Luke Littler vs. Phil Taylor: A Jenga Showdown for the Ages

In the world of darts, few names carry the weight of Luke Littler and Phil Taylor. Littler, the 18-year-old prodigy fresh off a stunning 2025 PDC World Championship victory, and Taylor, the 16-time world champion whose reign defined the sport, represent the past and future of darts greatness. While fans have long dreamed of a competitive clash between the two, their first “battle” came not at the oche but over a tower of wooden blocks. On April 1, 2025, their mutual sponsor, Target Darts, staged a quirky Jenga showdown to test who truly has the steadiest hand under pressure—a playful nod to their shared legacy.

The event, captured in a swift four-minute video, pitted the teenage sensation against the retired legend in a test of precision and nerve. Littler, riding high after his 7-3 demolition of Michael van Gerwen in the World Championship final—where he averaged over 102 and fired in 12 maximum 180s—brought his trademark coolness to the table.

Taylor, now 64 and long removed from competitive play since his 2018 retirement, leaned on decades of experience and that famous unflappable demeanor. Yet, in a twist no one saw coming, it was Littler who toppled Taylor’s efforts, winning the Jenga duel and adding a lighthearted chapter to their story.

This wasn’t the dartboard showdown fans crave—Taylor’s last PDC match came years before Littler burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old phenom at the 2023 Worlds. But the Jenga face-off offered a symbolic passing of the torch. Taylor, “The Power,” dominated darts like no one before or since, amassing 85 major titles, including a peak in the mid-2000s where he was untouchable—think 110-plus averages and relentless treble-20 precision.

Littler, dubbed “The Nuke,” is carving his own path, blending raw scoring power with a fearless finishing game, as seen in his double-10 mastery at Alexandra Palace.

The darts world still buzzes with what-ifs. In his prime, Taylor’s consistency and mental edge might have tested Littler’s youthful bravado. Yet Littler’s current form—unshaken by pressure and backed by stats like his 2025 title-winning performance—suggests he could hold his own.

For now, their only clash remains a Jenga table triumph, but it’s a tantalizing teaser of a rivalry that time never allowed on the oche. As Littler builds his legacy, Taylor’s shadow looms large—and this quirky encounter proves the legend’s still game, even if it’s just for a laugh.