In the latest edition of our 'Back in the Day' feature, we turn the spotlight on Wes Newton, a two-time major finalist whose career soared to the heights of the darting elite before a dramatic decline. Nicknamed 'The Warrior', the Englishman was a regular presence at the top of professional darts throughout the 2000s, regularly going deep in major PDC tournaments and climbing as high as eighth in the PDC Order of Merit.
Newton's journey began in Blackpool, where he was born on August 27, 1977. His first major PDC appearance came at the 2003 UK Open, where he lost 8-6 to Mark Thomson in the last 32. A year later, he qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic, only to be ousted by Wayne Mardle in the first round. He made his World Championship debut in 2006, losing 3-0 to Gerry Convery, while his brother Dale also featured at that event, losing 3-1 to Kevin Painter. That same year, Newton showed his potential by reaching the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, defeating George Walls, Mark Walsh and Ray Carver before Phil Taylor ended his run. However, a broken collarbone from a shower slip sidelined him for three months, and he lost to Colin Lloyd in the second round of the World Grand Prix upon his return.
The major breakthrough arrived around 2010-2011. In November 2010, Newton won two Players Championship tournaments in the same weekend, becoming only the fifth player to achieve that feat, and breaking into the world's top 16. At the 2011 World Championship, he reached the quarter-finals, defeating Darin Young, Brendan Dolan and Mensur Suljović before surrendering a 4-3 lead to lose 5-4 against Terry Jenkins. In March, he climbed to eighth in the Order of Merit. Later that year, he reached his first major televised final at the UK Open, beating John Henderson, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, Dave Chisnall and Denis Ovens before losing 11-8 to James Wade. He also impressed at the World Matchplay, defeating Andy Smith 10-2 and Justin Pipe 13-8, hitting a nine-darter against Pipe, before Phil Taylor won 16-5 in the quarter-finals.
The absolute highlight of Newton's career came in 2012. He won two UK Open qualifying events and reached the UK Open quarter-finals. At the World Matchplay, he hit the first televised nine-darter of his career against Justin Pipe, but despite leading 9-7, Pipe turned the match around to win 13-10. Later that year, Newton reached his second major final at the European Championship in Mülheim. After victories over Tomas Seyler, Kevin Painter and Andy Hamilton, he faced Brendan Dolan in the semi-finals, overturning a 9-6 deficit to win 11-9 with five consecutive legs. In the final, Simon Whitlock proved too strong, winning 11-5. Newton also showed resilience at the World Grand Prix, escaping against Ronnie Baxter after Baxter missed a match dart, then defeating Ian White and recovering from 2-0 down to beat Paul Nicholson 3-2 in the quarter-finals, before Michael van Gerwen ended his run in the semis. He finished 2012 ranked seventh in the world.
2013 began promisingly with a World Championship quarter-final, where he led James Wade 2-0 but lost. His Premier League debut was unsuccessful, winning just two of his first eight matches and being eliminated after week nine. He bounced back by winning the European Darts Trophy in Sindelfingen, defeating Paul Nicholson 6-5 in the final, which he described as the best win of his career. However, at the UK Open, he hit a nine-darter against Adrian Lewis but lost 9-8 in a deciding leg after missing three match darts. In 2014, he reached another World Championship quarter-final, losing to Peter Wright, and was again eliminated from the Premier League after week nine. For the first time since 2007, he failed to win a PDC tournament, and his form declined sharply. At the 2015 World Championship, he suffered a surprise defeat to Cristo Reyes, losing in a deciding leg after fighting back from 2-0 down. By July, his ranking had fallen to 22nd, and he missed the World Matchplay for the first time since 2008.
The decline continued. In 2016, Newton qualified for the World Championship and defeated Reyes, but lost 4-0 to James Wade in the second round. He later revealed a shoulder injury and admitted his confidence and form were at their worst. His ranking dropped outside the top 32, and after the 2016 UK Open, he failed to qualify for another major. He missed the 2017 World Championship after losing to Barrie Bates in qualifying, his ranking falling to 59th. He did win the inaugural Neon Newport Masters in August, defeating Gerwyn Price, Richie Burnett, Andy Hamilton and Mark Dudbridge, but it wasn't the start of a comeback. In December 2017, he lost his PDC Tour Card, and an attempt to regain it via Q-School in 2018 failed. He switched to the BDO and qualified for the 2019 BDO World Championship, where he lost in the preliminary round to Paul Hogan. Despite multiple Q-School attempts, he never regained his Tour Card.
Despite the decline, Newton's achievements remain significant. He reached several World Championship quarter-finals, appeared in the finals of the UK Open and European Championship, won a European Tour title, climbed as high as eighth in the world, and hit multiple nine-darters on major stages. His career is a story of enormous highs and deep lows, showing how quickly the balance of power in professional darts can change. Newton, however, said in an interview last year that he had not given up hope of returning to the big stage. From finishing 2012 as the world's seventh-ranked player to losing his Tour Card just a few years later, it was a remarkable development, but with his major finals, nine-darters and European title, Newton undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the PDC circuit.
