Michael Smith, a darts prodigy from Merseyside is also called bully boy, know the nickname meaning
The St. Helens-born celebrity hopes to experience triumph tonight in London.
Smith, known to supporters as “Bully Boy,” came close to winning last year when he made it to the 2022 World Championship final but lost to Peter Wright. As he challenges Michael Van Gerwen tonight, the 32-year-old will look to improve.
Explained why is Michael Smith darts player called bully boy and nickname meaning
The World Dragon Cup is held every year in London from December to January, with the winner receiving £2.5 million in prize money.
Smith, a St. Helens native who started playing darts as a teenager, was left on crutches for months at the age of 15 after falling off his bike while travelling to St. Cuthbert’s School. Smith threw his first-ever 180 at this point.
How he has gotten the moniker “Bully Boy”?
Smith revealed a few years back that the moniker Bully Boy actually has nothing to do with throwing darts. “I used to work on a cattle farm near Littleborough, and I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of work, so I wouldn’t do it for a living, he remarked. That’s how I got the moniker “Bully Boy”; it had nothing to do with darts. I was asked to assist in tagging the newborn calves by the farm owner, who had previously worked as a bouncer at my aunt’s bar when the cows gave birth.”
“I was covered in cowpats and cow mud for 35 minutes. They didn’t always appreciate it, and I once had one on its back with my fingers in its nostrils. He referred to me as a bully, which is how the moniker developed.”
Smith’s Darts journey
Smith entered the World Championships in 2012 as a professional dart player but was eliminated after losing in the first round. Bully Boy wouldn’t get past the third round of the competition until 2016 when he made it to the quarterfinals. Then, in 2019 and 2022, he came in second. All of St Helens will be rooting for the darts pro to win tonight’s match against Dutch Van Gerwen (January 3).
The class of Smith was evident in Monday’s semifinal when he narrowly defeated world No. 25 Gabriel Clemens to take the lead. Smith sought to build on this immediately, and in the fourth set, he pinned in a breathtaking 161 finish that even won the respect of his opponent.
Michael Smith eventually defeated his German opponent 6-2 to advance to the final, which will be held on January 3 at 8 p.m. at London’s Alexandra Palace. You can watch the championship on Sky Sports Darts.