Peter Wright relishing prospect of playing in front of fans as world champion

‘Snakebite’ won the World Championship for the second time after beating Michael Smith 7-5 in a tense final at the Alexandra Palace on Monday.

His first crown came in 2020, but he was robbed at the opportunity of playing at the stellar events around the world as the star attraction after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic decimated the calendar.

Most of the major tournaments were cancelled and a number of events were put on behind closed doors at the end of the year.

Even though there were doubts about the World Championship being completed after a number of players caught Covid and had to withdraw, the 2022 schedule is set to be played as normal in front of fans and Wright is relishing the prospect.

“Hopefully everyone gets their jabs and that this year doesn’t get worse or nothing else comes up and this year I’ll be able to do the world series and be announced as world champion in special places that we are hopefully going to go,” he said.

“I am going to focus on the Premier League because I have never performed well there apart from my first or second year. It is about time I tried to win that one. I will focus on that.”

It was a familiar feeling of defeat for Smith, who lost a sixth major final and second at the Palace following his 2019 reverse to Michael Van Gerwen.

Smith will have nightmares about this one as he looked primed to win, leading 5-4 and 2-0 with the darts to move a set away from victory.

But Wright reeled off nine of the next 10 legs to leave ‘Bully Boy’ heartbroken and in tears.

“It’s annoying I let him play like that, I was 5-4 up and 2-0 up and I had the darts twice and I played rubbish,” Smith said.

“I was trying, I never once gave up and then emotions took over.

“The first final I lost 7-3, the second one 7-5. The next one I’ll get seven and be champion.

“I am getting used to these setbacks but I’ll be back on the dartboard in a couple of days and I’ll fight for it.

“Setbacks are there for the comebacks. I keep fighting, I keep making finals – you can’t lose in a final if you are not in a final.”