Luke Littler’s Triumphant Night at the Winter Gardens
Luke Littler just tore up the darts record books. On July 27, 2025, the teenager shocked fans and pros alike at Blackpool’s iconic Winter Gardens, grabbing his first ever World Matchplay Darts title in a match fans won’t soon forget. Facing 2007 champion James Wade, Littler kept his cool and bounced back from a 5-0 deficit, finishing 18-13 and making history as the youngest winner in the event’s 32-year run.
If you watched the opening few legs, you’d never have believed Littler would pull it off. Wade came out hot, racing five clear. But Littler wasn’t just there to make up the numbers. He clawed back, snatching nine of the next 11 legs to flip the script. His final average? A jaw-dropping 107.24 – one of the highest ever seen in a World Matchplay final.
Littler hammered in a tournament-record 17 maximum scores, treating the crowd to explosive moments at almost every turn. When it came time to wrap things up, he produced a single, scintillating 115 checkout to seal the deal – his only ton-plus finish of the match, and the perfect exclamation point on a ferocious comeback.
Darts’ Triple Crown and Shocks in Blackpool
This wasn’t just any title. Littler’s win completed the sport’s elusive Triple Crown: the World Championship in January, the Premier League in May, and now the World Matchplay. Only four others have ever done it, all much older and more experienced. Littler now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with darts legends before being old enough to order a pint in the States.
The 2025 tournament had drama from day one. Defending champ Luke Humphries saw his run cut short after just one round, losing a close 10-8 battle to Gian van Veen. It wasn’t just Humphries suffering upsets – Michael van Gerwen, a giant in the sport, went out in the second round to Josh Rock. Rock looked hungry but was stopped in the semi-finals by Littler, 17-14, after earlier taking out the third seed.
James Wade wasn’t just making up numbers himself. By the final, he’d survived a brutal semi against Jonny Clayton that finished 20-18. Wade, once crowned Matchplay champ in 2007, looked poised to reclaim a big title but just couldn’t keep Littler’s relentless pace.
And it wasn’t just the men’s event serving up fireworks. The Women’s World Matchplay brought its own excitement, with Lisa Ashton lifting the trophy after battling through a stacked field, giving fans even more of a reason to watch the Blackpool stage.
Littler’s win does more than just add a major piece of silverware to his cabinet. At just 18, he’s become the face of the next generation in darts. Each record he breaks and title he collects signals a new era – one where anything feels possible, and where fans are lining up just to see what the teenager will conquer next.