Kyren Wilson was once ignored by Ronnie O’Sullivan at a press conference that was awkward.
Following Kyren Wilson’s victory at the World Snooker Championship, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s previous remarks have come back to haunt him. Wilson won the greatest award in the sport last weekend after a fierce battle against Welsh qualifier Jak Jones in the final.
Jones forced Wilson to work hard; he dropped the first seven rounds but battled back to keep Wilson on his toes. Wilson, who had never before won a snooker match despite making it to the final in 2020 and twice making it to the semi-finals, was ultimately declared the new champion.
Following the game, a few years ago’s news conference made comments that left O’Sullivan looking embarrassed. These remarks then made their way back online on social media. Even though Wilson was seated only two seats away from him, the Rocket rudely ignored him when talking about the top players in the world.
“The talented players usually emerge victorious,” O’Sullivan remarked, gesturing to every player seated beside him save Wilson. “Mark Selby, [John] Higgins, [Mark] Williams, and Neil Robertson. That’s why they’ve remained at the top for so long, and I don’t mean any disrespect to the other men. Simply said, they are made of a different material.”
Wilson’s victory on Sunday disproved O’Sullivan’s earlier remarks that he didn’t believe the Kettering native was talented enough to win a world title. Wilson nearly gave up on the sport in 2013, but his perseverance and hard work paid off when he won the Crucible on his twelfth try.
After defeating Jones in the championship match, he thought back on his difficult climb to the top of the game and remarked, “It’s like a Rocky Balboa story.” I had to dig deep, return to the grotty gym, and rediscover who I was. I recall failing Q School for two years in a row. My wife Sophie gave me a look and said, “If you don’t do it
