Paul Hunter was likened to David Beckham for his glamorous hairstyles (Image: Getty)
Hearing the name Paul Hunter carries a bittersweet memory for snooker fans and players, but views his -esque effect on the sport as a positive one after his tragic death at the early age of 27.
Hunter was a three-time Masters champion in 2001, 2002, and 2004 as he climbed to the summit. He was a master on the felt with incredible resilience, battling his way back from a 10-9 deficit to take the crown on all three occasions.
In the 2004 event, Hunter overcame O’Sullivan in a clash dubbed the ‘Battle of the Hair Styles’ due to their glamorous hairstyles. He was for his golden locks and charismatic personality at the table.
But in March 2005, Hunter received some tragic news after being diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumours. However, he continued to play snooker for several months afterwards.
Only 18 months later, he passed away shortly before his 28th birthday in October 2006 – leaving the snooker world in mourning over the loss of one its finest players. Several stars attended his funeral, with O’Sullivan breaking down in tears at the service.
His impact was reflected in the tributes to the Sheffield native. A tournament in Furth, Germany, was named in his honour, while the Masters prize was renamed the Paul Hunter trophy in 2016.
But perhaps the most glowing praise came from his friendly rival O’Sullivan, as the ‘Rocket’ spoke at length about his seismic impact on snooker on the 20th anniversary of their epic final.
“Paul was an unbelievable talent. He definitely had that star power and transcended the game. He was the Beckham of the snooker, wasn’t he?” Sullivan said earlier this year.
Paul Hunter won the Masters in 2004 against Ronnie O’Sullivan (Image: Getty)
Paul Hunter’s impact on snooker was compared to David Beckham’s icon status in football (Image: Getty)
“He was a good-looking boy. He always had a smile on his face and was a good lad. He was brilliant for the game, he was a lovely lad and had a lovely family. I had some good times and some good memories with Paul.
“He will never be forgotten, all the players loved him. He will always be in the hearts of the snooker players and everybody who knew him.”
In snooker’s golden era in the mid-2000s, O’Sullivan included himself and Hunter amongst snooker’s greatest players of all time along with Mark Williams, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Matthew Stevens.
“I’ve always said that snooker enjoyed a golden era when Hendry, Higgins, Williams, Stevens, the great Paul Hunter and myself were battling it out,” he added.
Paul Hunter played snooker just months before his death in October 2006 (Image: Getty)
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“I truly believe that was the best top six ever.”
In addition to his Masters success, Hunter also tasted success at three ranking events, winning the Welsh Open twice, in 1998 and 2002, and the 2002 British Open.
He made 114 century breaks and, while he never experienced the high of maxing out at 147, he did manage a 146-break in the 2004 . He was at the peak of his powers, reaching number four in the world, and posthumously won the Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award.
While he never got the chance to finish his career like Beckham did with football, Hunter remains an icon in his sport 18 years on from his death – proving that his legacy is long-lasting.