Straight out of the gate in 2025, Stephen Bunting started the 12 months in model by securing the Bahrain Darts Masters title with a formidable 8-4 victory in opposition to Gerwyn Worth.
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Sky Sports activities darts journalist Megan Wellens says Stephen Bunting is the ‘easiest choose’ for the 2025 Premier League exterior the PDC Order of Benefit prime 4.
Bunting’s first World Collection win comes after the Ally Pally crowd appeared to fall in love with ‘The ‘Bullet’ over again throughout the festive interval, along with his social media presence and iconic walk-on making him the Folks’s Champion on the ‘Folks’s Palace’.
Earlier this month, it was introduced that Bunting would return to the Premier League in 2025 – stay on Sky Sports activities – and be a part of the likes of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen throughout the 17 venues all through the competitors.
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Hundreds of followers throughout the UK and Europe will probably be bellowing out Bunting’s David Guetta walk-on monitor ‘Titanium’ for the subsequent few months, with the world no 5’s loyal followers hoping to be going ‘Bunting psychological’ all the best way to the play-offs at The O2 in Could.
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“He is a gentleman, he is every thing you need in a darts participant,” Sky Sports activities Darts presenter Michael Bridge remarked. “He has a fascinating nature”.
However the place did all of it begin within the PDC for the ‘The Bullet’?
Bunting’s change to the PDC
Simply over a decade in the past, in late January 2014, then-current BDO world champion Bunting switched allegiances and agreed to take part within the PDC after receiving a Tour Card. Since then, it has been a wild trip for the St Helens man.
Later that 12 months Bunting started life within the PDC with a bang on the 2015 World Darts Championship, with emphatic victories in opposition to Robert Marijanović, James Wade and Michael Smith, earlier than finally succumbing to a slim defeat to darting legend Raymond van Barneveld.
After their gruelling battle, which ended 5-4, the Dutchman said Bunting was ‘among the best of the very best’ in entrance of an upstanding Ally Pally crowd. This now iconic speech highlighted that Bunting had cemented himself within the PDC by gaining respect from a darting icon.
Maybe, this was an indication that there was extra within the tank for Bunting.
The following decade of PDC occasions had some ups and downs, together with a disappointing first-round exit in opposition to Darren Webster in 2017 after Bunting unbelievably missed seven match darts.
Nevertheless, a semi-final run in 2021 and an unlucky 5-3 defeat by the hands of eventual winner Michael Smith in 2023 had been notable occasions the place eyes had been on Bunting once more on the World stage.
How the darts world has gone ‘Bunting psychological’
It was maybe December 2024, in the beginning of the 2025 World Darts Championship, the place Bunting started to shine brightest since becoming a member of the PDC over a decade in the past.
On his option to the semi-final, Bunting put Luke Woodhouse to the sword in a 4-0 rout and cruised previous two-time world champion Peter Wright to arrange a conflict in opposition to teenage sensation Luke Littler, the place Bunting would finally bow out of the match.
“Clearly, in that semi-final, he performed Luke Littler and it is genuinely one of many first occasions the place I used to be not sure which particular person this crowd goes to help extra,” Sky Sports activities digital journalist Megan Wellens revealed.
“He has completely discovered learn how to get the gang within the palm of his hand, as a result of you possibly can even see him following his little routine that he does, the place he is aware of precisely what he is doing at every second”.
Alongside Bunting himself, darts followers have turn out to be accustomed to seeing Tobias – Bunting’s eldest son – cheering him on from the side-lines. This apparent household bond showcases the down-to-earth relatability that has helped The Bullet appeal his manner into the hearts of many darts followers.
“He represents the traditional working class and I feel he’s the epitome of that. However he is so open and beautiful with followers,” Wellens added.
Michael Bridge echoed this sentiment.
“You possibly can inform he is a pleasant particular person. He is additionally an excellent participant,” he emphatically exclaimed.
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So, with the start of the 2025 Premier League simply across the nook, we’ll quickly discover out if the Bunting prepare will proceed full steam forward and attain much more dizzying heights.
Sky Sports activities will as soon as once more be residence of the Premier League in 2025, with each evening completely stay together with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and extra! Not bought Sky? Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.