Has Rocket Ronnie fired shot for the last time?

“An enigma – genius’s are enigma’s” - the words used by former manager and chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker association Barry Hearn to describe the legend that is the Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan.  The man that made his TV debut in the Thames Snooker Classic at the age of 14.  The man that became the youngest winner of a world ranking event at the age of 17 when defeating Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1993 UK Championships.  The man that made the fastest televised 147 clearance in 5 minutes and 20 seconds in the 1^st round of the 1997 World Championships at the Crucible against Nick Price.  The celebration and the simulation of chalking his cue to the adulation of a packed auditorium.  The man that won the first of his four World Title’s at the age of 25 in the 2001 final against John Higgins, repeating the feat in 2004, 2008 and the 2012 decider against Ali Carter.   And most ironic, the man who idolised Steve Davis whose methodic and almost boring style of play was the polar opposite to what the Rocket literally brought to the table.  A man who’s personal demons however have now forced him to skip the rest of the season and not defend his world title next May. It made me wonder as to what other champions, world champions or otherwise, have not defended their titles over the years.

Uruguay – World Cup Champions

After Uruguay had won the Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928 it was decided by the FIFA president Jules Rimet that they would host the inaugural World Cup tournament in 1930.  They defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final to become the first World Cup champions.  However, in the following tournament in Italy in 1934, reigning world cup holders Uruguay declined to participate in protest at the refusal of several European countries to travel to South America for the previous world cup held there.  Therefore, the 1934 World Cup is the only one in which the reigning champions did not participate.

Rangers - 1972 Cup Winners Cup Winners

Rangers defeated Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in the final of the 1972 Cup Winners Cup but their victory was marred by a pitch invasion by their fans and which subsequently led to a one year ban for the team from European football.  This marked the first time that the holders were then unable to defend their title

Bath – Heineken Cup Winners 1997-98

Bath defeated defending champions Brive 19-18 in a pulsating encounter in Bordeaux in the final of the Heineken Cup in the 1997/98 season.  80 seconds in to injury time at the end of the game full back Jonathon Callard clinched it with his fourth penalty goal of the game, the one and only time that Bath were ahead in the entire game.  Ironically, however, the English clubs participating in the competition had made a joint decision to withdraw from the competition in a dispute over how it was run and Bath therefore were not in a position to defend their title the following season. 

Ben Hogan – British Open Golf Championship 1953

America’s Ben Hogan, the best American golfer of his era, only competed in the Open just once in 1953 at Carnoustie and won it on his one and only attempt.  Due to a schedule conflict between the Open and the match play PGA Championship during this period, Hogan did not participate to attempt to defend his title in 1954 along with the majority of his fellow American players.

Kim Clijsters – US Open 2005

Belgium’s Kim Clijsters won her first Grand Slam Singles title at the US Open in 2005, defeating Mary Pierce in straight sets in the final.  She had reached four Grand Slam finals previously where she had been unsuccessful in all.  However, while playing in a tournament in Montreal in August 2006, she slipped and fell on her left wrist, had to retire from the match and with the injury not responding as well as hoped, she had to withdraw from the 2006 US Open and therefore was unable to defend her title.

Lennox Lewis – WBA World Heavyweight Title

When Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in November 1999 he became the holder of the IBF, WBC and WBA heavyweight belts all at the same time.  However, in early 2000, the World Boxing Association and Lewis were sued by representatives of challenger John Ruiz who claimed that they had reneged on an agreement by which Luiz would have fought Lewis for the WBA title.  A New Jersey court ruled in favour of Luiz and ordered Lewis to either have his next bout against Luiz or relinquish the title.  Lewis elected instead to fight another contender Michael Grant, therefore relinquishing his title on the day of the bout.  He therefore did not have an opportunity to retain it and instead Holyfield did so in August 2000.  

USA – Olympic Men’s Basketball Champions 1976

After beating Yugoslavia to the gold medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the USA men’s basketball team would have been strong favourites to retain their title when the 1980 Olympics in Moscow rolled around.  However, led by the United States, 65 countries boycotted the games because of the Soviet war in Afganistan and therefore the men’s competition featured only the second instance featuring the US men’s basketball team failing to win Olympic Gold, the first being in the Munich games in 1972 when defeated by the USSR.  They did however regain their title once again in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

O’Sullivan is considered by many to be the most naturally talented player in the history of the game.  Although there is the “Two Ronnie’s” aspect of his character, he continued to be one of the most popular players on the circuit.  He has helped improve the image of snooker to the general public and has stated his own desire for entertaining the watching public as slow gritty games in his view puts viewers off.  As good and all as it is to see such up and coming stars as Judd Trump in the game, lets hope that we have not seen the last of the Rocket as the game of snooker will certainly be a less entertaining game without him.