"They say you either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain. At a feverish and hostile Alexandra Palace, the same crowd that cheered Luke Littler on as a 16-year-old boy now jeers him to victory as an 18-year-old man. The character arc has come full circle; the heel turn complete. He is three matches from retaining his world title, and remains the overwhelming favourite to do so."
"As he finally skewered the winning dart to beat the spirited Rob Cross 4-2, he spun around to rebuke the audience that had done everything in its power to rattle him, from cheering his missed doubles to singing for Michael van Gerwen instead. NOW WHAT? he screamed at the sea of rented fancy dress, once and then twice. The heckling continued, surged even, and had still not abated by the time Littler gathered for his stage interview."
"I'm not bothered, I'm not bothered, really I'm not bothered, he said with all the firmness of a man so unbothered he needed to make the point three times. Can I just say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you're paying for my prize money. So thank you for my money. Thank you for booing me. COME ON!"
Luke Littler encountered a hostile Alexandra Palace crowd that once celebrated him but now jeered his victory, reflecting a rapid shift in public sentiment. He beat Rob Cross 4-2, confronted the audience and insisted he was unbothered while noting that ticket buyers contribute to his prize money. Littler stands three matches from retaining the world title and remains the overwhelming favourite despite the heckling. The crowd reaction underlines a broader appetite for dramatic, electrifying moments over steady dominance. Littler’s demeanor aligns with a modern sporting persona that treats praise and condemnation as interchangeable metrics.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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