In a surprising twist, Luke Littler has defeated Phil Taylor in a battle of steady hands – not at the oche, but over a tower of wooden blocks.
The highly anticipated showdown between the current PDC World Darts Champion and the 16-time world champion was revealed by Target Darts to be a Jenga competition.
After weeks of speculation about this "first-time ever" meeting, fans discovered the two darting legends weren't testing their arrow-throwing abilities, but rather who could keep their nerve in a different kind of pressure situation.
The darting world had been buzzing with anticipation since Target Darts first announced the meeting.
Phil Taylor was beaten by Luke Littler... at Jenga
PASocial media erupted with excitement, with fan Holly Dawes from Staffordshire posting on X: "Two champions, this is the Ultimate! So excited for this!"
George Harvey from Aylesbury compared it to "Mike Tyson vs Tank Davis".
Wolverhampton's Dan Fellows saw it as having "Rocky Balboa vs Tommy Gunn vibes".
The speculation had reached fever pitch, with fans eagerly awaiting what they assumed would be an epic darts contest.
It wasn't just fans who weighed in on the potential matchup between the two generations of darting talent.
Darting icon Bobby George told TalkSport: "Taylor was a great player, but I don't think he would have beaten Littler, even is his heyday."
Chris Mason had a different view, firing back in conversation with Online Darts.
"The averages are comparable. Taylor still has averages on inferior boards which still stack up against the elite of the last eight years. That's why it's b******s, I'm afraid."
As it turned out, their analysis of darting abilities wasn't needed at all.
The battle, commentated by Dan Dawson, saw the two champions face off in a game of Jenga.
Phil Taylor lost to Luke Littler at Jenga
YouTube
This test of skill required a steady hand to pull out blocks one at a time without collapsing the tower.
Target Darts had billed the contest as a fight to find "who has the steadiest hand under pressure."
In the end, it was Littler who maintained his composure while Taylor faltered.
The young champion proved his mettle in a different kind of high-pressure situation, toppling the legend in this unexpected challenge.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Phil Taylor was gracious in defeat
YouTube
Speaking after his victory, Littler said: "I knew that I was going to have to be at my very best to block out the noise and knock over such an incredible opponent.
"Phil is such a towering player who has set the bar so high in his amazing career, so it feels great to have kept a steady hand and secured a win against a true legend."
Meanwhile, Taylor said: "It was a high-stakes match. I thought I might've had the edge with experience, but fair play to Luke, he held his nerve, and I crumbled!
"He really knows how to take his opponent down, piece by piece. I'm sure we'll continue to see him make the right moves and reach new heights."
