Ricky Evans has shared a remarkable anecdote from his darts career, revealing that he once played part of a professional tournament without underwear. During the 2018 Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, the English crowd favorite, nicknamed "Rapid Ricky," reached the final while standing at the oche without boxers for three matches.
Evans impressed on the European Tour, tearing through the draw at his trademark blistering pace. He ultimately lost the final 8-5 to Ian White, but what nobody knew at the time was that Evans played the latter rounds without underwear. Speaking to talkSPORT, Evans admitted the incident stemmed from a mix of a bad meal, nerves, and a lack of spare clothing. "I got to the final once on the European Tour in Maastricht and I played Ian White," Evans said. "I played with no pants on."
The Englishman laughed as he told the story, though he didn't delve deeply into the exact details. "I don't really want to go into detail because we had food and I didn't really help myself," he said. "I shouldn't have done what I did and I had no spares. So, I took them off, chucked them in the bin, and I played the next three games without any boxers." According to Evans, a combination of nerves and fast food likely played a role, with McDonald's as a potential culprit. He recalled his then-manager grabbing food with Stephen Bunting before they were set to drive home. "I think I might have had McDonald's and maybe the adrenaline or pressure of winning games. I thought it was safe, but it backfired."
Surprisingly, the awkward situation had little impact on his performance. In fact, Evans felt it gave him a slight edge. "It was brilliant, a bit of air. I remember one of the games my zip was not going up and I thought this is just what I need," he said. On his way to the final, he beat players like Joe Cullen and William O'Connor without anyone in the arena or backstage noticing. "I remember the players I beat — Joe Cullen, William O'Connor — and I had no boxers on all day. I was like I'd love to win this today with no boxers on."
