Alex Higgins
Born in Belfast, Higgins burst onto the scene at an early age, winning the Northern Ireland Amateur Snooker Championships at the age of 19 and just three years later, he was a world champion. He was quick to assemble a dedicated fanbase, many of whom enjoyed following him due to his unpredictability and knack of courting controversy throughout his prestigious career. He was regularly credited with helping bring the game to the masses and played a significant role in its resurgence during the 1980s, alongside Jimmy White and Steve Davis.
Many fans believe his form dropped off towards the end of the decade due to his personal problems and a constant desire to entertain the audience. Higgins also endured a fractured relationship with founder of Matchroom Sport and tour organiser Barry Hearn with the pair frequently disagreeing about the hectic and tiring nature of the event schedule which was playing havoc with Higgins’ various addictions.
Despite coming close against both Ray Reardon and Cliff Thorburn, it took until 1982 for the Hurricane to secure his second World Championship title, turning the tables on Reardon and securing a significant 18-15 triumph. Prior to Higgins bursting onto the scene, the snooker community was fairly tight-knit and players regularly rebelled or questioned the authorities, but he changed all that. He left audiences on the edge of their seats, not just with his sheer desire to attack but also with his risk-taking style of play as well as his volatile nature and ability to find trouble at almost any tournament. Whilst there are many players who have been inspired to take up the sport by Higgins, his style and risky techniques are unlikely to be found on many tips or advice videos.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Whilst Steve Davis and Jimmy White command plenty of respect and admiration from snooker fans, they can’t match the erratic and variable nature of both Alex Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan. The pair have attracted thousands of fans to the game across a number of generations, with the latter continuing to court the attention of the media. The aforementioned Davis has heaped praise upon the Rocket recently suggesting that he is still improving and can still win tournaments in his 50s.
He has won the Masters eight times and as of January 10th, betting site Betway have installed him as 5/2 favourite to succeed in the 2018 staging of the tournament. He is also a five-time world champion. His game is largely centred around his tactical ability and his knack of rarely surrendering a lead. He was branded “The best player in the country by a mile” by Stephen Hendry in 2008 and despite his issues away from the table, he always seems to come back stronger. He is noted for being a bit of a “showman” and loves to have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. His quotes in the media are also memorable with one of the more recent examples seeing him branding all other snooker pros as “clueless” before suggesting he would ban all of the “numpties” from the World Championship if he was ever to take charge. O’Sullivan is clearly a hugely shrewd operator and is considered to be one of the game’s perfectionists but he has had to battle his own demons in the past and this all adds to his significant appeal.
O’Sullivan vs Higgins
Both players were competing in different eras but if they were matched up today, O’Sullivan would likely come out on top. It would be a hugely entertaining meeting and Higgins would likely play to the audience throughout. The power and explosive style of Higgins was absorbing and unmissable, but O’Sullivan would outthink his opponent and even with the Northern Irishman’s finishing, the Rocket would likely prove too savvy for the Hurricane. O’Sullivan has previously expressed his admiration for Higgins and both players have previously been labelled as outsiders amongst their peers. The match-up is purely hypothetical of course but if these two players had ever met, it would have been one of the most explosively entertaining games of snooker ever to be witnessed and the TV audience would be glued to every frame. Higgins’ exploits cannot be matched and remains snooker’s greatest maverick, but O’Sullivan gives him a decent run for his money and has many more years of headline-making left in him yet.
