 who retired from the PDC circuit following his 2018 final defeat by rookie Rob Cross \u2014 regaled the crowd with some colourful stories of his career.<\/p>\n The 63-year-old spoke about paying himself a minimum wage in the\u00a0 build-up to the worlds. He said: \u201cI was a fanatical practiser. I was so dedicated.<\/p>\n \u201cI paid myself \u00a3200-a-week wages so I was always skint. As if I was on the breadline.<\/p>\n \u201cI could have \u00a31million, \u00a32m or \u00a33m in the bank but for me I was skint.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was my motivation. A lion that has eaten will not fight as hard as one that is hungry.<\/p>\n \u201cI had 30 houses, I was worth millions but, in my opinion, I was only worth this much.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever isn\u2019t prepared for the world championship now, you\u2019re a fool.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re talking \u00a3500,000 for the winner. That\u2019s life-changing money \u2014 your mortgage paid.\u201d<\/p>\n Two-time champ Adrian Lewis is off the competitive circuit for mental health reasons so it was good to see him in good form \u2014 even if\u00a0he is not yet planning a comeback.<\/p>\n Host Dan Dawson claimed a Royal Protection Officer once nearly pulled a gun on Jackpot.<\/p>\n And Lewis, 38, recalled: \u201cI had just come off stage after reaching my first final in 2011.<\/p>\n \u201cPrince Harry came up to me, put his arms round me.<\/p>\n \u201cAs people have seen me do loads of times, I kiss people.<\/p>\n \u201cOn this occasion, it was Prince Harry. Then the shock hit me. Oh my God. I\u2019ve just kissed Prince Harry.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was security looking at me. I\u2019m thinking: \u2018Oh s**t, here we go\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/picture>house rules <\/span><\/p>\n
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