Michael Smith is not going to relinquish his world title lightly (Picture: Getty Images)
Michael Smith has enjoyed being world champion to the full, to the detriment of his darts, but he has put the partying behind him and is fully focussed on defending his title at Alexandra Palace.
Bully Boy lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy last year in style, overcoming the disappointment of two final defeats to beat Michael van Gerwen and win the World Championship for the first time.
It has been a pretty quiet year on the oche for Smith since then, but it has been anything but that away from darts, not holding back in enjoying himself as world champ.
Party time is over, though, and intense work on the practice board with world number six Nathan Aspinall has got him ready for achieving his ultimate goal.
‘It feels mad that it’s been 12 months already. It’s gone too quick, but I’m glad it has gone because I’ve got my business head on now,’ Smith told Metro.co.uk.
‘The last two months I’ve been working hard with Aspinall and the one focus I’ve had is to retain this, I want it more than anything. I want a second star on my shirt and to go back-to-back.
‘I’ve tried to enjoy being world champion to the fullest. I’ve pulled out of events to have time away, go on holidays, some party holidays. But the last two months I’ve pulled myself away from that, I’ve had my fun, now it’s time to get focussed again.
‘I could have gone a lot wilder if I wanted to. Four days in Vegas was pretty good. If I’d have won my first final [in 2019], I think that would have been stupid. But even the last one when I lost to Peter [Wright in 2022] I could have gone mental. I’m glad I didn’t, if I hadn’t lost to Peter I wouldn’t have made all the finals the following year and then the Worlds. Everything happens for a reason.
Smith hopes to be just the seventh player to win more than one PDC World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Away from darts the year has been a 10/10. There’s no better feeling than being world champion and spending time with my family and friends. At the darts, for my standard, 5/10. It could be a lot better, but it could be a lot worse. I’ve won three events, it’s not bad, but could be better.’
Smith has such a superb natural throw that even without putting in the work for 10 months the Bahrain Darts Masters, German Darts Grand Prix and a Players Championship in Hildesheim this year.
Two months is all he has needed to feel back to his best, with both Smith and Aspinall benefitting from their work away from the cameras.
‘I’m feeling faster, more accurate, more fluent,’ said Smith. ‘It’s looking so much better for both of us.
‘Since the Worlds I hadn’t really practiced at all. You could see when the Premier League finished it caught up with me. The last two months I’ve dragged myself away from enjoying it so much and it’s serious mode.
‘The practice game is unreal at the minute. 180s and timing is there again, doubles are better than ever. I’m just trying too hard on stage, I think, but there’s no better place to find your A game than at the Worlds.’
Smith is relishing a return to the scene of his greatest moment in darts (Picture: Getty Images)
One thing that Smith insists is not holding him back is the arrows in his hand, after his change in darts manufacturer this year caused some questions to be asked.
The 33-year-old says his underwhelming results in big events this year have been entirely down to his lack of practice and anyone suggesting his darts are the problem is way off the mark.
‘I’ve been working with them for two-and-a-half years,’ Smith said of his Shot Darts equipment. ‘People on social media, if they knew better they’d do better. It’s just nonsense.
‘They’re looking for excuses why I’m not playing great and I’ve told them why. It’s because I’ve had 10 months away from darts. Not away from the PDC but away from practice.
‘I’ve still been picking up results, lots of semis, and that’s without throwing my darts. Now I’ve been putting in the hard work and I can feel that it’s all coming back.
‘They’re stuck behind their keyboards while I’m trying to win world titles. It’s just irrelevance.’
Before Smith became King of Alexandra Palace he was eyeing up winning the world title and then heading off into early retirement by 45 years old.
Now he is at the top of the mountain things have changed, but he says he will know when it is time to hang up the arrows.
‘Retiring early was the plan, but I’ve had a proper conversation with myself since and I’m not putting an age on it,’ he said. ‘My retirement will come the minute I stand on stage and I feel like I don’t want to be there, I’ve fallen out of love with the game.
‘I don’t want to put a number on it because I’m just wishing my life away till then, I’ll know when it comes.’
Smith takes on either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz in his opening game on Friday 15 December.
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‘I’ve had my fun, now it’s time to get focussed again.’