Darts legend hits back at ‘boring’ Luke Littler haters and compares world champion to British boxing legend

RUSS BRAY has rubbished claims that Luke Littler is making darts “boring”, insisting fans should enjoy witnessing a once-in-a-generation talent rather than complain about his dominance.

The legendary referee believes the teenage sensation deserves admiration, not criticism, as he continues to rewrite the sport’s record books with an astonishing run of success.

At just 19, Littler has already captured the World Championship, Masters, UK Open, Premier League, World Cup of Darts and World Matchplay titles this season.

Now, the world No. 1 is chasing an achievement never seen before in professional darts — completing a clean sweep of every major title in a single calendar year.

His relentless success has prompted some fans to argue that tournaments have become too predictable, but Bray completely rejects that view.

Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “What we tend to do is build sportsmen up.

“Look at Frank Bruno. Poor old Frank had two or three unsuccessful world title fights and everybody loved him.

“The minute he became world champion, people suddenly wanted to find as much dirt as they could on him and knock him down.

“That’s what tends to happen. When you’ve got someone who’s successful and winning all the time, people start saying, ‘Oh, it’s boring’.

“It’s not boring. It’s fantastic to watch. Praise the lad for what he is, because he is an absolutely wonderful talent.”

Littler’s meteoric rise has transformed him into one of Britain’s biggest sporting stars, with the teenager set to headline his own live Netflix event later this year.

The show, scheduled for October 30, will see the reigning world champion take on 20 amateur players in one-leg 501 contests, with any challenger who defeats him walking away with a staggering £501,000 jackpot.

Despite Littler’s extraordinary form, Bray insists the youngster is far from unbeatable.

“I’m not saying Luke won’t beat most of them — he probably will,” Bray added. “But I don’t think he’ll necessarily go 20-0 against all 20 players.

“The odds and percentages say somebody will have a chance.

“There are kids out there aged nine, ten and eleven throwing nine-dart legs.

“If you’ve got someone like that up against Luke, then he’s going to be in trouble. It also depends who throws first. That’s another important aspect.”