How it unfolded
Raymond van Barneveld moved to the PDC in 2006 after winning four BDO world titles, and met Phil Taylor in the final in his very first season. Taylor was chasing a fourteenth world title. The early match was one-sided: van Barneveld fell behind 0-3 in sets, and most of the crowd at the Circus Tavern expected another Taylor win. From there he began clawing his way back, retrieving sets one at a time to level at 6-6, and even the final set was tied 5-5 in legs. Under PDC rules the match went to a single sudden-death leg, and van Barneveld won the bull-up to decide who threw first. Throwing first, he closed out that leg to win 7-6. It was the last World Championship final held at the Circus Tavern; the following year the event moved to Alexandra Palace.
Why it still matters
This is still most often cited as the greatest match in darts history. Both men held averages above 100 throughout the final, and the fact that the outcome was decided by who threw first in the last leg showed just how tight this sport can be drawn. Millions watched in the Netherlands, and the match became the decisive moment that made van Gerwen's generation see pro darts as a realistic career.