Humphries Seals NYC Glory After Broadway Battle with Aspinall

World number one Luke Humphries added another marquee trophy to his growing cabinet – and a new notch on his belt of iconic venues – by lifting the Bet365 US Darts Masters crown under the lights of Madison Square Garden.

In front of a roaring, record-setting North American crowd – including one spectator who tried to rip off Humphries thumb – the aforementioned held off a typically tenacious Nathan Aspinall to seal an 8–6 victory. It’s only the second World Series title of Cool Hand’s career – adding to last year’s New Zealand Masters and racking up a high travel average of miles per win.

June 28, 2025; New York, NY; Nathan Aspinall v Luke Humphries during the Finals of the US Darts Masters of the 2025 bet365 US Darts Masters at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Mandatory Credit: Matt Heasley/PDC

It was a proper Stateside spectacle in The Theater (yes, that’s how the American’s spell it – when in Rome…), packed with 4,000 buzzing fans. And with World Masters and Premier League titles already in his back pocket this year, this was another reminder that Humphries doesn’t just turn up for the big nights – he steals the show.

Aspinall, meanwhile, is about as tenacious as a British Bulldog holding onto a ball. True to form, The Asp battled back from 4–1 down to level at 6–6, refusing to roll over in the face of Humphries’ early dominance.

But Humphries once again nuged in front – holding then breaking Aspinall’s throw (and possibly his heart), by sealing the deal with typically cool composure. Another box ticked on the Berkshire man’s bulging bucket list.

Speaking after the win, a clearly elated Humphries said:

“This is the most iconic place that we play in and it’s really special to win this event. It’s one of the top venues in the world and it’s one I’ve always dreamed of winning. When I finally won it tonight it was an amazing relief.

“Once I knew I was in a winning position I started getting nervous – I’m really pleased to win and I’m over the moon. It’s another massive event ticked off for me.

“I’ve won World Championships, World Matchplays, Premier Leagues and these big titles and it felt like I’d won another major. That’s how big it is – it’s very special and you could see my relief at the end. This was the one on the World Series that I really wanted to win.

“The crowd have been absolutely amazing this week, and to have my mum and dad here to see me win again means the world to us all.”

Humphries was also full of praise for his opponent – who made sure the final was anything but straightforward:

“Nathan is such a credit to the sport and you can see that with the amount of support he got from the crowd. He is so gritty and determined – he came back at me and made it hard for me but he missed two darts to go seven-all and gave me a chance.

“It’s nice to see him back playing the way he can – he makes me want to be better and we always seem to have really good games.”

Humphries had built momentum all weekend. After dispatching Stowe Buntz in the opening round, he ended home hopes with a 6–2 win over Danny Lauby, then reeled off five straight legs to dismantle Gerwyn Price 7–2 in the semis.

Aspinall had turned heads of his own. After beating top Canadian Matt Campbell on Friday, he produced the match of the tournament to beat Luke Littler 6–4 – in a contest where both men seemed to be averaging from a parallel universe. Littler threw a near-109 average and still lost, with Aspinall replying with a casual 106 and the kind of grit you can’t teach.

In the semi-finals, The Asp saw off Damon Heta 7–3 – even shrugging off a majestic 170 finish from the Aussie – to book his spot in the final.

Afterwards, a proud Aspinall said:

“I’ve had a fantastic weekend and I think it’s one of the best tournaments I’ve played in a long time. I played really well in the final and Luke saved his best performance for the last game; that’s why he’s world number one and the best player in the world.

“I pushed him all the way but it was a great tournament for me. The crowd were unbelievable again.”

Elsewhere, Price looked sharp in his 6–3 win over Michael van Gerwen – who appeared to be suffering from a touch of Green Machine rust, or possibly a shortage of De-Icer.

Damon Heta also impressed – and not just with the walk-on. He whitewashed Jason Brandon, who was probably still riding high from doing the same thing to former World Champ, Rob Cross the night before.

But when the dust settled in the city that never sleeps, it was Humphries who was wide awake – and walking away with the trophy tucked firmly under the duvet. Broadway belongs to Luke… at least until next year.