There have been 22 different snooker world champions crowned at the Crucible since 1977 but if they were all at the peak of their powers today, what would the top five in the rankings look like?
Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has won seven world titles and 23 Triple Crowns in his record-breaking career would be at the top of almost everyone’s list but what about the other places?
Would you favour the Rocket’s fellow ‘class of 92’ members John Higgins and Mark Williams ahead of legendary Crucible kings Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis – or would you pick more modern stars such as Mark Selby or Judd Trump.
The standard of the sport may have improved overall but if you imagine Davis and Hendry were in today’s era – would their competitive and mental edge allow them to reach the performance levels needed to succeed today.
We posed this question to Mark Williams, Ali Carter, Shaun Murphy, Kyren Wilson and Robert Milkins at this year’s World Championship and they all gave different top fives and reasons.
Let us know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more great snooker videos!
0:00 Mark Williams
0:48 Shaun Murphy
2:04 Robert Milkins
3:02 Ali Carter
3:57 Kyren Wilson
if every World Snooker champion of all time were in their Prime today who would be in the world’s top five in your rankings I’d go I’d go um Ronnie would be one Higgins would be two um I think I think it’d be Selby three um possibly Davis four um next one I don’t know we can talk up next one what about Steven Hendry hav’t I put hry in it sorry I’d go Ronnie Higgins hry and then I’d go probably Davis and then Selby yeah I mean the people you know back in the 80s and all that 70s brilliant players but they wouldn’t compete with the standard as a ro now the rankings uh all right okay in order it would be O Sullivan um I think it would be Hendry uh Ray reiden um Steve Davis and John Higgins not everyone will have Raiden in the top five explain that one yeah I think those skills that Ray had you know could Ray was either blistering break builder of modern day players no but he was so tactically astute and he was so clever he’d have he’d have had your head in a bin uh he wouldn’t have allowed you to make Century after Century after Century he’d have found some way of stopping you and for that reason he’d be in my top five and also Davis from the older generation yeah absolutely for the for a similar reason you know for for for the same type of thing um you know I I’m I’m not a fan of comparing eras cuz so much has changed even just in my career as a professional player so much has changed the only thing is the tables are still green most almost everything else has changed so when we start comparing the 70s 80s and ’90s to today it’s a bit of a rabbit hole to go down but you know yeah I think that people like e davises and re and six-time world champions they deserve a nod what we need is Doctor Who to emerge with the with the Tardis isn’t it and take us on a journey and we can find out without that we’ll never know but they’re my top five and I’m sticking to it Ronnie John Mark Williams Steven Andre and Steve Davis so you’re missing out Mark Selby yeah shouldn’t missed him out really brilliant player it’s it’s it’s a question that am I going the way the games evolved or like you got to imagine they’re all in their Prime yeah he wouldn’t he wouldn’t compete with salvi but his talents in a more competitive yeah yeah that’s the thing that’s why I put that’s why I’ve gone like that that’s what I’ve got to go like that I I got to go I I think he’s been asling me just now but I put Mark Williams right up there you know might not have won as many worlds like although he’s one three is he three yeah but maybe should have won more but well I think Ronnie would still be number one wouldn’t he uh cuz he’s the best probably uh Henry 2 um probably John Higgins free uh Mark Williams four Mark Selby five so you’re leaving out Steve Davis yeah I mean no not not as you know it’s a different era Al together um the standards gone up a lot since then I’m not saying wasn’t great cuz he was in his era but to compare him to modern day players it’s just not a realistic comparison and you can say like you know Alex Higgins God bless rest his soul but I’m afraid he wouldn’t live with to players today that’s just fact that’s not you know not saying he was the best in his day but it’s not his day anymore it’s somebody else’s day and you’ve only got to look at the Sentry break tally and all the all the rest of it so yeah I would go Ronnie oriv number one you know didn’t play Steven so much so I’m going to put John Higgins in number two just because I’ve experienced how tough of a player he is um I’d then go with Steven Henry number three I’m going to say Mark Selby number four um great sort of recent record here fantastic match player kind of Suits this tournament doesn’t he and then I would go number five as Mark Williams so you’re leaving out the legendary Steve Davis yeah again I think you know again I’ve not had much experience playing Steve I’m going off sort of my knowledge and what i’ I’ve had to experience um I think back when Steve was winning although he was a fantastic Champion maybe the standard wasn’t as high as it is now um you know and those guys I’ve just mentioned they’re still doing it now when the standard is at its highest
27 Comments
What about Fred Davis?😮
I thought, why the Hendry slander, but he just missed him
Hendrys No.2 without question
I wonder if any top pro legitimately doesn't think Ronnie is the best ever. Someone out of spite maybe may say it, but that doesnt count.
#83 judd trump.
Davis dominated the 80's, Hendry dominated the 90's (if you want to go way back Fred David, no relation to Steve, would be a smart pick), i think Mark Williams list is pretty solid, the one containing Stephen Hendry, lol, Ronnie would be at the top of most lists including mine.
Low key surprised no one placed Kyren in their top 5. Or Judd for that matter.
Davis couldn’t hack it at this standard
Hendry No1 for me . He was unplayable and far more consistent before eventually burning out .
For me it is 1 Hendry, 2 O'Sullivan, 3' Davis, 4. Higgins, 5 WIlliams. I have never seen anyone like Hendry in his prime. I mean gettng back from 14-8 to 18-14 to Jimmy in that final…It takes some mental strength to pull that off but surely Jimmy had a say in that (sadly). Ronnie in his prime would have had big troubles with Stephen in his prime, Stephen would not crack under pressure by Ronnie in his prime. The others….well here it becomes more difficult because in their prime…who over here exactly knows of these players what their prime was and how they played…I don't.
I think the players from the 70s and 80s with the same training and tactics we have now would have also come on top in 2020s btw.
Ray readon would give anybody a game when he was on song he was very hard to beat.
Pretty obvious who he doesn’t like . Hendry is streets ahead of any of his top 5
For me, Steve Davis has to be top three. He dominated the 80s and for that alone has to put him in the same category as Ronnie 🐐 and Hendry who dominated the 90s.
I love their logic should be the same in football basketball etc… Old eras players wouldnt compete today just facts
No way Ray Reardon would be in the top 5 or even the top 10.
Ali carter keeping it real
Hurricane Higgins must be in top ten.
Think the modern players are missing out on the different conditions and balls the players used in 70s and 80s and how difficult it was to hit big breaks consistently
Class of 92 are a joke
Paul hunter would have made this list if he had not passed away.
The whole point of the exercise wasn’t explained to them properly. You can’t compare eras because everything has changed. Davis and others of his era played in smoke filled rooms with inferior equipment, cloth, cushions and heavy balls. In the modern era, he has to come in third every time. And then you have to decide whether to include those before that…
Love how the top spot isn't even open for debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIIGTU5CtCQ
Ronnie O'Sullivan is the GOAT 🐐
Shaun murphy is right tables where different cloths where different and the snooker balls were different comparing players from different times don't fit and what about joe davis he won 15 world championship
Have these people been living in a box, what about the older players, didnt they exist.
Hendry and Davis were different from the rest as they were ferocious competitors hence why they became the best. Don’t think the others have the same metal as hendry and Davis had.
The one thing we can all agree on, is that Ronnie is the goat. Whether you do this on titles, longevity, break building, centuries…..pretty much any criteria he would be number 1.
Selby is top 5