In the heart of Basel’s St. Jakobshalle, where the air crackled with the electric hum of 5,000 fervent fans and the metallic ping of darts finding their mark, Stephen Bunting etched another chapter into his red-hot 2025 campaign. The 39-year-old Englishman, affectionately dubbed “The Bullet” for his lightning-quick throws and unyielding precision, dismantled Luke Woodhouse 8-3 in the Swiss Darts Trophy final, clinching his second European Tour title of the year with an average that danced just shy of perfection at 103.87. It was a performance laced with dominance and defiance—a clinical checkout on 96 in the third leg set the tone, and by the tenth, a blistering 177 setup left Woodhouse scrambling, the Liverpudlian sealing the deal with ruthless efficiency. For Bunting, this wasn’t just another trophy; it was validation of a season reborn, a testament to the quiet alchemy of preparation, mindset, and, yes, a pair of audaciously spiky shoes that have become the talk of the oche.
The final unfolded like a masterclass in controlled chaos. Woodhouse, the gritty 32-year-old from Essex making his first PDC final appearance, started strong, edging the opener after both men spurned early doubles. But Bunting, his broad frame coiled like a spring, hit back immediately with a hold on double 18, then pounced on a missed bullseye to break throw and surge to 3-1. Woodhouse clawed one back on double nine, his face a mask of determination honed from years of near-misses, but “The Bullet” was unforgiving. A 121 checkout midway through flipped the script, and from there, it was a procession: legs fell like dominoes, with Bunting’s checkout percentage hovering at an imposing 50%, his walk-on music—a thumping rendition of “Y.M.C.A.”—echoing the joy of a man finally firing on all cylinders. Post-match, as confetti rained down and the crowd chanted his name, Bunting lifted the crystal trophy aloft, his grin wide enough to light the arena. “What a way to end the weekend—I’m over the moon,” he beamed, sweat beading on his brow under the spotlights. For Woodhouse, gracious in defeat, it was another heartbreaker: “Luke’s a tough competitor, but tonight was his night. Hats off to him.”
Yet, beneath the glory lay a peculiar detail that had fans buzzing long before the final dart: Bunting’s footwear. Gone were the standard trainers; in their place, a pair of custom kicks with sharp, protruding spikes on the toes, glinting like miniature arrows under the arena lights. The choice wasn’t mere eccentricity—it was tactical genius, born from the grind of endless practice sessions where polished floors and relentless footwork exact their toll on expensive sneakers. “If someone upsets me, they’ll feel these,” Bunting quipped with a mischievous wink during his on-stage interview, drawing roars from the Swiss faithful clad in green St Helens scarves and novelty “Bullet” hats. The spikes, he explained, grip the oche’s edge like claws, preventing slips during those high-stakes setups and offering a psychological edge—a subtle reminder that this unassuming family man from St Helens packs a punch. Fans online erupted in memes and mock endorsements, dubbing them “The Spike Effect,” but for Bunting, it was simple pragmatism: “These bad boys keep me planted—literally. No more sliding on sweaty boards mid-180.”
This Basel blitz caps a dream run for Bunting, whose 2025 has been a phoenix-like resurrection from earlier ashes. Just months ago, he endured a brutal start to the Premier League, dropping his first eight matches and staring down the barrel of irrelevance. But Night Nine in Berlin flipped the script: two regulation wins, then a nail-biting 6-5 semi-final triumph over Michael van Gerwen, culminating in an 11-7 final demolition of Gerwyn Price for his maiden nightly victory. “It feels unbelievable,” he had said then, the words still ringing true as he parlayed that momentum into his first European Tour crown at the Elten Safety Shoes International Darts Open in Riesa. There, a 8-5 final win over Nathan Aspinall—averaging a blistering 100.19—propelled him into the world top four and atop the ProTour Order of Merit for the first time in his 11-year PDC odyssey. Riesa’s WT Arena, packed with a record 8,300 souls over the weekend, witnessed history: Bunting’s path included a 105.51 average against Cameron Menzies, a 6-2 quarter-final rout of Karel Sedlacek, and a heart-stopping 7-6 semi-final decider over world No. 1 Luke Humphries, sealed with an 11-dart finish after trailing 4-1. “Two wins over Luke in a week? Dreams are made of this,” Bunting reflected, his voice thick with emotion.
The Swiss Darts Trophy added another layer to this tapestry of triumph. Seeded through on form, Bunting dispatched Krzysztof Ratajski 6-3 in the afternoon’s third round, his checkouts crisp as autumn air. The evening’s quarterfinal saw him edge Ryan Searle 6-4, before a semi-final statement: 7-3 over Cor Dekker, the Dutch youngster who had stunned Chris Dobey earlier. Woodhouse, meanwhile, grinded through Jermaine Wattimena (6-2) and a 6-5 thriller against Searle—no, wait, his path was a mirror of resilience: a 6-5 quarterfinal squeaker over Searle, then a commanding 7-3 semi over Dekker. But against Bunting’s barrage, it wasn’t enough. This victory, his sixth of the season including two World Series gongs and a pair of Players Championship scalps, nets Bunting £30,000 and vaults him closer to the Tour Card’s elite echelons. Off the board, it’s a story of balance: the former BDO world champion, who defected to the PDC in 2014 amid whispers of prodigy status, juggles darts with fatherhood—his two young sons often spotted in the crowd—and a no-nonsense training regimen that’s shed pounds and sharpened focus.
As the oche cools in Basel, Bunting’s gaze turns to Leicester’s Players Championships next weekend, where heavyweights like Humphries, Aspinall, and a resurgent Michael van Gerwen lurk. The European Tour rolls on to Munich’s German Darts Grand Prix, but for now, “The Bullet” savors the spike in his step. From Premier League redemption to continental conquests, his journey underscores darts’ raw allure: a blend of brute force, fine margins, and footwear flair. In a sport where legends are forged in 180s and heartbreak, Bunting’s spiky soles remind us—sometimes, if the shoe fits, it pins the double. With six titles already in the bag and the World Championship horizon beckoning, St Helens’ finest isn’t slowing down. “Load of ducks, load of Bunting mental hats, and load of absolute idiots dressed in green—thank you for turning up and supporting me,” he roared to the crowd, the words a battle cry for battles yet to come. In 2025, the Bullet isn’t just flying; he’s soaring, spikes and all.
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