SNOOKER’s Class of ’92 are fading away – with two English superstars ready to forge a new era.
Judd Trump has declared he’s ready to battle reigning world champion Kyren Wilson for “the next 10 years” or more.
GettyRivals Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson look set to battle it out at snooker’s summit[/caption]
GettyWilson won his maiden world title in July to cap off a stunning last 12 months[/caption]
GettyTrump remains World No. 1 and has racked up incredible prize money totals already this season[/caption]
Wilson got the better of World No. 1 Trump in a one-sided final at last week’s Northern Ireland Open.
The 32-year-old pocketed a cool £100,000 after taking Trump’s crown in Belfast, blitzing him 9-3.
Despite the loss, Trump admitted Wilson’s meteoric rise over the last twelve months has “pushed him forward” as a player.
He said: “It’s nice to have someone pushing me and going away to give their all every single time.
“It is good to have that kind of rivalry when you reach the top and we are both really enjoying it.”
Wilson won his maiden World Championship in May at the Crucible, beating Jak Jones 18-14.
And Trump – who admitted six years ago the pair were “complete opposites” away from the table – is impressed by his rival’s transformation.
Trump continued: “From where he was a couple of years ago, he has gone to another level.
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“You can see a difference in him. The way he walks around the table is different.”
Despite Wilson’s incredible 2024, he’s had to work in Trump’s shadow for much of the past few years.
And Judd’s impressive numbers for the current 2024-25 season show he remains the man to beat in world snooker.
So far this campaign, The Ace in the Pack has won 33 out of his ranking 38 matches.
He’s lifted trophies at both the Shanghai Masters and Saudi Arabia Masters, racking up prize money in excess of £880,000.
World No. 2 Wilson has picked up cheques of his own totalling £352,000, hardly a meagre return.
But his 22 wins this season can’t match Trump’s relentless pace, which has left the Kettering native in awe.
Wilson said after his win in Belfast: “I don’t know where he gets the stamina from.
“It’s got to be applauded, he makes me raise my game and we can’t keep relying on the Class of 92 all the time.”
The Class of ’92 refers to the legendary trio of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, and Mark Williamson.
With 14 world titles among them, the three players have dominated UK snooker over the past three decades.
But as their powers begin to fade, Wilson and Trump appear ready to fill the rivalry vacuum.
GettySnooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the world title seven times[/caption]
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season hen the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
1969 – John Spencer
1970 – Ray Reardon
1971 – John Spencer
1972 – Alex Higgins
1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
1977 – John Spencer (2)
1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
1979 – Terry Griffiths
1980 – Cliff Thorburn
1981 – Steve Davis
1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
1983 – Steve Davis (2)
1984 – Steve Davis (3)
1985 – Dennis Taylor
1986 – Joe Johnson
1987 – Steve Davis (4)
1988 – Steve Davis (5)
1989 – Steve Davis (6)
1990 – Stephen Hendry
1991 – John Parrott
1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
1997 – Ken Doherty
1998 – John Higgins
1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
2000 – Mark Williams
2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2002 – Peter Ebdon
2003 – Mark Williams (2)
2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
2005 – Shaun Murphy
2006 – Graeme Dott
2007 – John Higgins (2)
2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
2009 – John Higgins (3)
2010 – Neil Robertson
2011 – John Higgins (4)
2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
2014 – Mark Selby
2015 – Stuart Bingham
2016 – Mark Selby (2)
2017 – Mark Selby (3)
2018 – Mark Williams (3)
2019 – Judd Trump
2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
2021 – Mark Selby (4)
2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
2023 – Luca Brecel
2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
2 – Alex Higgins
Trump has been around slightly longer than Wilson after breaking onto the scene as a teenager back in 2005.
The Bristol native is currently fourth on the all-time list of ranking event winners, with an outrageous 29 titles.
He won his own World Championship back in 2019 and currently edges Wilson on head-to-head records.
Since their first meeting way back in 2013, Trump has won 18 of 32 matches against The Warrior.
He also has the edge in frames, taking 127 to Kyren’s 114.
But one stat that jumps out in Wilson’s favour is his strong record against Trump in tournament finals.
The pair have gone head-to-head for titles on five occasions.
Of those matches, Wilson has emerged victorious four times to Trump’s solitary one.
With both players in their mid-30s, there’s plenty of scope for their budding rivalry to continue well into the next decade.
And The Warrior has shown on multiple occasions he can raise his game when it matters most.
Clutching his recent £100,000 prize in Belfast, Wilson said: “I’m glad I’m up there with [Judd] and competing.
“It’s good for the future of snooker.”
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