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World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby Pink Ball

Started watching snooker 40 years ago, so I was too young to remember anyone telling me Thorburn and Steve Davis would never win the World Championship. So here’s a list of players since 1985 that went on to win the World Championship having heard — at least once, but in nearly all cases too many times to keep count — they would never win the World Championship:

Dennis Taylor
Joe Johnson
Stephen Hendry
John Parrott
Ken Doherty
John Higgins
Mark Williams
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Peter Ebdon
Shaun Murphy
Graeme Dott
Neil Robertson
Mark Selby
Stuart Bingham
Judd Trump
Last edited by Pink Ball on 29 Mar 2020, edited 1 time in total.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby Pink Ball

SnookerFan wrote:Who told you that John Higgins would never be World Champion? Sounds like a real expert.

There was actually a lot of doubt over Higgins being able to handle the Crucible atmosphere. He hated the Crucible starting out there.

In 20 years time, people will probably not believe that Trump was widely tipped to never win it.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby SnookerFan

Pink Ball wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Who told you that John Higgins would never be World Champion? Sounds like a real expert.

There was actually a lot of doubt over Higgins being able to handle the Crucible atmosphere. He hated the Crucible starting out there.

In 20 years time, people will probably not believe that Trump was widely tipped to never win it.


Fair point.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby TheRocket

Hendry won the World title as a 21 year old. Higgins was 22.
Hard to believe they were people who believed they would never win the World title.

For me they are two criteria to justify doubts .

1. If you are not a consistent topplayer or even a journeyman (Johnson/Dott/Bingham prior to 2011)
2. If you are a topplayer but still havent won it in your 20's.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby Pink Ball

TheRocket wrote:Hendry won the World title as a 21 year old. Higgins was 22.
Hard to believe they were people who believed they would never win the World title.

For me they are two criteria to justify doubts .

1. If you are not a consistent topplayer or even a journeyman (Johnson/Dott/Bingham prior to 2011)
2. If you are a topplayer but still havent won it in your 20's.


The players you mentioned are, indeed, the ones I head it least about for those very reasons.

But, yes, I'd heard it said about Hendry and Higgins. People thought Higgins couldn't hack the Crucible. Some people said Hendry was the worst World Champion ever when he won it in 1990.

Don't shoot the messenger. I thought it was utter bucking nonsense on both counts.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby Juddernaut88

Pink Ball wrote:
TheRocket wrote:Hendry won the World title as a 21 year old. Higgins was 22.
Hard to believe they were people who believed they would never win the World title.

For me they are two criteria to justify doubts .

1. If you are not a consistent topplayer or even a journeyman (Johnson/Dott/Bingham prior to 2011)
2. If you are a topplayer but still havent won it in your 20's.


The players you mentioned are, indeed, the ones I head it least about for those very reasons.

But, yes, I'd heard it said about Hendry and Higgins. People thought Higgins couldn't hack the Crucible. Some people said Hendry was the worst World Champion ever when he won it in 1990.

Don't shoot the messenger. I thought it was utter bucking nonsense on both counts.



Wow, can't believe some people said Hendry was the worst ever champion in 1990 lol, I'm pretty sure he won like 3 ranking titles that season and the Masters and was world number 1 before the world final. They must have felt absolutely stupid a few years later.

Re: World Champions I was told would never be World Champion

Postby Pink Ball

Juddernaut88 wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:
TheRocket wrote:Hendry won the World title as a 21 year old. Higgins was 22.
Hard to believe they were people who believed they would never win the World title.

For me they are two criteria to justify doubts .

1. If you are not a consistent topplayer or even a journeyman (Johnson/Dott/Bingham prior to 2011)
2. If you are a topplayer but still havent won it in your 20's.


The players you mentioned are, indeed, the ones I head it least about for those very reasons.

But, yes, I'd heard it said about Hendry and Higgins. People thought Higgins couldn't hack the Crucible. Some people said Hendry was the worst World Champion ever when he won it in 1990.

Don't shoot the messenger. I thought it was utter bucking nonsense on both counts.



Wow, can't believe some people said Hendry was the worst ever champion in 1990 lol, I'm pretty sure he won like 3 ranking titles that season and the Masters and was world number 1 before the world final. They must have felt absolutely stupid a few years later.

It was mainly sourness from Jimmy White fans to be honest.


   

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