Hamilton's Matt Campbell defeats Jim Long in all-Canadian darts final

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 28, 2025 7:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 37 minutes ago

Matt (Ginjaninja) Campbell became the archetypal subordinate to clasp the bet365 North American Darts Championship rubric erstwhile helium defeated (Gentleman) Jim Long 6-3 successful an all-Canadian last Saturday successful New York.

The 35-year-old from Hamilton, who earned $10,000 US successful taking the title, besides won the lawsuit a twelvemonth agone astatine The Theater astatine Madison Square Garden.

Campbell, ranked 53rd successful the world, came from a limb down to pb 3-1 successful the final. After Long, No. 109 connected the PDC Order of Merit, chopped the pb to 1 leg, it was Campbell who posted a brace of double-top checkouts to adjacent retired the victory.

"It's awesome," said Campbell. "I was beauteous blessed but the last was a spot rough, playing a bully buddy."

Campbell and Long teamed up to correspond Canada astatine past month's World Cup of Darts successful Germany.

Campbell defeated Jason Brandon 6-1 successful the quarterfinal and Stowe Buntz 6-2 successful the semifinal.

Long, who won his PDC Tour Card successful January to articulation Campbell arsenic the lone Canadians connected tour, defeated Adam Sevada 6-4 successful his opening necktie Saturday and past dispatched American No. 1 Danny Lauby 6-1 successful the semifinal.

"I consciousness unspeakable to beryllium honest," said the 57-year-old Long, a retired autoworker from London, Ont. "I conscionable couldn't get it going — possibly I was trying excessively hard.

"Matt and I are large buddies. We played unneurotic similar for years earlier helium got his Tour Card and we practised together. That was conscionable a hard last to play."

The tourney victor usually earns a spot successful the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts by virtuousness of the success. But with Campbell ranked successful the world's apical 64, helium is already eligible.

The qualifying spot successful the World Darts Championship volition present spell to the top-ranked non-qualified subordinate connected the last 2025 CDC ProTour Order of Merit, portion the 2025 CDC Continental Cup victor volition vie successful the Grand Slam of Darts.