On a crisp Monday afternoon, March 31, 2025, the darts world witnessed a dramatic twist of fate as Ian White, a seasoned veteran known as “Diamond,” delivered a stunning upset at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan. Just 93 days after Luke Littler, the teenage prodigy dubbed “The Nuke,” had claimed the PDC World Darts Championship title in a blaze of glory, White turned the tables, knocking the reigning champion out in a nail-biting last-leg decider. The final score—6-5—belied the intensity of a match that saw White average an electrifying 104, a performance that sent shockwaves through the oche and reminded everyone that in darts, no crown is safe forever.
Littler’s journey to this moment had been nothing short of a fairy tale. At just 17 years and 347 days old, he’d stormed Alexandra Palace in January, dismantling Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to become the youngest world champion in darts history. That victory, sealed with a £500,000 prize and the Sid Waddell Trophy, capped a year where he’d already clinched the Premier League, Grand Slam, and World Series Finals, rocketing from obscurity to world No. 2. “Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy,” he’d said after that triumph, his voice thick with disbelief. “You’ve got to get through a tough field. I can’t believe it.” His 2024 had been a whirlwind—10 titles, four nine-darters, and a record-smashing 771 maximum 180s—making him the sport’s brightest star and a household name.
But on this day, the script flipped. White, a 54-year-old Potteries stalwart with a career stretching back decades, stepped up as the unlikely avenger. The two had a history—back in the Runcorn pub leagues, White had regularly bested Littler’s grandfather, a tale that added a layer of poetic justice to this clash. Their paths had crossed again at the World Championship, where Littler had dispatched White 4-1 in the fourth round en route to the title. “I learned a lot,” Littler had reflected after that tournament, hinting at the lessons from his relentless march to glory. This time, though, White had his revenge, proving that experience can still trump youthful exuberance.
The match itself was a rollercoaster. Littler, who’d arrived in Wigan off a quieter stretch since his world title win, started unevenly, his darts occasionally straying like a graffiti artist’s spray paint. White pounced, leveling the contest as Littler missed four of his first 17 doubles. The crowd, sensing an upset, roared as the veteran held firm. But Littler, ever the fighter, clawed back, his 12 maximum 180s—a tally that pushed his yearly count to 788—restoring a flicker of his championship aura. “I’m playing with confidence and freedom,” he’d said earlier in the year, and flashes of that swagger emerged as he took out 88 on the bullseye to regain the lead. Yet White, averaging over 104, refused to buckle, forcing the match to a decisive 11th leg where his precision finally outshone Littler’s firepower.
For White, this victory was a throwback to his prime, a reminder of the days when he reached the World Championship quarterfinals in 2014. “It’s a battle,” he might have thought, channeling the grit that’s kept him in the game for over 30 years. For Littler, it was a rare stumble—just his third loss in 2025 across major events—but hardly a derailment. “I just want to get to the O2 as quick as possible,” he’d said recently about the Premier League playoffs, a goal still within reach as he leads the table with 21 points. His 101.54 average against Nathan Aspinall in the World Championship semifinals lingered as proof of his ceiling, even if this day belonged to White.
The broader context amplifies the stakes. Littler’s World Championship win had sparked a darts renaissance, drawing record TV audiences and inspiring kids to pick up arrows. His rivalry with Luke Humphries, the world No. 1 he’d toppled in the Premier League final with a nine-darter, had set the sport alight. Yet here was White, a journeyman with no major PDC titles, showing that the old guard still has teeth. “I have not picked my darts up since last Thursday,” Littler admitted after a recent win, hinting at a laid-back approach that might have left him vulnerable.
As the dust settles, this upset—93 days after Littler’s crowning moment—adds a thrilling chapter to his saga. White’s revenge isn’t the end of “The Nuke’s” reign but a jolt, a reminder that every champion faces challengers. With the Premier League’s next stop in Newcastle looming, where Littler faces Humphries in a blockbuster final rematch, the teenager’s resolve will be tested. For now, White basks in his moment, a diamond glinting brightly in the shadow of a supernova.
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