Peter Wright: Two-time world champion targeting five titles and becoming world No 1 | Darts News

Raz Mirza

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After reclaiming the World Championship, Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright has put his name alongside some of the greats of the game, but now the Scot, who seems to be getting better with age, now has greater ambitions of dominating planet darts for a long time to come

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Peter Wright says he celebrated his second world title with a Pot Noodle and a cup of tea but struggled to get any sleep

From tyre fitter to double World Darts champion, Peter Wright has proven he is more than capable of dealing with pressure. The man known as ‘Snakebite’ plans on holding aloft the Sid Waddell Trophy a further three times before he even contemplates retirement.

Wright, who competed in the 1995 BDO World Championships at Lakeside as an unrecognisable twenty-something, found things hard going and quit professional darts to work as a builder and tyre fitter.

Fast-forward a few years later and it was Peter’s hairdresser wife, Joanne, who convinced him to return to the game after they watched the Grand Slam of Darts on TV.

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Wright and Smith exchanged FIVE ton-plus finishes in their Ally Pally epic

Wright says his wife Jo was the source of inspiration in getting him back playing darts

“I was saying to Jo ‘I can beat him’, ‘I can beat him’, ‘I can beat him’ and then Jo said ‘why don’t you give it a shot?’ and we did,” Wright recalled. “I earned £1,200 in the first year, which was terrible.”

Wright returned to the oche before his 40th birthday and just four years later he was playing in the world final against Michael van Gerwen.

He finished as runner-up to the Dutchman that year with MVG fast becoming the bane of his life.

‘Snakebite’ famously squandered six match darts in the 2017 Premier League final to lose to ‘The Green Machine’.

But Wright showed why he is made of the right stuff by maintaining his focus and belief to win three big titles in 2020 – including the Worlds.

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Wright won the 2021 World Matchplay in Blackpool before completing a unique double with victory at Ally Pally on Monday night

Before the start of the World Matchplay, Wright claimed he would win the event in Blackpool and then walk away with his second world title. With odds of 80/1, it would have taken a brave person to bet on Wright winning both tournaments.

Typically, he proved the doubters wrong by sealing both titles in a little over five months – an incredible achievement – as he joined Phil Taylor, Van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Rob Cross as the only other players to have completed the unique double.

So what’s next for Wright? Well, the Scot has plans to hold aloft the Sid Waddell Trophy a further three more times before he even thinks about retiring from the game.

Despite playing for all the accolades so late in life at the age of 51, Wright believes he is only just reaching his peak.

“No retirement plans at the minute; Jo won’t let me,” smiled Wright. “While I can upset the class players that are around at the moment I’ll carry on playing.

“Even if I did retire, I won’t retire, retire, I’ll just stay in the rankings and then when [PDC chairman] Eddie Hearn makes it £1m a winner, I might just start a week of practice ready for that one.

“I can definitely win another three before I’m too old.”

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Snakey paid an emotional tribute to runner-up Smith

Wright, who celebrated his 7-5 victory over Michael Smith with a Pot Noodle and a cup of tea, wore a pair of lucky pants when he won his maiden title at Alexandra Palace.

There were no lucky pants on show this time around, but rather a pair of lucky socks with scary IT star Pennywise on his right foot and the former WWE legend The Ultimate Warrior on his left.

Wright, who has become somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde character at Ally Pally, says he enjoys playing the joker. After all, he’s had the last laugh.

“The crowd like me because I wear crazy outfits and I’ve got crazy hair, but I think I get booed now because I’m becoming an old stager and winning stuff,” Wright said.

“They always like the underdog, everyone likes the underdog. In the amount of sports I watch I’d cheer on the underdog because you want them to win against the top players. It was nice when I was the underdog when I was playing the top players.

“It makes it hard, but you learn to ignore it. The worst thing you can do is react to it. Hit 180s because that will make them stand up and make them cheer even though they hate you.”

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Here’s the moment Wright lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for a second time

Wright’s Premier League heartbreak in 2017 still haunts him so it’s an ambition of his to finally lift the trophy for the first time and overtaking Gerwyn Price to become world No 1.

He said: “The Premier League in 2017 was one of many titles that I had given away, but obviously, as you know I have changed and I’ve learned how to win, so it’s proof that if I focus on certain tournaments I can achieve those dreams.

“That’s why I’m saying that I’m focusing on the Premier League and fingers crossed.

“I don’t know [the line-up] but it’s going to be a really strong field. It’s about time I focussed on that tournament and try and win it.”

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