‘Make it difficult’ – Stephen Bunting ‘too nice’ to Luke Littler during World Championship mauling as talkSPORT host makes plea
Stephen Bunting showed too much respect to Luke Littler – he needed to be nasty and not nice to his teenage rival. Those are the views of talkSPORT co-hosts Jason Cundy and Darren Ambrose, who were stunned by the 39-year-old’s behaviour at Alexandra Palace. Bunting’s friendliness towards Littler during their match hasn’t gone down well with some…Rex Bunting crashed out of the PDC World Championship on Thursday night – being demolished 6-1 by Littler as he was denied a first final appearance. During the encounter, Bunting was regularly seen fist-bumping and shaking hands with Littler after each set – and even when the 17-year-old hit a 180 or secured a tonne-plus checkout. His friendliness in a high-stakes game – where victory for Bunting would have seen him compete for the £500,000 jackpot prize money – shocked ex-Chelsea defender Cundy and former Charlton man Ambrose. Speaking on The Sports Bar following Bunting’s mauling, Cundy said: “Congratulations to Luke Littler, he is a special talent, there is no question of that. “But I’m sorry, what I saw there from Bunting, I can’t believe what I was watching. He got outplayed, the best man won. “But I felt that game there was too easy – off the oche. Make it difficult.” Crystal Palace cult hero Darren Ambrose added: “I agree with everything you’ve said. It’s too nice. “I’ve wrote down some names here: Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis, Peter Manley, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, Kevin Painter, Paul Nicholson. “They wouldn’t have allowed that on there [oche], they wouldn’t be so nice. Fist-bumping when you’ve hit an 11-dart leg.” An incensed Cundy then interjected: “In a semi-final? When you’re getting absolutely trounced? A whooping.” Cundy and Ambrose were far from pleased from Bunting’s antics during his semi-final defeatRex Ambrose then stressed that three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, who faces Littler in Friday’s final, will show the youngster respect by not showing him any. He continued: “He’s smart by the way Luke Littler, he’s being very friendly, very kind, he’s fist-bumping back. “I’m telling you now, Michael van Gerwen will not be doing that tomorrow.” The ex-Newcastle midfielder then offered some advice to Bunting – and Littler’s future opponents – by suggesting how they should handle the teenager during games. He said: “When you’re as good as Luke Littler, you need an edge against him, you need to play mind games, you need to get into his head. “Do you think Phil Taylor would have been fist-bumping after that? Not a chance. GettyBunting is yet to reach a World Championship final since joining the PDC in 2014[/caption] MOST READ DARTS STORIES Littler all-but guaranteed to win bizarre trophy even if he loses to Van Gerwen Get 80/1 on MVG to win the World Darts Championship with Paddy Power How far do you stand away from a dart board and how high is it? UK gripped ahead of final PDC World Championship 2024/25 betting guide 2025 PDC World Darts Championship final best odds boosts and betting offers 2025 World Darts Championship betting: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets with talkSPORT BET “If you have a nine-darter, yeah, ‘Congratulations, well done,’ but after every set that you’ve just been trounced? Absolute whooping.” Mind games have often been used by underdogs at Ally Pally, with Peter Wright expertly getting in reigning champion Luke Humphries’ head before knocking out the world No.1 in the fourth round. Chiming in, Cundy then remarked: “After the game, once you’ve been beaten, well done, shake your hand, but after it, not during.” talKSPORT caller Eddie then phoned up, where he insisted that the ‘game has gone soft’. Having the final say, Cundy said: “I do feel because Luke Littler is 17, everyone feels like, ‘Ooh I can’t treat a kid [badly].’ No. This is professional darts.” Legendary PDC referee Russ Bray then appeared on the talkSPORT Breakfast show alongside co-hosts Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour where he was also surprised by Bunting’s antics. He declared: “You look at these guys that are winners – Van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price – they wouldn’t be fist-bumping, they wouldn’t be doing that sort of thing, or smiling because someone has done this, or that. “They don’t, because they’re winners, they’ll fist-bump you after they’ve finish
Stephen Bunting showed too much respect to Luke Littler – he needed to be nasty and not nice to his teenage rival.
Those are the views of talkSPORT co-hosts Jason Cundy and Darren Ambrose, who were stunned by the 39-year-old’s behaviour at Alexandra Palace.
Bunting crashed out of the PDC World Championship on Thursday night – being demolished 6-1 by Littler as he was denied a first final appearance.
During the encounter, Bunting was regularly seen fist-bumping and shaking hands with Littler after each set – and even when the 17-year-old hit a 180 or secured a tonne-plus checkout.
His friendliness in a high-stakes game – where victory for Bunting would have seen him compete for the £500,000 jackpot prize money – shocked ex-Chelsea defender Cundy and former Charlton man Ambrose.
Speaking on The Sports Bar following Bunting’s mauling, Cundy said: “Congratulations to Luke Littler, he is a special talent, there is no question of that.
“But I’m sorry, what I saw there from Bunting, I can’t believe what I was watching. He got outplayed, the best man won.
“But I felt that game there was too easy – off the oche. Make it difficult.”
Crystal Palace cult hero Darren Ambrose added: “I agree with everything you’ve said. It’s too nice.
“I’ve wrote down some names here: Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis, Peter Manley, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, Kevin Painter, Paul Nicholson.
“They wouldn’t have allowed that on there [oche], they wouldn’t be so nice. Fist-bumping when you’ve hit an 11-dart leg.”
An incensed Cundy then interjected: “In a semi-final? When you’re getting absolutely trounced? A whooping.”
Ambrose then stressed that three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, who faces Littler in Friday’s final, will show the youngster respect by not showing him any.
He continued: “He’s smart by the way Luke Littler, he’s being very friendly, very kind, he’s fist-bumping back.
“I’m telling you now, Michael van Gerwen will not be doing that tomorrow.”
The ex-Newcastle midfielder then offered some advice to Bunting – and Littler’s future opponents – by suggesting how they should handle the teenager during games.
He said: “When you’re as good as Luke Littler, you need an edge against him, you need to play mind games, you need to get into his head.
“Do you think Phil Taylor would have been fist-bumping after that? Not a chance.
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“If you have a nine-darter, yeah, ‘Congratulations, well done,’ but after every set that you’ve just been trounced? Absolute whooping.”
Mind games have often been used by underdogs at Ally Pally, with Peter Wright expertly getting in reigning champion Luke Humphries’ head before knocking out the world No.1 in the fourth round.
Chiming in, Cundy then remarked: “After the game, once you’ve been beaten, well done, shake your hand, but after it, not during.”
talKSPORT caller Eddie then phoned up, where he insisted that the ‘game has gone soft’.
Having the final say, Cundy said: “I do feel because Luke Littler is 17, everyone feels like, ‘Ooh I can’t treat a kid [badly].’ No. This is professional darts.”
Legendary PDC referee Russ Bray then appeared on the talkSPORT Breakfast show alongside co-hosts Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour where he was also surprised by Bunting’s antics.
He declared: “You look at these guys that are winners – Van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price – they wouldn’t be fist-bumping, they wouldn’t be doing that sort of thing, or smiling because someone has done this, or that.
“They don’t, because they’re winners, they’ll fist-bump you after they’ve finished and won.
“But they aren’t going to fist-bump you because you’ve just took 170. out, well done, you’ve took the leg and maybe have even took the set.
“They’re disappointed because they haven’t won it, and that then becomes down to an attitude.”
Tune into talkSPORT for coverage of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship final from 7pm on Friday, as we bring you exclusive live commentary from Alexandra Palace. Listen via our web player, app, on DAB, or through your smart speaker.
