Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis has claimed that Phil Taylor would still be the dominant force in darts today, even against current sensation Luke Littler, citing Taylor's unrivaled class and notorious psychological tactics. Speaking to the Double Tops podcast, Lewis explained that Taylor often broke opponents mentally before a dart was thrown, saying, "He had a few tactics to beat his opponent before they stepped onto the oche. But in all honesty he was so good it wouldn’t have mattered." Lewis added that despite claims the game's standard is higher now, he disagrees, noting, "Everyone says the game is so much better now, but look at the averages and they’re actually lower than what they were 10-15 years ago." He emphasized Taylor's consistency, stating, "Phil was so consistent and would still be the one to beat if he was still playing," and backed him over Littler: "Luke is an amazing player but I’d still back Phil to beat him without a shadow of a doubt." As an example, Lewis recalled a Grand Slam semi-final where he averaged 117 but was losing 9-8 to Taylor, saying, "I was basically hitting two 180s a leg and losing."
Lewis detailed Taylor's mind games, describing childish pranks that disrupted opponents. He said, "He was the master of the mind games and there wasn’t much he didn’t do to us behind the scenes," and shared a specific anecdote: "You’d go to the toilet, come back and your dart case would be missing. He loved playing childish pranks like that just to wind everyone up." These antics extended off stage, such as on a business-class flight to Australia where Taylor flicked nuts at Lewis, prompting Lewis to warn, "if one more nut touches me you’re having the bowl over you." Later, when Taylor's manager Bob Glenn fell asleep, Taylor put two nuts up his nostrils, with Lewis concluding, "That’s the sort of thing he’d do – we’d have so many laughs together."
The article, dated Thursday, 19 March 2026 at 15:30, was written by Lucas Michael for PDC, and includes related links to other darts news, but no additional facts about Lewis, Taylor, or Littler beyond those explicitly stated. Lewis's comments highlight Taylor's enduring legacy and psychological edge in the sport.
