Who is English darts star Joe Cullen?
12/22/2024 05:00 AM
JOE Cullen was a postman before quitting his job to focus fully on darts professionally.
While he hasn’t had the best 2024 so far, he’ll be hoping to turn things around at the PDC World Darts Championship 2025.
Who is Joe Cullen?
Joe Cullen was born on July 13, 1989, in Bradford, England.
Known as “The Rockstar”, he is currently ranked No. 23 on the PDC Order of Merit.
His playing style is characterised by technical precision and being calm under pressure, with a fluid throwing motion and strategic approach to the game.
Joe’s walk-on music is Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis.
Early career
His journey in professional darts began in 2008 when he qualified for the UK Open as a teenager.
This led him to leave his job as a postman in 2009 to focus on his darts career.
He quickly progressed through the ranks, joining the PDC circuit later the same year.
Within 12 months he found himself up against Phil “The Power” Taylor, who won a record 85 major titles and 16 World Championships.
However, instead of being left star-struck, Joe went on to beat the GOAT in the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic in Killarney.
His breakthrough came in 2016 when he reached the quarter-finals of the UK Open, propelling him into the world’s top 32.
Achievements and titles
Throughout his career so far, Joe has demonstrated consistent improvement and achieved numerous milestones.
He has won 10 ranking PDC titles and secured his first televised event at the Masters in 2022.
This victory was particularly significant, as Joe defeated Gary Anderson 11-8 in a thrilling final, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure on the biggest stage.
I've got 100% belief in my ability
Joe Cullen
Majors
Joe has featured in every PDC World Darts Championship since 2011.
He lost to eventual winner Luke Humphries in the fourth round of the 2024 edition of the sport‘s biggest event, coming as close as anyone to beating the world champ in a narrow 4-3 loss.
He made his Premier League Darts debut in 2022, finishing fourth in the table and reaching the final, where he narrowly lost to Michael van Gerwen.
Joe has also performed well in other major tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay and the semi-finals of the European Championship.
But The Rockstar hasn’t been too happy with his form in 2024.
He told YardBarker: “This is the first year in a long time that I’ve not progressed.
"Every year, whether it be rankings-wise titles-wise, I seem to have sort of progressed each year and I think this is the first year that I’ve started to slip down the rankings.
"I've got 100% belief in my ability. I’m as good as anyone on my day, it’s just the days used to come a lot more frequently.
"There’s only me that can put it right, so if I put the work in, I’m confident that I can.”
