Luke Littler is looking to win back-to-back World Darts Championships next month and become only the fourth person in history to do so.
The 18-year-old has had a year to remember in 2025, winning six TV titles as well as becoming the youngest ever world number one in PDC history.
Whilst The Nuke’s game passes the eye test, defending your World Championship is something different.
So how did the other three get on during their year between titles and how does Littler’s year stack against theirs?
Gary Anderson, 2015-16
Anderson was the last person to defend their World Championship.
He kicked off his year with a semi-final in the World Darts Masters before a stellar Premier League campaign saw him lift the title.
He reached another two finals in the World Cup of Darts and European Championships that year but neither yielded any titles.
Anderson entered his defence with a Premier League and two Pro Tour titles to his name.
Whilst nothing to sing and dance about The Flying Scotsman had a solid year, albeit in the shadow of world number one Michael Van Gerwen.
Adrian Lewis, 2011-12
Adrian Lewis made history when he hit a nine-dart finish in the final on his way to the World Championship.
That would be the major highlight of Jackpot’s year, as 2011 turned into a rather disappointing season.
Lewis made some deep runs, with two finals appearances in the Premier League and European Championships alongside a couple of semi-finals on TV.
He ended that year with zero titles after his World Championship success, something that was rare in his hall of fame career.
Phil Taylor, 2009-10
Taylor has actually done this three times on his own, winning three in a row between 2004 and 2006, after winning a whopping eight in a row between 1995 and 2002.
A singular set from John Part in 2003 stopped Taylor from having a record of 12 World Championships on the spin.
It actually took him until 2008 not to make a final of the competition.
Here, we look at his most recent in 2009-10.
After his domination of Raymond Van Barneveld in 2009, Taylor won pretty much everything in his path.
The Power entered his title defence with another six major titles, including an 18-4 battering of Terry Jenkins in the World Matchplay
All three defending World Champions highlighted here have had relatively different years to each other. Taylor was dominant, Anderson was decent and Lewis, whilst consistent, was underwhelming.
Anderson and Lewis proved you don’t need to be dominant to do it, but Littler has that Phil Taylor feeling about him.
His game is effortless, and his form is dominant, so it would be no shock to see him join this list of all-time greats.
