Ross Smith believes he knows the best player out of the two darts legends (Image: Getty)
Ross Smith has ended the debate on who was better between prime and Michael van Gerwen with a one-word statement on social media. The English player has faced off against his fellow countryman and the Dutch star a total of 17 times – and despite playing Van Gerwen more, he is adamant Taylor is the best in the darts world.
While on his way down to the Ladbrokes UK Open on Thursday, Smith took to X (formerly known as Twitter) for an impromptu question-and-answer session with his fans when one of them asked about the athlete’s thoughts on two opponents. The tweet read: “Prime Mvg vs Prime Phil Taylor?” In a succinct one-word answer, Smith simply put: “Taylor.” The star and world number 19 player has faced Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor on just three occasions – winning one and losing the other two matches.
Taylor is widely considered to be the greatest darts player of all time, having won 214 professional tournaments – including an astonishing 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships.
In comparison, Smith has faced Van Gerwen 14 times, winning four and losing 10 – the most recent defeat coming during the European Tour, where the Dutchman won 7-3 on September 22, 2024.
Van Gerwen has won 47 major titles, including three World Championships and a record seven Premier League titles. He has won 157 professional tournaments since his debut in 2002, and is currently still a big-hitter in the darts world.
Taylor has won 86 major titles in darts (Image: Getty)
Taylor retired in 2018, after he was dealt a 7-2 loss in the World Darts Championship final at the hands of Rob Cross. At the time, the legend said he “tried my best” but it was “a mismatch” due to his lack of energy for winning major titles in his veteran years.
Meanwhile, Van Gerwen’s latest appearance in a major final was against the young Luke Littler in the World Darts Championships earlier this year. The Dutchman was dominated 7-3 by the now-18-year-old – who won the coveted trophy in just his second appearance at the tournament.
While the debate can continue on who is the better primetime player out of Taylor and Van Gerwen, the Englishman holds the title for most tournaments and major trophies won – and it’ll take the 35-year-old a while to catch up.