Twelve North American Stars Confirmed for Cross-Border Darts Challenge

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DANNY BAGGISH AND DAVID CAMERON HEADLINE FIELD; FOUR WILDCARDS REMAIN TO BE CONFIRMED

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY (JANUARY 4, 2023) – The field for the first major North American darts event of the year is taking shape as the top-six players from the United States and Canada have confirmed their berths in the inaugural Cross-Border Darts Challenge! This first-of-its-kind event, held on April 21 and 22 at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, features eight Americans and eight Canadians vying for national darts supremacy, a $5,000 first-place prize and a berth in the largest darts event on the continent – the US Darts Masters – in June.

 

The Canadian contingent will be led by David Cameron, fresh off the biggest year of his career in which he won the inaugural World Seniors Darts Masters and made his debut at the World Darts Championship by virtue of his three wins on the 2022 Championship Darts Circuit (CDC) tour. He’ll be joined by Matt Campbell who completed his first year as a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tour-card holder with a last-16 finish at the World Series of Darts Finals and made his fourth consecutive appearance at the World Darts Championship.

 

Danny Baggish, who won two CDC events in 2022 and made his third World Darts Championship appearance (knocking out Matt Campbell in the first round), will be the standard-bearer for the US side. Also flying the Stars and Stripes will be the reigning CDC Continental Cup Champion, Alex Spellman, arguably the hottest player on the continent over the last 12 months.

 

CONFIRMED PLAYERS

 

USA CANADA
Danny Baggish David Cameron
Alex Spellman Matt Campbell
Leonard Gates Jacob Taylor
Larry Butler John Norman, Jr.
Gary Mawson Jim Long
Chuck Puleo Steve Warnock

 

 

The Cross Border Darts Challenge is presented by Championship Darts Circuit – North America’s professional darts tour – and will provide darts enthusiasts and new fans alike the opportunity to experience the energy and passion that makes darts truly “the biggest party in sports!” Tickets are available at https://ffm.bio/CDCWEH and begin at $30.00 plus applicable fees. VIP ticketholders will have a can’t-miss exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity on Friday afternoon ahead of the event.

CDC Brings the Continent’s Best to New Jersey With Cross-Border Darts Challenge

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Inaugural event reignites rivalry between US and Canada, aims to attract die-hard supporters and casual fans alike.
Tickets on sale NOW

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY (NOVEMBER 17, 2022) – White Eagle Hall, Jersey City’s historic entertainment venue, will play host to the best darts players on the continent for the inaugural Cross-Border Darts Challenge, presented by Championship Darts Corporation, April 21 and 22, 2023. Eight Americans and eight Canadians will take the stage to compete for national glory, a minimum of $15,000 in prize money, and a berth in the largest darts event in North America – the US Darts Masters –taking place in New York City in June.

This invitational event will kick-off the ninth year of the Championship Darts Circuit – North America’s professional darts tour – and provide darts enthusiasts and new fans alike the opportunity to experience the energy and passion that makes darts truly “the biggest party in sports!”

VIP ticketholders will have exclusive access to a Friday afternoon pre-tournament reception to meet players like North American champion, Leonard “SOULGER” Gates, “Excalibur” David Cameron and Danny “The Gambler” Baggish.  The full field of event participants will be later announced in December.

“We’re excited to work with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) to launch this new headline event at one of the best darts venues I’ve ever seen,” said Peter Citera, CEO of Championship Darts Corporation, “the intimate nature of White Eagle Hall provides the perfect backdrop to showcase our sport with all the modern technology necessary to ensure a great fan experience.”

Friday evening will feature eight first-round “USA vs. Canada” clashes with the winners advancing. The action will resume on Saturday with the quarterfinals and conclude with the crowning of the first “CANUSA Champion!”

“Professional darts is among the most fun atmospheres I have ever witnessed in my 30 years in the live events industry. In that vein, we are now thrilled to welcome Championship Darts Corporation to historic White Eagle Hall,” said Dylan Wanagiel, Vice President of Sports Properties & Special Events for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. “HSBE takes great pride in providing diverse programing at White Eagle Hall, and we know the residents of Jersey City and all of the tri-state area will love The Biggest Party in Sports.”

Tickets for the inaugural Cross-Border Darts Challenge start at $30.00 plus applicable fees and go onsale to the general public November 17 at 12:00 PM ET at https://ffm.bio/cdcweh

Ticket Information:

Two Day Pass (access to both April 21 & 22 Events): https://www.seetickets.us/event/2-DAYPASSCross-BorderDartsChallenge/517505

Friday, April 21, 2023: https://www.seetickets.us/event/Cross-Border-Darts-Challenge/517509

Saturday, April 22, 2023: https://www.seetickets.us/event/Cross-Border-Darts-Challenge/517507

 

About Championship Darts Corporation:
Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) owns and operates the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s professional darts tour, consisting of 12 regular season tournaments leading into The Continental Cup Tour Finals Championship. We are the official North American affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) – the global head of professional darts, which stages events across the world with over $17 million in prize money. CDC provides the exclusive path to the World Darts Championship, World Series of Darts, World Cup of Darts and other major international events for US and Canadian players. The company also focuses on the next generation of players, running two youth tours to provide exclusive opportunities to play internationally via our affiliation with both the PDC and Junior Darts Corporation (JDC). Further information is available at www.champdarts.com.

 

About White Eagle Hall:
White Eagle Hall is a historic 8,000-square-foot live performance and private event venue in Jersey City, NJ which hosts live performances and private events before an 800-standing and 350-seated capacity audience. Originally constructed in 1910 and reopened in 2017 after a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation, the venue has hosted a variety of notable artists over the years including The Front Bottoms, Mitski, Kamasi Washington, Japanese Breakfast, The Bouncing Souls, Parquet Courts, Yo La Tengo, The Mountain Goats, Thursday, Screaming Females, Spoon, Waxahatchee, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Guster, Built to Spill, New Found Glory, and many more. White Eagle Hall has presented numerous sold out shows, community events, theater productions, and private events. As of 2021, the venue is operated by the entertainment, management and booking team at Prudential Center.

 

About Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE):

Recognized as one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial companies in the industry today, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), is a leading sports and entertainment company, with a focus on inspiring possibilities in people and enhancing the communities where we live, work, play and win. Founded by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, HBSE’s global portfolio has grown to include premier sports franchises, brands, venues and investment platforms, centered around marquee assets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center.

Terriffic Taylor Wins the 9/11 Memorial

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Canada’s Jacob ‘The Truth’ Taylor wins the final event of the season, the 9/11 Memorial tournament, with a 7-5 victory over Gary Mawson in Waterdown, Ontario.

Mawson was in fine form all day. He opened his run with a win over Jason Watt 5-3, before breezing past Larry Butler 6-2 in round two. He followed that up with a 6-4 win over Stowe Buntz – the runner up in event 10 and 11 – then won a last leg decider against John Norman, Jr. in the semifinals to secure a 7-6 win and a berth in the final.

Jacob Taylor, however, was the man to beat. His day began with a 5-1 victory over Steve Warnock then a 6-1 dismantling of Joey Lynaugh in the second round. Taylor shot a tournament high 103.0 average during that second round matchup. The Newfoundland man would then proceed to the quarterfinals, where he defeated David Cameron 6-4 to set up a semifinal clash with Event 11 champion, Jim Long. Taylor would overcome an onslaught of six 180s and a 99 average by Long to advance to the finals 7-4.

Cashmere Ventura secured the highest average for the day with a 95.6. Jacob Taylor led the way with 48% checkout success on his way to the title, while his finals opponent, Gary Mawson, topped the 180 table with 11.

Today’s event completed the season and cemented the qualifiers for the 2023 PDC World Championship. American Danny Baggish (“The Gambler”) and Canadian David Cameron (“Excalibur”) both fell in the quarterfinals, but their results were enough to secure their qualification for Alexandra Palace in December. They will be joined by the North American champion, Leonard Gates, who secured his spot during the PDC US Masters in June.

Qualifiers will be announced shortly for the 2022 CDC Continental Cup, which will be held in New York City on October 22, 2022.

Article by Brian Fraser
September 11, 2022

The Gentleman Has His Day

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It was vintage Jim Long in Event 11, as he won the Galaxy Gold Cup and secured his second career CDC title with a 7-3 win over Stowe Buntz, who fell in the finals of both tournaments today. The London, Ontario man qualified for his first final since 2019 by sneaking by Louis Vessels 5-4 in an underwhelming first round tie, before hitting his stride and going 12-1 over his next 13 legs, easily dispatching both Gary Mawson and Justin Fawcett. He then fought off Dave Cameron 7-5 in a back-and-forth semifinal to book his tie with Buntz.

Buntz, for his part, proved that revenge does not always have to be served cold as he dispatched Danny Baggish 7-2 in the semifinals, ending the Florida man’s hopes of back-to-back titles and avenging the defeat he suffered in the final of Event #10. Prior to that, Buntz began the nightcap with a 5-4 defeat of Nick Linberg before seeing-off 2021’s top Canadian, John Norman Jr, 6-2 in the second round and then going on to brush-aside the 2022 PDC North American champion, Leonard Gates, 6-3, to set-up his rematch with “The Gambler.”

Jacob Taylor, who is second on the points list for Canadian players, was upset in the first round, despite averaging 97.6 for the match. Danny Baggish once again led the way in 180s with 13, giving him a total of 24 across the two events today. Ryan Vander Weit had the high out in Event 11, reeling in a 170 in leg 6 versus Jacob Taylor.

With his semifinal run this evening, Dave Cameron has positioned himself well to claim the Canadian spot at the 2023 PDC/Cazoo World Darts Championship, this December at the Alexandra Palace, London.

The 2022 Championship Darts Corporation season ends Sunday, with Event 12, the CDC 9/11 Memorial, beginning at 11:00 am from Waterdown, Ontario. At the conclusion of tomorrow’s tournament, the representatives for the World Championship will be finalized, and the CDC Continental Cup qualifiers will be determined.

 

by Brian Fraser
September 10, 2022

“The Gambler” Doubles His Winnings

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Danny Baggish secured his second title of 2022, winning the Magic Darts Derby 7-3 over Stowe Buntz.

Baggish was in excellent form from the get-go, averaging 95.9 for the tournament. He opened with a 5-0 win over James Solek and followed it with a 6-3 win over Keith Way. He then dispatched two of the top ranking Canadians, David Cameron 6-2 in the quarterfinals and his fellow PDC tour card holder, Matt Campbell, 7-5 in the semifinals.

For his part, Stowe Buntz had an impressive day as well. He defeated North American champion, Leonard Gates, 5-1 in the first round, and followed it with a 6-0 victory over Rob Ethington and a 6-1 win over Alex Spellman to reach the semifinals. His semifinal matchup against John Norman Jr would be a back and forth affair, with Buntz prevailing 7-5 to reach his first final.

Statistically, Danny Baggish was in a league of his own, topping the table in average (95.9), 180s (11), and checkout percent (50%), on his way to the title. Matt Campbell converted the highest checkout of the day with a 167 against Baggish in their semifinal match, and David Cameron had the high match average of 100.6 in his opening round against Doug Boehm.

The victory for Baggish also seals his position as the #1 American on the Tour Points List and, thus, his return to the Alexandra Palace for the 2023 PDC/Cazoo World Darts Championship in London this December. The race for the Canada World Championship berth, as well as CDC Continental Cup qualifying (top 16 players) continues with event 11 this afternoon.

 

–Brian Fraser
September 10, 2022

David Cameron Slays the Field to Claim Back-to-Back Titles

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David “Excalibur” Cameron won his second consecutive CDC event this afternoon, hoisting the Magic Darts Masters trophy. He defeated “The Ginga Ninja”, Matt Campbell, 7-2 in the final with two 180s. Indeed, he shot lights-out all day, averaging 94.84 over 46 legs, second only to John Norman Jnr’s 95.18.

Cameron reached his second consecutive final after overcoming a relentless comeback from Leonard “Soldier” Gates (who he dispatched in the Event 5 final) in what can only be described as a legendary semifinal match. The Canadian watched his comfortable 6-2 lead evaporate as Soldier turned up the heat with big trebles and clinical finishing to level the match at 6 and force a decider. The Canadian survived a match dart before stepping to the line with 25 remaining, which he finished S5 D10 to punch his ticket to the final. Prior to the semi, Cameron defeated Danny Lauby (6-1), Steve Warnock (6-2) and Jake Womack (in a match he actually trailed 3-0 and 4-2 before coming back to win in a deciding leg). He was consistently on-form all day, averaging 94.8 for the event, with 49% success on his checkouts.

Matt Campbell’s route to the finals began with a 5-1 victory over Howard Minor and 6-2 victory over Joey Lynaugh. He then dispatched the number eight seed (and 2021’s top-ranked Canadian), John Norman Jr, 6-2 with a 97 average. In the semifinals he opened up a 5-1 lead over Jules Van Dongen, averaging over 100 over that span. Van Dongen’s comeback attempt fell short, and Campbell finished up the 7-3 victory.

The road to the Cazoo World Darts Championship continues as the CDC Tour returns for weekend #3, August 12-14, in Indianapolis.

 

By Brian Fraser

June 26, 2022

Excalibur Continues Magical Run with Win in Boomerang Tours Fiesta

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The 5th Event of the Championship Darts Corporation’s 2022 campaign, the Boomerang Tours Fiesta, featured a marquee final between two of North America’s biggest stars, both of whom have enjoyed major recent successes. Canada’s David Cameron won the World Seniors Darts Masters in May, and American Leonard Gates won the North American championship in New York earlier this month. On this day, it was David Cameron who emerged victorious with a 7-3 victory, averaging 97.1 over the ten legs.

“Soldier” Gates’ had the more difficult trip to the finals, having to get through Kevin Luke (5-4), Steve Warnock (6-4), and Gary Mawson (6-3) to reach the semis where his run almost ended against Event 4 winner, Jake Taylor. Taylor led 6-5 and had match darts to win, but Gates punished those misses, winning the last two legs on the spin to take the match 7-6.

Cameron’s run was more straightforward, with comfortable wins against David Fatum, Ryan Vander Weit, and James Solek, to reach the semifinals. He did have a hard fought, back and forth matchup vs Keith Way at that stage, eking out a 7-5 victory to book his place in the final.

Leonard Gates produced the highest average on the day, despite the loss in the finals, shooting a 92.9 over 51 legs. He was one of six players to average in the 90s on the day. David Cameron’s finishing was excellent all day, converting 46% of his checkouts. Jake Taylor’s run to the semifinals included an event high twelve 180s.

Article by Brian Fraser

June 25, 2022

“The Truth” Reigns in Cambridge

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Canadian sharpshooter, Jake “The Truth” Taylor erased a 5-3 deficit and survived a match dart to defeat “The Gambler”, Danny Baggish, 7-6 in the final of Event #4 on the 2022 Championship Darts Circuit in Cambridge, Ontario on Saturday afternoon. With an event average of 83.03, the ‘Cosmo Classic’ (presented by the CDC’s longest-running partner, Cosmo Darts) saw top-quality darts and big finishes throughout from the Tour Card holders in attendance.

The eventual champion began his day with a convincing 5-1 victory over first year cardholder, Michael Nguyen, in the round of 32 before running into a tough test in Canadian Jim Long in the final 16. 5th-seeded Long opened up a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead but never managed an opportunity at a match dart as Taylor found his groove and poured on the pressure to win the final 5 legs and seal the victory. The Newfoundland man followed up that shocker with a convincing 6-1 victory over the event’s 4-seed (and newly-minted North American champion), Leonard Gates before seeing off Steve Warnock 7-3 in the semifinals.

Baggish, who was runner-up to Gates in the North American Championship at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden earlier this month, opened his run to the finals against his World Cup of Darts teammate, Jules Van Dongen, whom he dispatched 5-1 with a strong performance. He then took care of the 2021 CDC top Canadian, John Norman Jr, with a 6-1 victory and a 104.06 average. He would go on to defeat Cashmere Ventura 6-4 and then Shaun Narain 7-1 in the semifinals.

PDC Tour Card Holder, Baggish, led the event with a 92.31 average on the day and had the most 180s with ten. Jake Taylor finished second in both categories with an 89.36 average and eight 180s. Jim Long and Jason Watt each finished with a 44% checkout success rate to top the table.

The round-of-32 was NOT kind to the seeded players on the day, with top stars like Matt Campbell, Danny Lauby Jr, Chuck Puleo, Gary Mawson and the Seniors Matchplay champion, David Cameron, all falling before the last-16. They’ll be looking to rebound later on Saturday Event #5 – The Boomerang Tours Fiesta – begins at 4:00 Eastern. Points earned across all 12 Tour events will determine the American and Canadian representatives at the Cazoo World Darts Championship in London, England, in December.