‘What happened?’ – Michael Smith cuts head DURING Grand Slam of Darts loss to Luke Humphries to leave rival baffled
The Grand Slam of Darts witnessed one of its most unusual moments on Thursday night when former world champion Michael Smith appeared to suffer a small, unexpected head cut mid-match, leaving opponent Luke Humphries and the crowd at Aldersley Leisure Village confused and concerned.
Humphries went on to win the clash convincingly, booking his place in the quarter-finals, but much of the post-match discussion focused on the moment that briefly brought the match to a halt.
The moment everything stopped
Midway through the sixth leg, Smith stepped back from the oche and touched the side of his forehead after feeling something unusual. Cameras showed a minor mark above his right temple, prompting murmurs around the arena.
Referee Kirk Bevins paused the contest, while Humphries — who was leading at the time — looked over and asked:
“What happened?”
Smith shrugged, still unsure, as officials provided a towel to help him clean up.
“I honestly don’t know how I did it” – Smith explains
After the match, Smith revealed he remained puzzled about what caused the issue.
“I stepped back after throwing a dart and suddenly felt something. I didn’t knock anything, I didn’t catch myself — it just happened. Honestly, I’ve never experienced anything like that before.”
He stressed that he did not feel faint or uncomfortable, though the interruption briefly disrupted his focus.
“It threw me off a bit, yeah. You don’t expect something like that in the middle of a game of darts.”
Humphries: “It looked strange from where I was standing”
Humphries, who maintained his clinical form with a 102+ average, praised Smith for continuing but admitted the moment looked odd from his perspective.
“I just saw him touch his head and realised something wasn’t right. It looked strange from where I was standing. Credit to him for carrying on — anything unexpected like that can break concentration instantly.”
The match resumed after a short delay, though Smith struggled to regain rhythm.
Medical staff confirm it was a minor issue
PDC medical personnel checked Smith after the match and confirmed it was a very small surface-level cut, likely caused by:
- A sharp flight edge
- A clipped stem during follow-through
- Or brushing against part of the board or surround
No additional treatment was required.
Smith’s tournament ends — but his mood stays light
Despite the defeat and early exit, Smith maintained a sense of humour afterwards, posting:
“Only I could end up with something like that playing darts 🤦♂️. Congrats to Luke — he was class tonight.”
Fans responded with supportive and good-natured comments, joking about the unexpected “action-movie moment” on the oche.
Bottom line
Michael Smith’s Grand Slam journey ended with an odd and unexpected interruption — a small head cut that briefly stopped play and even left Luke Humphries asking what had happened.
Humphries marches on.
Smith leaves Wolverhampton with a memorable story — one few darts players can claim.
