Legends of the Cue

By Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with notable players, promoters, administrators and other people of influence in and around cue sports. We also pl

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· Sports

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How many episodes does Legends of the Cue have?

The podcast currently has 139 episodes available.

Best of Legends of the Cue

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Chris Melling - Part 2 (Becoming a World Champion)
Chris Melling had the talent. Now he had to prove he could beat the best. In Part Two of our Legends of the Cue conversation, Chris takes us inside his rise from promising young professional to one of the greatest English eight-ball players of his generation—and shares plenty of unforgettable stories from life on the road along the way. We begin with Chris’s longtime friendship with Darren Appleton. The two future champions traveled, practiced and competed together as young players, and Chris recalls the pranks, road trips and outrageous moments that came with their close friendship. Some stories have to be heard to be believed. Chris then explains what it really meant to be a professional English pool player in that era: the prize money, exhibitions, sponsorships, after-hours gambling and the relentless competition against players such as Mick Hill, Darren Appleton, Jason Twist and Gareth Potts. He also gives American pool fans a fascinating lesson in the differences between English eight-ball and American pool—from smaller balls and tighter pockets to the dramatically different behavior of the cue ball. Then comes the breakthrough. Chris looks back on defeating Rob McKenna 11–10 to capture the 2001 WEPF World Eightball Championship, including the emotional moment his mother joined him after the victory. He recalls defeating snooker legend Steve Davis in nine-ball and continuing to pursue professional snooker while simultaneously becoming one of pool’s dominant players. By 2003, Melling was even better. He defeated Jason Twist 11–7 for his second World Eightball Championship and remembers producing a nearly flawless performance in one of the fastest world finals ever played. World champion. World number one. And still looking for the next challenge. Part Two captures Chris Melling as his extraordinary natural ability became championship greatness. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...
September 08, 202638min
Number 2: Chris Melling - Part 1 (From Keighley Kid to Cue-Sports Pro)
Long before Chris Melling became known around the pool world as “The Magician,” he was a working-class kid from Keighley, West Yorkshire, who found both a refuge and a calling in a local snooker club. In Part One of our Legends of the Cue conversation with one of the most naturally gifted and versatile cueists of his generation, Chris takes us back to the very beginning. He recalls playing on a tiny pool table as a three-year-old, spending Saturday afternoons in the pub with his father, and the neighbor who recognized something special in the young Melling and introduced him to a full-size snooker table. What followed was remarkable. Chris made his first century break by age twelve and his first 147 at fourteen, practicing virtually every available hour while his parents made extraordinary financial sacrifices to support his dream. But his childhood story is about much more than prodigious talent. Chris speaks candidly about being bullied at school and how the snooker club became his escape. He discusses his extraordinary memory and ability to recognize patterns and angles, offering fascinating insight into the mental processes behind some of the seemingly impossible shots that would later earn him his famous nickname. Chris also opens up about his youthful gambling problems, the family members who supported his career, his memorable stint playing on a ladies’ pool team at age ten, and his rapid rise through the English junior ranks. The episode closes with the young Melling traveling and practicing alongside future champions Darren Appleton and Mick Hill and earning his place among the professional English eight-ball players. This is the origin story of Chris Melling: the family, sacrifice, adversity, confidence and thousands of hours at the table that created “The Magician.” Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...
September 08, 202636min
Number 3: Henrik Larsson - Part 1 (Growing Up, Rock Guitar and Discovering Wheelchair Pool)
In Part 1 of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Swedish Parasport pool legend Henrik “Henke” Larsson, we go back long before the world championships and European titles to explore the experiences that shaped one of wheelchair pool’s greatest competitors. Henrik was just months old when a hemangioma inside his spinal cord resulted in the loss of movement in his legs. Growing up in Sweden in the 1970s, he entered a world with few accommodations for children with disabilities—but also a family determined that Henrik would be treated no differently from his two older sisters. He recalls the freedom, responsibilities and sometimes remarkable adventures his parents allowed him, along with the Swedish Parasport camps that reinforced a lifelong belief that problems existed to be solved. His reflections on childhood disability, self-worth, belonging and the emotional struggles he kept largely hidden provide some of the most revealing moments of the interview. Before pool, there was music. Henrik fell in love with the guitar, absorbing everyone from Paco de Lucía and Gary Moore to Eddie Van Halen. For a time, becoming a professional musician seemed entirely possible. Then he walked into a Swedish poolroom owned by Jörgen Sandman. Sandman had never seen a wheelchair player shoot pool, but he immediately recognized possibility. He offered to train Henrik, beginning a three-year mentorship that changed the course of his life. Henrik recounts working with the demanding Sandman, refereeing world-class players in Las Vegas, developing a stroke and technique adapted to playing from a wheelchair, and eventually leaving home at 19 for Stockholm in pursuit of one thing: becoming a better pool player. It’s the origin story of a champion—and of a life built around independence, curiosity and an unwavering willingness to try. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...
August 25, 202634min
Number 4: Darren Appleton - Part 5 (The Fight of His Life—Hall of Fame, Cardiac Arrest and a New Purpose)
The final chapter of Darren Appleton’s Legends of the Cue interview is a powerful story of versatility, loss, survival and renewed purpose. Part 5 begins with Darren’s late-career fascination with one-pocket, a game he learned after moving to the United States and studying experienced players whose knowledge of movement and strategy could overcome declining shot-making ability. The conversation moves to Appleton’s 2017 induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame and the personal hardships surrounding that period. Darren speaks openly about returning to England, becoming a caregiver for his terminally ill mother, losing her in 2019 and trying to rebuild his professional career as the COVID-19 pandemic brought tournament pool to a halt. By 2022, Appleton believed his game was approaching its former level. Then, without warning, he suffered a massive cardiac arrest while working in his poolroom. He recounts the moments leading to the emergency, the lifesaving actions of his manager Kinga, the medical fight that followed and the realization that simply being alive was a miracle. Darren discusses the physical limitations he now faces and his decision to prioritize health, coaching and Dynamite Billiards. He also considers a future return to the United States, the possibilities offered by Ultimate Pool and how he can continue contributing to cue sports without depending on tournament winnings. The episode closes with gratitude and perspective. Appleton names the family members, mentors and champions who influenced him, reflects on Efren Reyes and the players he most admired, and joins Allison Fisher for “Alli’s Rapid Rack.” Mark Wilson offers a final tribute to Darren’s exemplary stroke mechanics. More than a comeback story, this is an intimate portrait of a champion redefining success—and understanding that a life in pool is measured not only by titles, but by relationships, resilience and the chance to keep moving forward. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...
August 18, 202628min
Number 5: Darren Appleton - Part 4 (World Champion Across Disciplines—U.S. Opens, Heyball and a Historic 200-and-Out)
What does it take to become a world champion across multiple cue sports disciplines? In Part 4 of Darren Appleton’s Legends of the Cue interview, the BCA Hall of Famer revisits the extraordinary championship run that established him as one of the greatest all-around pool players of the modern era. The story begins with Appleton’s breakthrough at the inaugural 2008 WPA World 10-Ball Championship in the Philippines. He explains how winning his first world title—and a $100,000 first prize—lifted years of pressure, secured his financial footing and gave him the certainty that he could perform when everything was at stake. From there, Darren takes listeners through the peak of his career: back-to-back U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, the 2012 WPA World 9-Ball title, World Games gold and victory at the inaugural World Chinese 8-Ball Championship. He discusses the opponents, conditions and emotional turning points behind those wins, while Allison Fisher and Mark Wilson explore the tactical intelligence, cue-ball control and competitive discipline that allowed him to succeed on dramatically different equipment. Appleton also examines the rise of Chinese 8-ball, or Heyball, and explains why adapting to its table, cloth and demanding pockets required more than ordinary shot-making. His ability to move between English 8-ball, American rotation games and hybrid disciplines became a defining feature of his legacy. The episode then turns to straight pool. Darren recalls winning on his first serious attempt at the Derby City Classic, beating elite 14.1 specialists and later recording a historic 200-and-out against Francisco Bustamante. He explains why straight pool rewards concentration, backward planning and precise cue-ball control, and shares his perspective on the great modern high-run players. This episode is a masterclass in championship pool—and compelling evidence of why Darren “Dynamite” Appleton belongs among cue sports’ most complete competitors. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...
August 18, 202631min