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Van Gerwen Calls for Wright Retirement
24 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Michael van Gerwen urged Peter Wright to retire after his World Darts Championship exit.
- Wright was defeated 3-0 by Arno Merk in the second round at Alexandra Palace.
- Wright's performance has declined, with a fall outside the top 32 rankings imminent.
Michael van Gerwen has publicly stated that Peter Wright should retire from professional darts. Van Gerwen expressed no surprise at Wright's second-round elimination from the World Darts Championship, describing his recent performances as "crap."
Wright, a two-time world champion, was defeated 3-0 by Germany's Arno Merk at Alexandra Palace. This early exit marks a continuation of a challenging year for the 55-year-old, who has seen a significant drop in his rankings and has struggled in televised tournaments over the past two years.
Fellow darts veteran Gary Anderson offered a different perspective, urging for patience and suggesting that players cannot maintain peak performance constantly. Wayne Mardle, a Sky Sports pundit, lamented watching Wright's performance, acknowledging the difficult questions the defeat might prompt for the champion, while hoping he does not make a "knee-jerk reaction" regarding retirement.
