Littler Opponent Turned Back on Darts and ‘Blocked PDC’ After Worlds Shock
Joe Cullen has vowed to walk away from darts for four weeks and shut the door on his practice room after a controversial World Championship exit that saw him brand his opponent a “cheat” in an explosive social media rant.
The 36-year-old Yorkshireman crashed out of the tournament in the second round following a heated 3-1 defeat to Austrian Mensur Suljovic, with the loss opening the door for world champion Luke Littler’s eventual path to glory at Alexandra Palace.
“If That’s Darts, I Don’t Want No Part of It!”
Cullen took to social media immediately after the match to unleash a furious attack on Suljovic, accusing him of deliberately employing gamesmanship tactics that crossed the line into cheating.
“If that’s darts, I don’t want no part of it!” Cullen wrote on X. “Always liked Mensur away from the board but that was plain for all to see! I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. The old guard will say it’s part of the game but word it how you will – it’s CHEATING! That’s not darts.”
The match descended into controversy as Suljovic took an extended amount of time retrieving his darts between throws and celebrated excessively after winning legs. Referee Kirk Bevins was forced to intervene during the contest, warning the 53-year-old Austrian that his post-leg celebrations were dragging on too long.
Tension Boils Over on Stage
Cullen’s frustration was evident throughout the match. The former Masters champion started brilliantly, taking the opening set in dominant fashion while averaging well. However, his level dropped dramatically as Suljovic’s tactics appeared to get under his skin.
At one point during the match, Cullen could be seen muttering “hurry up” as Suljovic composed himself between throws. The tension reached its peak after Suljovic threw the winning dart and immediately ran off to celebrate on the side of the stage, leaving Cullen waiting for a handshake.
When the pair finally embraced at the oche, Cullen’s body language told its own story. As Suljovic flexed his muscles in front of the Ally Pally crowd, ‘The Rockstar’ shot him a pointed glare that made headlines around the darting world.
Doubling Down Days Later
Speaking to local press in his hometown of Bradford days after the match, Cullen refused to back down from his assertions, despite having time to cool off and reflect.
“It was a bit of a head loss from myself afterwards, though I still don’t agree with what Mensur does,” Cullen admitted. “I know he plays that way most of the time, but he was worse than usual. 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***hole.”
“I still personally think it is cheating,” he continued. “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. He knew exactly what he was doing and he did exactly what I expected, just a little bit worse.”
Walking Away from the Game
In a remarkable admission that shocked the darts world, Cullen revealed he plans to completely disconnect from the sport for an extended period following the disappointing end to what has been a difficult year.
“I can’t wait to be honest,” Cullen said when asked about his plans. “I’ve not got any tournaments now until the end of January (the World Masters) so I might look at going on holiday next month.”
“Even if I don’t, I’ll just be spending time at home. I won’t pick my darts up again until about a week or two before the tournament, so I’ll have a solid four weeks away from the game. The door of my practice room will definitely be shut for the next four weeks.”
Suljovic Denies Wrongdoing
For his part, Suljovic categorically denied intentionally provoking his opponent and refused to apologize for his conduct.
“I never, ever do this as a provocation,” Suljovic insisted in his post-match press conference. “I do it only for my game. I like my game – I never do it to be a villain. Sorry Joe, I never do this – I love you man.”
When asked if he had apologized to Cullen, Suljovic was defiant: “I’ve never said sorry to Joe Cullen in person, never. What’s his problem? Sorry maybe for the referee but for Joe Cullen? Never sorry. Everybody play different.”
Littler Sided with Suljovic
Interestingly, Luke Littler – who went on to face Suljovic in the third round – took the opposite view from Cullen, siding with the Austrian’s approach.
“I didn’t see anything wrong – that’s just how he plays,” Littler said before demolishing Suljovic 4-0 en route to his second consecutive world title.
Pundits Weigh In
Sky Sports pundit Glen Durrant offered his perspective on the controversy, suggesting Cullen should have kept his thoughts off social media.
“You know what Mensur Suljovic is going to do and we try to portray that on the commentary as well,” Durrant explained. “Sometimes we do go on social media just maybe too much in the moments. He didn’t break any rules. The referees spoke to Mensur during it, dealt with that perfectly well.”
Dan Dawson was more blunt in his assessment: “Mensur has broken Joe Cullen’s brain in that one. He couldn’t stop Mensur at the end.”
A Disappointing Year Ends Badly
The early exit caps off what has been a disappointing campaign for Cullen, a player many had tipped to be a possible World Championship contender in recent seasons. This marked the first time since the 2020 edition that he failed to reach the third round at Alexandra Palace.
Cullen’s world ranking has slipped to 35th, and his frustrations with his form throughout 2025 were evident in his comments.
“When you’re slipping down the rankings and you’re doubting yourself, there is nothing worse in darts,” he said earlier in the season. “I had all-sorts going on away from darts and I wasn’t practising.”
While Cullen takes his extended break from the sport, the darts world will continue without him. His four-week hiatus means he’ll miss crucial practice time in the build-up to the World Masters at the end of January, where he’ll need to rediscover his form if he’s to arrest his slide down the rankings.
Whether the break proves beneficial or detrimental remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the explosive nature of his World Championship exit has ensured this won’t be the last we hear about the Cullen-Suljovic controversy.
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