Dennis Taylor has won numerous prestigious trophies throughout his career. One of his most prestigious achievements was winning the 1985 World Snooker Championship. His last frame against Steve Davis was a record breaking match that attracted 18.5 million viewers to UK television. It was one match that will be remembered as the greatest in professional snooker history. It ended with Taylor defeating Davis on the final black with 18 points.
Dennis Taylor was born on January 19, 1949 in Coalisland County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He started playing snooker in his thirties. He went on to be one of the best snooker players in the world. He won the British Junior Billiards championship in 1967/68. He also participated in the 1973 World Snooker Championship. He made his professional appearance in 1972. He was second in the 1979 World Snooker Championship. In 1987, he won the invitational Masters. In 2000, he retired from professional snooker. He is currently part of the BBC's snooker commentary crew.
During his career, Dennis Taylor has appeared on numerous shows. He also has many guest appearances on shows such as BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. He has also been honored with a number awards, including the BBC Sports Personality award. After leaving the professional circuit, he made a fortune. His net worth was estimated to be at least $21.6million. After his retirement, Taylor dedicated much of his time to media appearances and family. Taylor was also a jazz musician. He is also a popular after-dinner speaker.
He was known for wearing large frames of sunglasses. Jack Karnehm designed his glasses, which were "upside down". He also had terrible eyesight, causing him to see snooker balls in a rugby ball shape. However, his glasses were designed to allow him to see through them while bending down to play shots.
Taylor was part of the Matchroom mob. He was close to his wife Trish. Trish was the mom of Cameron and Amber, their children. They shared many adventures. Dennis was proud that his wife graduated from UW with a Masters in Design and Applied Arts. They were also good friends.
Dennis Taylor met Steve Davis in his final match. The two players played a world record-breaking match that lasted over ten hours. The final frame was completed at 12:23 AM on April 28th. Everyone in Ireland watched the final frame. It was viewed by 18.5 Million viewers in the UK, according to BBC.
The 1985 World Snooker Championship was the longest single day final in snooker history. Final frame lasted 68 minute. 18 million people in the UK watched the finals, making them one of the most-watched events in snooker.
Dennis Taylor, who retired from professional snooker in 2000, devoted much time to his family and media appearances. He made several guest appearances on "Strictly Come Dancing" and other BBC shows. He is an internationally renowned figure in snooker and is worth a lot of money.