Luke Littler received an unexpected message from WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes ahead of the teenager’s Madison Square Garden debut.
‘The Nuke’ was taking a tour of WWE Headquarters with Peter Wright and British wrestler William Regal when the video of Rhodes appeared on the big screen.
Littler was clearly in awe of WWE’s number one star and was left speechless by the champion’s words of support.
The teenager is a lifelong WWE fan and told the JaackMaate Happy Hour podcast that he even chose his walk-on song from WrestleMania 33, which he attended as a 10-year-old in Orlando, Florida.
Cody Rhodes’ message to Luke Littler
Cody Rhodes captured the WWE Undisputed Championship from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, much to the delight of Littler who told Darts Now he was rooting for the star.
Littler’s rise to superstardom has been felt across the pond and Rhodes revealed he was a fan of the 17-year-old.
On WWE’s X page, he said: “Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, this is the ‘American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes – Undisputed WWE Champion. I heard you’re going to WWE HQ getting a little tourski, I love it. I heard you’re a fan of WWE, I love that even more. My friend, we are fans of yours.
“I have an appreciation of darts, clearly have an appreciation of you as an athlete and a performer and a competitor. My man, you’re a champion’s champion and from one champion to another – Luke my friend see you down the road.”
The newly crowned Premier League champion was left in awe at the message from the wrestler and struggled to find his words, admitting “I didn’t expect that.”
Another example of how Luke Littler will catapult darts to new heights
Since the World Championship, Littler has captivated a global audience and is one of the most in-demand sports stars in the country.
He has appeared on podcasts, talk shows and was even featured on the cover of Forbes magazine in April.
His celebrity status has helped expose darts to an audience it previously could not reach, and Barry Hearn has suggested the ‘Luke Littler effect’ may force the PDC to move the World Championships from Alexandra Palace to a larger venue.
Though Michael Smith revealed some players are frustrated at the coverage the youngster has received, there is no doubt that it has helped the sport grow.
Despite his professional career only being six months old, Littler is the biggest star the sport has produced, and darts will only thrive because of it.