If it wasn’t for a certain Phil Taylor, you wonder how many major darts titles Mark Dudbridge would have won.
Bristolian born and bred, Dudbridge is arguably the county’s finest ever darting export, appearing in two PDC major finals and a Premier League campaign.
But unfortunately for him and Bristol’s tungsten-throwing fans, the man known as ‘Flash’ would find that lightning struck twice when he took on Taylor on the big stage.
Power Up
As attention turns to the PDC World Championship this year, which will be concluded in the new year, there are a number of players with a genuine chance of lifting the trophy.
The World Darts odds have the likes of defending champion Luke Humphries (3/1) amongst their ones to beat.
And those browsing the Paddy Power darts odds will also be having a look at three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen (9/1), Gary Anderson (10/1) – the back-to-back winner in 2015 and 2016 – and World Grand Prix champion Mike de Decker (28/1).
𝗗𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗧! 🏆
— Live Darts (@livedarts) October 13, 2024
Mike De Decker becomes a major champion for the first time at the 2024 World Grand Prix courtesy of an incredible 6-4 victory over defending champion Luke Humphries in the final! 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/jIHjkWnbqB
While there’s a carousel of candidates for success at the Alexandra Palace in 2024-25, back in the early naughties there was only one darting champion: Phil Taylor.
Aside from 2003, The Power won every single edition of the World Championship between 1995 and 2006; a truly astonishing feat unlikely to be matched.
It was one of those finals, in 2005, that saw Dudbridge enjoy his halcyon day in darts.
Final Encounter
The Bristolian slowly climbed the ranks of the PDC in 2003, but truly announced himself on the big stage with a run to the final of the World Matchplay in 2004.
Dudbridge, unseeded, beat the likes of Wayne Mardle and Peter Manley, before a titanic semi-final with Ronnie Baxter saw Flash run out a 17-13 winner. In the final, Taylor was in irresistible form: averaging 100.12 on his way to an 18-8 victory.
But the confidence that Dudbridge took from that deep run at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool travelled south with him to the Circus Tavern in Essex; the then home of the World Championship.
And he would need it, given that a cruel draw left Flash with a third-round date with former BDO world champion Richie Burnett, which he got through 4-3, before a mouth-watering fourth-round encounter with another former world champ in part.
Dudbridge produced an outstanding display to down the Canadian, averaging 96.30 in a 4-2 triumph.
He went into his quarter-final with Denis Ovens as the favourite, and that confidence was justified with a 5-3 win.
That set up a semi-final with the eighth seed, Mardle, in what would prove to be a nip-and-tuck battle… Dudbridge running out a 6-4 winner.
Waiting in the final was the man himself, Taylor, who once again showed his class. Dudbridge would win four of the sets played, but the Power would reach the all-important number seven to claim the title once again.
How close Bristol came to its first-ever darts world champion!
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