Ten snooker champions have nailed the history of professional snooker with their extraordinary skills of handling the sticks and angles. The world considers them as snooker tycoons. Since Snooker is a world-widely played game, most of the players are attracted to it. These ten names have made history and inspired the new generation to see it as a healthy sport. From the origin of the game in 1870 till 2021, the game is still ruling the hearts of indoor gamers lovers. And all the renowned personalities who participated in it, are proof of its significance.
Snooker Champions Who Stood First in Ranking
There are 10 names beside all the other champions. These snooker champions including Ray Reardon, Cliff Thorburn, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, and Judd Trump, have been the rulers of the sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Ronnie O’Sullivan is counted as the star of the pool table since he among the snooker champions to win the world’s championship. He won the five biggest tournaments in the world. His fans know him for his performance and victories as he nailed the five master titles. Also, the player is a three-time record holder to be the youngest Masters winner. Last but not the least, Ronnie is immensely famous for his 147-break in less than 6 minutes, which makes him the fastest player to port the balls in pockets. He has done the marvelous break 15 times in total.
Stephen Hendry
If the snooker lovers want to know the name of the youngest ever world champion, Stephen Hendry is the guy. At the age of 21 in 1990, Hendry scored the world championship. He maintained his position for consecutive 8 years. Furthermore, Stephen has been a beast in indoor table sports, mostly snooker. He is the holder of the six Masters titles and five trophies of the UK championships. His total 147 break count is 11, which comes second to best after Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Judd Trump
Judd Trump is one of the most admired Snooker Champions after Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry. His success rate can be identified through his winning but mostly by his four times 147 breaks, which is also the highest tournament break rate. 2005 was the year when Judd Trump stepped into the professional world of snooker. The most recent and biggest victory is his identity as the 2019 world champion. His fans call him Ace due to his king-like performance at the table.
Mark Selby
Mark is one of the most successful snooker champions of modern times. He is also among the only six personalities who have earned the winning spot in each of the triple crown events. Not only snooker but Selby has won the WEPF eight-ball pool world championship. He could have won the title of a champion at the Chinese Pool championship but he remained a finalist after losing the last match. Victories including two world and UK Championships, and three Masters titles.
Neil Robertson
Robertson is recognized as the recent player of one of the most popular indoor sports, snooker. He earned the title of World Champion in 2010, won UK championships (2013, 2015, and 2020). In 2012 he became the winner of the Masters title as well. His Total frame winnings are 226. He lost 163 frames in total.
Ray Reardon
People call Ray Reardon ‘Dracula’ because of his hairstyle, which turned intense games into funny ones. Ray is not just any snooker player. The interesting thing about him is that he used to interact with the spectators through his jokes. He was not just a player but an entertainer too. He is the first-ever person to become the topmost indoor sportsman, given his snooker skills, in 1976. Reardon is also the winner of the very first world championship. Also, his achievements include his other six championship trophies as he won in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1978. He could have scored another in 1982 but unfortunately, the world will know him as a runner-up.
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn
Thorburn is a retired Canadian player of snooker and one of the most experienced people on the list of game experts. In his era, people gave him the nickname ‘The Grinder’ that reflected his nature of slow gaming. He used to take time before playing the shot. Clifford won the longest-running, the most admired tournament in 1980. The championship was equivalent to a gold bar. The interesting thing about Clifford is that he did not retire entirely from the game. he lives in Canada now and teaches people shot tricks and how to play the game. Also, he wrote a book ‘Snooker Skills’. It seems like he is sharing his wisdom and knowledge about the game with the world now.
Steve Davis
The name ‘Steve Davis’ brings the memory of his match with Dennis Taylor in 1985, which is still recalled as the Blackball final. Sadly, Davis lost the match in the end but people yet remember the intensified situation where both the players were on fire. Over 18.5 million people in the UK watched the famous snooker fight between Steve and Dennis. Other than that, the star won six world titles before he took retirement from the game at the age of 59.
Mark Williams
Three-times world championship winner (2000-2003). A funny story about Mark is that in 2003, he was nervous about winning the title for the third time. Reportedly, he announced before the audience that he will lift the trophy naked if he somehow wins. Finally, when he tasted the victory, he didn’t break his promise and was stripped naked in the press conference. He is also the third person after Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis to become a winner of all three triple crown events.
John Higgins
John Higgins can be considered as the king of bad luck due to his unfortunate and below-average performances in the matches against the world’s most profound players. He lost games to Mark Selby, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ray Reardon, and Ronnie O’Sullivan. All in all, he lost every final match against the mentioned snooker masters. Aside from the losing experience, Higgins’s triumph includes 31 ranking titles including four world championships, three UK tournaments, and two of the Masters titles.
