The darts world could be heading towards one of its most entertaining experiments yet, with two of the sport’s biggest legends throwing their support behind a WWE-style Royal Rumble competition.
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis are among those backing the idea of bringing a Royal Rumble format to darts, following the huge attention generated by Netflix’s controversial Beat Luke Littler challenge.
And if Taylor gets his way, fans could eventually see some of the biggest names in darts history entering the stage one after another, with no one knowing who will appear next.
The 16-time world champion has even suggested that he would enjoy taking part himself. Considering Taylor’s legendary career and his history of dominating opponents, the prospect of seeing him return for such an unusual competition would undoubtedly attract attention.
But there is a bigger question here: has traditional darts become too predictable, and is it time for the sport to embrace something different?
Phil Taylor wants something different from traditional darts
Taylor knows better than almost anybody what it takes to succeed in professional darts.
During his extraordinary career, he won 16 PDC World Championship titles and established himself as arguably the greatest player the sport has ever produced.
However, the former world number one believes there is room for a different kind of competition.
The proposed Royal Rumble would offer a welcome alternative to the familiar tournament structure, where players repeatedly compete over traditional 501 matches.
Taylor has indicated that he likes the unpredictability of the concept and would be interested in participating.
He even joked about throwing Luke Littler off the stage, borrowing the language and entertainment style of professional wrestling.
That comment alone demonstrates the kind of personality-driven entertainment that could make this competition attractive.
Imagine Taylor’s famous walk-on music playing while a younger generation of players waits to discover who their next opponent will be.
It would be a major moment for darts, particularly if the organisers managed to bring together legends and current stars.
How would a darts Royal Rumble actually work?
The concept takes inspiration from WWE’s famous Royal Rumble wrestling event.
Instead of wrestlers entering a ring at timed intervals, darts players would arrive at the oche one after another.
The proposed format would begin with two competitors playing a single leg of 501.
The winner would remain on stage, while the loser would be eliminated.
A new challenger would then enter and attempt to defeat the player who had survived the previous encounter.
This process would continue until all 30 participants had entered the competition.
The last player standing would be crowned the Royal Rumble champion.
The biggest attraction would be the element of surprise.
Players would not necessarily know who was waiting to challenge them next, meaning the arrival of a legendary name could completely change the atmosphere inside the arena.
It would also create opportunities for unexpected matchups that traditional tournaments rarely deliver.
Imagine Adrian Lewis surviving several challenges before suddenly hearing Phil Taylor’s walk-on music.
Or a young prospect believing he has secured another victory before an experienced former world champion walks onto the stage.
That is precisely the sort of entertainment the format could offer.
Netflix’s Luke Littler experiment changed the conversation
The renewed discussion comes after Netflix’s Beat Luke Littler event demonstrated that darts could attract a different audience through unconventional formats.
The programme placed the world number one against a collection of challengers, with each competitor receiving an opportunity to beat him in a single leg of 501.
The prize was an extraordinary £501,000.
However, the event was not without controversy.
Netflix had initially promoted the competition as an opportunity for everyday players to take on Littler. Yet the eventual line-up included several recognisable names and accomplished players from the darts circuit.
That led to criticism from fans who questioned whether the competition was truly an amateur challenge.
Nevertheless, the spectacle delivered one of the biggest talking points in darts.
After defeating numerous challengers, Littler eventually lost to Fallon Sherrock, who produced a brilliant 14-dart leg to claim the £501,000 prize.
Sherrock’s victory became a major talking point, while Littler’s defeat provided the dramatic ending that made the event memorable.
My biggest takeaway is that audiences do not necessarily need to watch another conventional tournament to enjoy darts.
Sometimes, changing the format and introducing a little unpredictability can create something much more exciting.
Netflix understood that opportunity, even if the execution was not without its problems.
Adrian Lewis could be another major attraction
Lewis supporting the idea is particularly interesting because he is another player whose name carries enormous weight in darts.
The two-time PDC world champion enjoyed some incredible moments during his career, including his back-to-back World Championship triumphs in 2011 and 2012.
He also formed a successful partnership with Taylor for England, helping the country win the World Cup of Darts four times.
Lewis has returned to competitive darts after spending more than two years away from the sport, although he has not returned to the regular PDC Tour Card circuit.
A Royal Rumble competition could provide an interesting opportunity for players like him to compete in a different environment.
It would also give fans a chance to see familiar faces competing against a mixture of current professionals, emerging talents and former champions.
And that is where the organisers need to be clever.
They should not simply invite 30 established professionals and expect the format to become a success.
The real attraction would be mixing different generations and giving the audience unexpected matchups.
The MODUS Super Series has already explored the idea
Interestingly, this is not the first time the darts Royal Rumble concept has received serious attention.
Luke Littler previously expressed enthusiasm for the idea, while former major winner Paul Nicholson also helped bring the proposal into the public conversation.
The MODUS Super Series subsequently announced plans for its own Royal Rumble-style darts event in January 2026.
Names featured in its promotional material included Steve Beaton, Robert Thornton, Kevin Painter, Fallon Sherrock and Adrian Lewis.
That announcement suggested the idea was moving beyond conversations between players and pundits.
However, the participation of active PDC Tour Card holders presents a potential complication.
Players competing under PDC Tour Card agreements cannot simply enter every independent event without considering their contractual restrictions.
That could prevent some of the biggest current names from participating unless suitable arrangements are made.
Taylor and Lewis, who are not currently competing as PDC Tour Card holders, could be particularly interesting additions.
Whether Taylor actually comes out of retirement for such a competition remains another question entirely.
Why the PDC should take this opportunity seriously
Personally, I believe the Royal Rumble concept deserves a serious opportunity.
Darts has become increasingly popular, but popularity should not mean organisers become comfortable repeating the same formula.
Traditional tournaments remain important. The World Championship, Premier League and other major competitions should never lose their identity.
However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with introducing a separate entertainment competition designed to attract new viewers.
The biggest mistake would be trying to make the Royal Rumble another conventional ranking tournament.
It should be different.
Give fans surprise entrances, legendary players, unexpected challengers and short, high-pressure matches.
A single leg of 501 can be brutal. Even the best player in the world can lose if he misses one crucial double.
That is what makes the concept so appealing.
There is also an important fairness issue to consider. A player entering near the beginning could potentially face many more opponents than someone arriving towards the end.
The organisers would need to accept that imbalance as part of the entertainment format or introduce rules that make the competition fairer.
But that should not be a reason to abandon the idea.
Could we see Phil Taylor face Luke Littler again?
Perhaps the most exciting possibility would be bringing together Taylor and Littler.
The two generations represent different eras of darts, and a surprise meeting between them would undoubtedly attract enormous interest.
Littler has already shown that he enjoys the entertainment side of the sport, while Taylor appears enthusiastic about the possibility of competing in an unconventional format.
A Royal Rumble could create the perfect opportunity for that meeting without requiring either player to commit to a full traditional tournament.
Of course, there is no confirmed agreement for either man to participate.
But the fact that Taylor, Lewis and Littler have all shown interest in the concept should encourage organisers to keep exploring it.
Netflix has demonstrated that darts can be presented in a completely different way without losing the excitement of the actual sport.
Now it is up to the organisers to turn that interest into something sustainable.
A darts Royal Rumble featuring Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Fallon Sherrock and other major names could be one of the most entertaining events on the calendar.
And if Taylor really wants to throw Littler off the stage, fans would certainly be interested in seeing how that particular rivalry unfolds at the oche.