Luke Littler has been told in no uncertain terms that his increasingly theatrical on-stage behaviour is a double-edged sword — and that he had better keep winning if he is going to keep playing to the crowd.
The warning came from an unlikely source: WWE champion Drew McIntyre, who told SPORTbible that Littler needs to understand the price of going full “heel” in professional sport. McIntyre, a long-time darts fan who has his own brand of arrows with Target Darts — the same manufacturer that manages Littler — said the world champion should lean into his villain persona and start “running his mouth.” But he delivered a stark condition alongside the encouragement: “As long as you keep the performances and the victories going — you have to win when you talk that much trash. More people are going to show up, it’s going to generate interest for darts. If he starts leaning into that and running his mouth like he did in that one interview after the crowd were giving him a bit of stick, that’s what makes attendances grow.”
The Scottish wrestler drew a comparison to Muhammad Ali, pointing out that people tend to forget Ali was not always universally popular. “Eventually if you just keep winning, winning and winning people get bored of it and then he’s probably getting some of the stick that’s getting to him,” McIntyre said. “So lean into it.”
The interview came in January after Littler’s infamous post-match speech at the World Championship, where, after a hostile reception from the Alexandra Palace crowd, he told fans: “I’m not bothered. Really not bothered. You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize so thanks for booing me.” The moment went viral and was even picked up in the United States, where former WWE wrestler and commentator Pat McAfee addressed it in a segment he titled “Luke Littler has turned heel.”
But if the World Championship crowd incident lit the fuse, the Manchester bust-up with Gian van Veen in Night 9 of the 2026 Premier League was a full detonation. Following Van Veen’s deciding-leg victory, Littler was seen throwing his hands up at the Dutchman before appearing to shout at the crowd, then making a ‘crybaby’ gesture before a swift exit from the stage. Reacting on social media, one fan wrote: “Not even sure why Luke was p****d off. No gamesmanship from Gian as far as I’m aware. Phenomenal player is Littler, but extremely immature that was.” Another said he had “absolutely no class,” while a third concluded: “Littler’s embarrassed himself once again.”
Wayne Mardle’s verdict on Sky Sports was blunt. Calling the incident precisely as he saw it, he said Littler had started something he could not finish, and delivered the most cutting summary of the whole episode: “He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and he won’t be doing that again.”
The consequences have already made themselves felt. A week after Manchester, Littler produced his worst-ever televised average of 83.94 in Brighton, losing in the quarter-finals to Stephen Bunting, with Wayne Mardle stating on Sky Sports: “It would be more of a coincidence if we said it had nothing to do with last week — it was a knock-on from that.”
Littler has since given his version of events, insisting the fist pump that started everything was directed at his girlfriend Faith and her father, not intended as a taunt. He also revealed that what the cameras did not pick up was Van Veen placing his darts down on the table in front of him. “He’s the one who was not doing his job of being respectful. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone put their darts down in my face,” Littler said. “When he won, I picked up my darts and said, ‘Well done, you got the win.'”
He also attempted to draw a line under the whole affair. “I wouldn’t say the fallout — it is what it is, it is done. Obviously the fans in Brighton didn’t let it go, I let it go. I think everyone needs to forget about it now.”
But with a potential semi-final meeting with Van Veen looming in Rotterdam on Thursday, and a Dutch crowd of 15,000 waiting to give their verdict, McIntyre’s warning still rings loudly: the WWE playbook only works if you keep picking up the wins.
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