In the electric atmosphere of the PDC World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace, a second-round clash between England’s Joe Cullen and Austria’s Mensur Suljovic turned into one of the tournament’s most contentious encounters. What started as a promising match for Cullen, known as “The Rockstar,” quickly descended into frustration as Suljovic mounted a comeback, ultimately securing a 3-1 victory to advance to the third round. But the real story unfolded off the oche, with Cullen refusing to back down from claims that his opponent’s tactics crossed the line into unfair play.
Cullen stormed to an early lead, dominating the first set with sharp scoring and clinical finishing. However, as the match progressed, the pace slowed dramatically. Suljovic, nicknamed “The Gentle Giant,” took extended time retrieving his darts and celebrated each leg win with prolonged exuberance—pumping fists and lingering on stage. These actions visibly rattled Cullen, whose performance dipped amid missed opportunities. At one point, the referee, Kirk Bevins, intervened in an unusual move, issuing a warning to Suljovic for dragging out his celebrations—a rarity that underscored the tension building on stage.
The match ended with Suljovic clinching the win after Cullen squandered chances to force a decider, including missing darts that could have extended the contest. Though the players shared a brief embrace, the underlying frostiness was palpable, with glares exchanged in front of the roaring crowd. Immediately after, Cullen took to social media to vent his anger, declaring that such behavior amounted to cheating and was not in the spirit of the game.
Days later, reflecting from his hometown of Bradford, Cullen doubled down on his stance, showing no signs of regret despite the passage of time. “He knew exactly what he was doing and he did exactly what I expected, just a little bit worse,” he said. He acknowledged expecting some of Suljovic’s habitual slow play but felt it was amplified to disrupt him deliberately. “I’ve always said it since I started playing, if you’re doing something to deliberately affect the other player, I stand by believing that’s cheating.”
Cullen pointed to the referee’s intervention as validation. “He even got warned by the referee, which I’ve never seen before, so I can point my finger at Mensur and say he was an a****ole,” he added bluntly. While admitting some personal frustration—”It was a bit of a head loss from myself afterwards”—he emphasized that his own subpar finishing, despite superior averages in scoring and doubles, should not have cost him the match. “Ultimately he was very poor and that’s the most frustrating thing for myself, because I should win that game comfortably.” The combination of missed darts and his opponent’s tactics, he explained, formed “the tip of the iceberg” in a buildup of irritation.
Suljovic, for his part, brushed off the accusations, insisting his style is simply how he plays. He denied any intent to provoke, explaining that he might wait up to 40 seconds before his first throw to settle, and apologized only potentially to the referee—not to Cullen. “Sorry maybe for the referee, but for Joe Cullen? Never,” he stated. “Everybody plays different.”
The incident has sparked wider debate in the darts community about gamesmanship versus legitimate tactics. Slow play and expressive celebrations have long been tools in a player’s arsenal to unsettle opponents, but Cullen argues there’s a line. “I’ve always got on with Mensur pretty well, so it was disappointing,” he noted, highlighting the personal sting. Even teenage sensation Luke Littler weighed in, siding with Suljovic by saying, “I didn’t see anything wrong—that’s just how he plays.”
This controversy comes during a thrilling World Championship, where upsets and high drama are par for the course. Cullen’s early exit marks a disappointing end to a challenging year for the former Masters champion, who now plans a break from the board until early next year—perhaps even a holiday to recharge. Meanwhile, Suljovic moved forward, though his path was blocked in later rounds.
The episode serves as a reminder of darts’ psychological edge: beyond the arrows, it’s a battle of nerves under the bright lights. As the tournament resumes after the Christmas break, fans will watch closely to see if such tactics resurface, knowing that in this high-stakes arena, mind games can be as decisive as a 180.
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