Phil Taylor would have beaten Luke Littler by driving him mad with ‘childish pranks’, says two-time World Darts champion

Phil Taylor would have beaten Luke Littler by driving him completely mad with a series of “childish pranks” designed to get inside his head before a dart was even thrown.

That’s the verdict of two-time World Darts champion Adrian Lewis, who believes “The Power” would still be the man to beat if he were competing in today’s era — regardless of how dominant Littler has become.

“The Nuke” has rapidly established himself as a force of nature since bursting onto the scene, transforming the sport with his fearless scoring and remarkable composure under pressure. His meteoric rise has seen him climb to World No.1, collecting major titles along the way, including two World Championships, back-to-back UK Opens, and a Premier League Darts crown — alongside a growing list of other achievements.

However, Lewis is adamant that even this new generation of elite talent would struggle to cope with Taylor at his very best. In fact, he believes the 16-time world champion would still dominate the modern game — not just because of his ability, but because of his unmatched consistency and psychological edge.

Speaking on Double Tops, sponsored by BetMGM, Lewis explained that while Taylor did employ tactics to unsettle opponents before matches, his natural brilliance meant he hardly needed them.

“He had a few tactics to beat his opponent before they even stepped onto the oche,” Lewis said. “But in all honesty, he was so good it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”

Lewis went even further, dismissing the idea that the modern standard of darts has surpassed previous generations.

“If you put him against the current crop now, he’d still win everything,” he insisted. “Everyone says the game is so much better now, but when you actually look at the averages, they’re lower than what they were 10 to 15 years ago.”

For Lewis, Taylor’s relentless consistency is what truly sets him apart — a level that today’s players, including Littler, would find incredibly difficult to live with over the course of a match.

“Phil was so consistent and would still be the one to beat if he was still playing,” he added. “Luke is an amazing player, but I’d still back Phil to beat him without a shadow of a doubt.”

Lewis also pointed to a personal experience that perfectly illustrates just how devastating Taylor could be at his peak. Recalling a semi-final clash at the Grand Slam of Darts, he revealed that even producing one of the greatest performances of his career wasn’t enough.

“When I played him in the Grand Slam semi-final, I was averaging 117 and I was still 9-8 down,” Lewis said. “What else can you do in that situation? I was basically hitting two 180s a leg and still losing.”

Beyond his extraordinary skill, Taylor was also widely regarded as the undisputed master of mind games — someone who could disrupt opponents mentally long before they stepped up to throw.

Lewis shared several stories that highlight the lengths Taylor would go to in order to gain an advantage, often using humor and mischief to throw rivals off balance.

“He was the master of mind games and there wasn’t much he didn’t do to us behind the scenes,” Lewis explained. “You’d go to the toilet, come back, and your dart case would be missing. He loved playing childish pranks like that just to wind everyone up.”

One particularly memorable incident took place during a flight to Australia, where Taylor’s antics went to another level.

“We were flying in business class and he kept flicking nuts at me,” Lewis recalled. “I turned to him and said, ‘If one more nut touches me, you’re having the bowl over you!’”

Taylor eventually stopped — but only briefly.

“Not long after, his agent, Bob Glenn, started snoring,” Lewis continued. “Then suddenly he stopped. I looked around, and Phil had put two nuts up his nostrils.”

“That’s the sort of thing he’d do,” Lewis said. “We had so many laughs together, but at the same time, you always knew he was trying to get inside your head.”

It’s that unique combination of elite-level dominance, relentless consistency, and mischievous psychological warfare that convinces Lewis that Taylor would still come out on top — even against today’s biggest stars.

And when it comes to a head-to-head with Littler, Lewis has absolutely no doubts about who would win.