JAMES WADE is ‘still standing’ strong after rebuilding his career over the past two years following a scary health scare that shook him and his family.
The Machine fell ill and spent three nights in a German hospital after an episode backstage at the European Darts Open in Leverkusen in May 2022.
The dad-of-two, one of the sport’s most successful throwers, underwent a series of tests after he experienced a “racing heart, high blood pressure, nausea and dizziness”.
Severe dehydration was believed to be the cause of the illness but it was a worrying time for the Aldershot ace and all concerned.
Wade, 41, recalled: “I was rushed to hospital. This is not exaggerated but while I knew I was ill, I didn’t realise how ill I was.
“I had to make a phone call to my wife to say in the next six hours I’ll know if I’m going into intensive care or not.
“I was ill, really ill. The medics in Germany were absolutely brilliant. They have amazing medical people over there.
“They thought I was having a heart attack first of all. It was something else. I was really ill.
“The problem I have, where I can be fragile mentally, in terms of how I look at things and approach life, I really let it get to me upstairs.
“That was always my thought when I was going away: ‘How am I? Will I be alright?’
“Tests I had came back to say it wasn’t cancer. Which was a good thing.”
At that point, Wade was No.5 in the world and involved in the lucrative Premier League format.
Since then, he has not been back to the Prem and apart from one appearance in the 2023 European Championship final, he has tumbled down the rankings.
Over the past two years, he has gone out in the first hurdle of the Worlds, losing to Welshman Jim Williams in the 2023 tournament and then Canadian Matt Campbell last time.
Now up to 16th in the world, following two decent runs at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix, he is living up to his walk-on music – I’m Still Standing by Elton John.
His return to Ally Pally, where he has never made the final despite 17 attempts, will be this afternoon against either speedy Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena or Swiss newbie Stefan Bellmont.
Wade, a winner of 11 PDC major titles, said: “Considering how bad I was at darts for 12 months after that, I don’t think it has taken me that long to get back to where I should be.
“I was flying, then all of a sudden you drop down to 24 or 26.
“My target at the beginning of this year had been to get into the top 10 in the world.
“I believe I will win another major in the next 12 months given the way I am playing.
“Everything is alright, probably playing some of the best darts at times.
“I have been lucky. I have earned good money. I am unfortunate that I am in the public eye when I am having a bad day on stage. That’s a negative.
“But you have got to think of those people that have ordinary lives. Some people cannot afford to get a doctor’s appointment, they have to wait for the NHS.
“I’m still standing – well, just about! A bit more gravity now. But it’s good.”
HEAVY downpours will bring six inches of rain in just hours as Brits brace for a “very wet and miserable” start to the week.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of the UK today.
The forecaster has warned of a risk of flooding as up to 150mm of rain is set to fall across the next “24-36 hours”.
The warning has been in place covering the west of Scotland since 6pm on Sunday and remains in place until midday on Monday.
Travel disruption and flooding could hit areas where most rainfall is expected, with melting snow also causing river levels to rise.
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: “Over the next 24-36 hours, the rainfall totals really will be building up with widely half a month’s worth of rain falling across parts of the Highlands and even into northern areas of Argyll and Bute.”
Four flood warnings and five flood alerts had been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on Sunday night.
The Met Office warning adds: “Rain will become persistent across parts of western Scotland during Sunday, continuing throughout Monday before easing later on Tuesday.
“70-100 mm of rain is likely to fall widely during this period but possibly over 150mm for some exposed hills and mountains.
“Rapid melting of lying snow will also contribute to any potential impacts.”
TODAY
Rain, some heavy will affect the north and west of Scotland, although Shetland should see bright spells and showers.
Elsewhere, mostly dry with skies brightening to give some sunny spells. Mild for most, though brisk winds, especially in the north.
TONIGHT
Rain will continue to affect northern and western Scotland, and perhaps Northern Ireland for a time.
Mostly dry elsewhere with clear spells, though becoming largely cloudy. Mild and breezy.
TUESDAY
Outbreaks of rain developing across many northern and western areas, heavy in places, and becoming increasingly windy here.
Mostly dry elsewhere with a few bright spells. Another mild day.
WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY
Overnight rain clearing to brighter weather with blustery showers on Wednesday.
Further rain in the south later, clearing Thursday morning.
Otherwise turning colder, with sunshine and showers later this week.
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DILLIAN WHYTE returned to the ring in Gibraltar on Sunday night to take on Ghanaian heavyweight Ebenezer Tetteh.
After seven action-packed rounds, Tetteh’s corner pulled him out but both men landed huge blows in an entertaining main event as the Body Snatcher picked up back-to-back wins in a year for the first time since 2019.
Whyte will now keep on his march up the heavyweight division with a huge 2025 in store.
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TYSON FURY claims he is more motivated by money than his boxing legacy, saying: “I wasn’t born in a Christmas cracker.”
The Gypsy King has no intention of being a cheap plaything in the heavyweight division as he prepares for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
And he is still fuming that Anthony Joshua cost him a fortune with his September slaughter at the hands of Daniel Dubois.
He said: “I’m only doing it for the money, obviously. More generational wealth.
“All prize fighters, if they tell the truth, do it for the money, don’t they? Who here is not doing it for the money?
“I don’t want to work for f*** all. I want as much as I can get. I want the easiest fights possible for the largest amounts of money possible. I wasn’t born in a Christmas cracker.”
A Saudi Arabia-written script had AJ winning his old IBF heavyweight world title back from his former Team GB understudy Dubois, with the Gypsy King watching from ringside and ready to pounce.
No matter how Fury did in his rematch with Usyk, the biggest fight in British boxing history — and likely a double-header worth half-a-billion pounds — was in the bank.
But when AJ, 35, was dropped in the very first round by Dynamite Dan — and ironed out brutally in the fifth — Fury leapt out of his VIP seat and roared: “That’s just cost me 150 million, the silly c”.
Joshua has since rejected the instant rematch and is now recovering and however Fury does in his Saturday rerun with the 38-year-old Ukrainian, the battle lines are drawn for 2025.
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But the cash-crazed giant is still seething that Joshua’s first brutal KO defeat has hit him in the pocket.
Fury, 36, said about his X-rated review of the Wembley demolition: “Yeah, I meant that. Of course I did.
“We would have had a two-fight deal lined up for a s-tonne of money.
“Unfortunately, doors open, doors close. If you’ve been knocked out twice or whatever, four, five times, or six or seven? What does it matter? It’s still a big fight.”
Once the fanfare kicks off, Tyson’s wild dad John gets involved and brilliant old tales of their 2010 sparring session with a Rolex at stake are retold — it will be a huge money fight.
But another Usyk masterclass on Saturday would mean their combined recent record will be 0-3 — and people outside the UK will see the clash as a showbiz fight between two spent forces — for dosh.
But Fury’s story has not changed — he does not care about records or belts or legacies.
Cash is king — and he will fight a fellow British icon in the desert or an MMA bloke in the snow for more of it.
He said: “If he said to me, ‘right, you can fight AJ for 50 quid or you can fight Jon Jones in Antarctica for 1,050 quid’ — where am I going to go?
“I’m going to go for the money obviously because I’m a prize fighter.”
But even though he is a heavyweight boxing historian he couldn’t care less about his standing among the icons, just that his generational wealth must outlast his lifetime.
The father-of-seven said: “Legacy is my kids, isn’t it?
“One thing I do care about is my family, my kids That’s it.”
THE World Darts Championship is underway at Ally Pally – and there are some huge ties taking place TODAY!
Reigning champion Luke Humphries started his title defence with a stunning 3-0 victory over Thibault Tricole on the opening night.
While 2021 winner Gerwyn Price and left-handed genius James Wade feature on Monday.
But teen sensation Luke Littler and his army of fans face a lengthy wait to kickstart his campaign.
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