Phil Taylor didn't hesitate when asked who would win darts match between him and prime Michael van Gerwen
The darts legend knows exactly how a matchup would have played out during his prime.
Phil Taylor knows exactly what would happen if he could have faced Michael van Gerwen during his prime.
Having a claim a record 16 Darts World Championship titles, it's hard to argue against Taylor being the greatest player in the history of the sport, though many players have attempted to rival the Englishman's achievements.
When it comes to challenging Taylor's status as the GOAT, Van Gerwen has perhaps come closer than any other player having won 47 PDC majors, placing him second in the all-time list behind Phil Taylor.
But when asked about the Dutchman, Taylor made it clear exactly what would happen if the two were to face off when Taylor was in his prime.
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Although Taylor and Van Gerwen did face off against each other on numerous occasions, it was long after Taylor's prime years as he was approaching his sixties.
Despite this, the darts legend still got the better of his rival more often than not, as he won 33 and drew two of their 61 meetings, giving him a win record of 55.74%.
And if they had met each other even just ten years prior when Taylor was in his prime, the Englishman knows exactly what would have happened
“I would have done him,” Taylor told The Telegraph in 2017.
“Trust me. I would have done him mentally. I would have smashed anybody if I was their age.”
A year later, Taylor announced his retirement from darts following the 2018 World Championship, where he finished second.
The legend continued competing in the Senior Darts Tour for several years but announced that his retirement from the sport altogether at the end of the last season at the age of 64.
"It's been an unbelievable journey over the past 35 years and I've loved every minute of it," Taylor said when announcing his retirement.
"I'll always love performing to the best of my ability, but time waits for no man and I know now is the right time to step away from the Tour."
Meanwhile Van Gerwen has continued to compete at the highest level of the sport and recently missed out in the final of the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, losing to young sensation Luke Littler.
Topics: Michael van Gerwen, Darts
Ben McCrum