"I was NOT happy when Ronnie tied MY record!" 🎱 Stephen Hendry | Up Front
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- This is Up Front with Simon Jordan. A show brought to you by William Hill that pulls no punches and tells it EXACTLY like it is.
This week we are joined by a rarity, a sportsman who can genuinely be called the greatest of all time. With 7 world titles, 36 ranking titles and 777 century breaks, only Ronnie O’Sullivan can be compared to the great Stephen Hendry. And like Ronaldo and Messi the GOAT debate continues.
A dominant force in the 1990’s, Stephen took the world of snooker by storm, overseeing an era of dominance that had never been seen before. Stephen joins the show to discuss his success, his rivalries and his struggles in this open and candid chat.
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Warning: this episode contains language that some people may find offensive.
#snooker #simonjordan #stephenhendry
00:00 Stephen Henry intro
01:20 Podcast starts
02:30 Early life and career
12:15 Did snooker boss Ian Doyle make Hendry 'boring'?
17:30 How did Hendry cope with pressure?
23:30 Being the dominant force in snooker for a decade
27:25 Relationships with Steve Davis and Alex Higgins
34:00 Ronnie O'Sullivan
40:05 Hendry's decline
50:05 Does Hendry miss playing at his peak?
51:37 The current state of snooker
57:35 Cue Tips and Punditry
59:29 World Championships leaving The Crucible?
01:01:15 Hendry's legacy
I was a kid growing up through the 90s. Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher and Stephen Hendry were the bona fide, superstars (unbeatable). Kids won't realise how big he was. Those three dominated the 90s from my perspective.
And Phil Taylor!
@@anthonycrompton6922wouldn’t say Taylor was in that category in the 90s
Pete Sampras!
@@AuPairChina I'd give you Sampras 👍👏
Micheal Jordan too
He's the only person I want commentating when I watch Ronnie. No one else has a clue
He is a true legend that will never be forgotten by any real snooker fan.
Brilliant
Also a has been that cried wolf when he couldn't handle the rising standards! Yips was BS!
Too much of an inflated ego when he know himself he won stand a chance today.He's a fraud!
Stephen, you will never be a nobody! As many have said, you are a true legend and always will be 👌👍🏻
A has been to me
@@colinvolckman3313
Also a has been that cried wolf when he couldn't handle the rising standards! Yips was BS!
Too much of an inflated ego when he know himself he won stand a chance today.He's a fraud!
Being a huge Jimmy White fan (my idol) I despised Stephen Hendry all through the 90's. I really hated him. But now after watching his UA-cam channel, and meeting the "off the table" Hendry, I love him to bits. I wish him every success in the future.
My favourite player of all time. Coming home from school putting the tv on bbc2 and watching Stephen Hendry made my day. True legend. ❤
Boring
Jimmy or Ronnie or Alex ate the best. Second tier, Hendry, Davis, Dennis. For talent, in my opinion
Them days
I was a jimmy white fan but had to admit Hendry was probably the best ever player under pressure. To be in a world final knowing the whole audience and the whole country wanted you to lose and clear up was absolutely phenomenal
Like Novak djockovic
To be fair, and taking nothing away from Stephen Hendry, who I really like, Jimmy White would surely have won one, had he slept better and not maybe had his refuelling as he did at Sheffield
@@kevinbailey3384 nah, white never had the makings of a varsity athlete!
@@thomaswelch-dr5gnsmall hands. That was his problem
@@KnightsofComputationNo I was making a comparison of the mental side of things. Don't get into a hissy fit and relax
I’ve got to say, this is possibly one of the best sports interviews I’ve seen in the UK, you can tell the guy asking questions knows exactly what the audience wants to hear. Superb questions and superbly delivered. It’s a subscribe from me
Funny you say this, I was finding him annoying for interrupting all the time, I found it distracting. Scouring the comments to see if others feel the same, obviously not
Someone else probably wrote the questions
Not necessarily, Simon Jordan is a regular on talk sport in the mornings with Jim White. He's far better than most as he's articulate and speaks his mind. Some of them on there find it hard to string a cogent sentence together.@@karonroberts5888
@@karonroberts5888 You obviously have no idea about Simon Jordan then...
He doesn't need others to form his opinions, and therefore his own questions.
@@LoveHitch78 I know he’s a prat.
I grew up with Steve Davis as my snooker hero, so when Stephen Hendry came along and stole his thunder I was not best pleased. Obviously I was in awe of his talent and loved watching him play. Since his retirement - and the same thing happened with Davis - he has let his guard down and shown his true and engaging personality. His UA-cam channel is great (the episodes with Davis and his pal Mark Williams are comedy gold) and highly recommended. It must be so difficult for sports stars in their later years when their glories seem ever further away, but Hendry should never forget what an immense impact he made on his chosen profession. He played snooker in a way no one had done before and made the competition look like also rans. Quite an achievement and one all fans of the game will never forget.
Great interview. For me, Hendry will always be the G.O.A.T
What a fantastic interview. I honestly had no idea Stephen was such a class gent. I’ve got a newfound respect and admiration for him
A true legend so overlooked by history, he actually talks the game up when ronnie gets onto this podcast it’ll be “I can’t stand the game”, “I wouldn’t tell youngsters to play snooker”! Stephens a real one for snooker!
Problem is Ronnie is mentally ill. Doesn’t even believe what he’s saying.
But the point of the podcast is to be honest.
@@PomBare
Lol, 😀😁😂🤣😃😄😅😆
The point of a pod cast or interview is to entertain the audience that's gonna watch it
It's good advice tho to play a sport where you don't have to sit and suffer for long periods not being able to do a thing about it. Unless you enjoy the unique mental challenge that snooker brings for poor financial returns (for majority)
@@sydclark5581and more often than not, the most honest guests are the best ones.
If there were as many tournaments per year when he was playing (some years there were 6) as today (think there’s around 20-25) he would have had sooo many more records. His strike rate was nuts
*I've finally come to terms with him smashing Jimmy White about for all those years*
Growing up as a kid in the 90s I kinda hated Hendry cause of his dominance & I always had a soft spot for Ronnie. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve grown to love Stephen and have so much respect for his game and what he did for snooker. Absolute legend.
I had exactly the same mindset 🤔
Stephen Hendry was my favourite snooker player being Scottish and all but not only that he was special. He might see himself as mortal but what he did in snooker will always be seen as legendary for a certain generation. Class interview.
Brilliant player! Back in the good days of snooker!
At his best, Stephen Hendry was THE greatest player ever.... end of.
@@dannygray-mi3xn But Ronnie wins it for entertainment value...
@@OfficialFingazMC I know. I love Ronnie.... but Stephen in the early 90s was unbeatable mate
@@dannygray-mi3xn Oh yeah defo, went from Davis to Hendry to Ronnie. Well Hendry and Ronnie battled it out for a fair while. Not gonna lie I haven't properly watched the snooker since probably it stopped being sponsored by Embassy lol.
Absolutely fantastic , loved this , watching Stephen Hendry play in his prime was just poetry in motion, a true genius, well done Simon for doing this
Ok calm down
I do like Stephen. Amazing player, decent bloke, down to earth.
Damn I wasn't expecting this one at all, what a player! Hendry's YT channel is absolute quality too, unsurpassed for snooker content
Even at 5-8 years old I remember watching him with awe! A spotty, lanky, floppy haired Scots Man that I couldn’t understand his accent but was transfixed by his ability- thank you Sir, Thank you ❤
I never found myself supporting Hendry as a player, he was too good! and he was kind of robotic like Davis but after watching Stephens UA-cam channels and listening to him talk he's probably become one of my favourite people in snooker, very honest likeable guy, it'd be great if he could get over these psychological problems and find his A game and make a come back
He's changed now.
Fantastic interview.
He'd similar to Schumacher or Seb Loeb or Phil Taylor in many respects. Very clinical, ruthless and no nonsense approach where winning was everything. No flair or extravagance, just get the job done.
Stephen Hendry my favourite player of all time. A true legend. Enjoyed this
It's interesting that Ronnie still says Stephen is the GOAT, and I've thought the opposite but I think about it differently now.
It's impossible for a player in the past to remain the GOAT for very long. Various things change in every sport in such ways that it seems as if the former GOAT has been surpassed, but it's an unfair competition that advantages the newer player, in and unfair modern playing field. For example:
- In snooker, the cloth has changed immensely, making the cue more controllable than ever before. It makes Ronnie look like a better break builder now, but if Stephen had grown up with that cloth he could have been the same.
- In every sport, new players get to learn from and build upon past players. Ronnie trained his game by watching Stephen. If Stephen had come later, he could have learned his game and break-building from Ronnie (instead of from Higgins), and he could have been even better at it.
Stephen was unquestionably the GOAT in his time or the GOTT (Greatest of Their Time) and destroyed everyone for years.
Ronnie is the GOAT now, and is the Greatest of Their Time (GOTT) now, but he doesn't dominate quite as well as Stephen did in his time.
So Ronnie is the new GOAT because each generation builds upon the previous and today Ronnie could probably beat Stephen at his best on today's tables (though it would be interesting to see Ronnie on the old tables against Stephen!) And Ronnie's longevity is further strengthening his GOATness.
But Stephen was a much more dominant GOTT in his own time, which is less glorified today, but maybe a higher praise.
Great interview , it’s also a refreshing change to hear Simon talk about someone else’s achievements with a sense of being impressed instead of making little chips about how they could of been better . If you enjoyed this and haven’t already I’d highly recommend Hendrys autobiography “Me and the Table” as a perfect insight to a sports person’s obsession to be the best , no matter what it takes. A true ambassador for the game that is still leading the way with his UA-cam channel pushing Snooker to the masses
The Crucible final he lost to Peter Ebdon was the one that got away IMHO. I think that was his last Crucible final and there was a decline in Stephen after that.
That would have, should have been his 8th. Peter showed great bottle to snatch it at the end with a nice break after Stephen made several uncharacteristic nervy mistakes after a strong comeback to take it to a deciding frame but ya, vintage Hendry wins that one all day long.
Steven was my absolute hero i watched him as a spotty 17 year old (me too so that endeared him to me as well) who was fearless and smashing anyone and everyone playing him.
Stephen- you are about as far from a 'nobody' as anyone is likely to be. The greatest ever at your sport and an inspiration to so many. Thanks for giving such an honest interview. Never forget what you achieved and thanks for being so personable on your channel and in interviews like this.
2nd greatest Ronnie O’Sullivan has over taken him
@@andyharrod1436 Ronnie is probably the goat and he's the most naturally gifted player of all time. However, and it's a big however, Ronie is mentally weak and it's a huge part of the game. Would Ronnie have beaten Hendry in his prime? I think not and Ronnie would agree with that. Hendry in his prime was a machine who cold and emotionless and that is what made him the best
One of the all time greats both as a player and a commentator/pundit
Absolutely class player speaks absolute truths and100% honesty and still speaks highly of the sport doesn't bring snooker down like others in the sport and represents Scotland 🏴 well
I’ve always respected how Stephen talks about the time Ronnie quit the match half way through. He’s never criticised Ronnie and never looked to put down what in effect was his biggest rival
@@user-ce4xw6ju2yTo just say he quit because Hendry was winning shows a considerable lack of empathy in your part for someone who clearly was having mental troubles plus it also shows a total lack of class on your behalf....ironically...something your hero does show about the incident. Btw head to head Ronnie/Stephen.. 30/20...to Ronnie.
why would he care he got to a final ... and got more money
Legend of a player 🙏🙏
Stephen Hendry is unlike most top sportsmen insofar as he's achieved the highest of highs as well as the lowest of lows within his chosen sport ; truly fascinating and a perspective unlike any other , great stuff to listen to.
His attitude towards Ronnie as well is admirable. They both love each others games
@@WayneAnthonyHolmes-ez9mh All time GOAT Ronnie O"Sullivan!
@@user-bg9er5vs5y WTF? I love Ronnie, but Hendry beat Ronnie when they were both in their PRIME when it really mattered - at the Crucible Semi Final 2002. Ronnie was cocky and said he wanted to "beat him up". Hendry went on to tear Ronnie a new one.
@@user-bg9er5vs5yStephen introduced Ronnie at his Podcast as the best player who ever picked up a queue and Ronnie answered well thats you mate.
They are good friends with a mad amount of respect towards each other.
And to be fair it's very difficult to chose between the two.
@@YlL-ji2sl Hendry always crumbled against top opposition,Not if your name was Jimmy.Hendry literally won 4 of his 7 world titles against Jimmy,then Ebdon,and Nigel Bond!
Wow,World Class opposition Not.
Hendry also lost to Ken & Ebdon in World finals! Stephen Hendry is one of the most overrated players ever that wont stand a chance today.Fact! Its the hardest era in snooker history! Another fact!
Love Stephen and loved this interview! I do think Simon cuts him off a couple of times, or quickly changes subjects, like they're on a schedule or something. Would've happily watched a longer interview just to hear more from Stephen!
Phenomenal interview! I know Ronnie has worked his way up to be where he is now but anyone who didn’t grow up in the 90’s will never comprehend how dominant and unbeatable Stephen Hendry was on a snooker table… it was Michael Jordan, Tiger woods and Stephen Hendry.. absolute legend and always will be
1. Ronnie 2. Stephen I think Ronnie's longevity and natural flair makes him the number one goat - both goats though. Stephen was a machine - hard to imagine you could even beat him for a long time back in the 90s. Both very honest when it comes to being interviewed - hopefully Ronnie likes Stephen more now - both very likeable guys.
Excellent interview Simon, and the first time I have heard of the full reason on why Stephen can't perform the way he would like. I know he is now 54, but when you look at Higgins and Williams being of a similar age playing to the highest level you were often left wondering why Stephen can't do the same especially given his stature and talent, and the fact that hes involved with Sightright like Williams is. How amazing would it be if he could find the source of the problem and then begin to play the way he does in practice to have the opportunity to have one last showdown with Ronnie at the latter stages of the Crucible. Now that would be a treat.
He was never the same player after the incident on the plane where his cue was snapped! Apparently there was numerous attempts 2 try & build a new cue as similar 2 his original as possible but it never worked.
I believe the talent & skill Hendry had he should've bn able 2 practically pick up any decent cue & perform but maybe not. Still always a fan of his 🤚👍
😂
UPFRONT is so enjoyable. Looking forward to some new guests. I know you had Gatland. How about Brian O’Driscoll? Plenty of controversy and he speaks well…
What it took Stephen to achieve it took Ronnie twice as long. For that reason alone Stephen is the GOAT
Ronnie's longevity makes him the goat, hendry was done by his 30's, Ron still winning and almost 50.
Top top sportsman. Absolutely love the respect Stephen and Ronnie have for each other as well. The two 🐐
I played Stephen in a under 16 tournament at pontins prestatyn 40 years ago. Such a long time ago i cant believe that i once played snooker and u can forget how good he once was. Only player that i saw play one frame and thought he is the best player i have ever seen.
What a great listen that was, thanks to both of you. It’s sad that he lost his touch a little and possibly his hunger but what an interesting man he has matured into away from competitive snooker.
brilliant episode and one of your best Simon as an interviewer. Well done
What a fantastic chat with one of the best players ever in snooker.
I didn't like Hendry much back in the day as I was a Jimmy white fan.
But he was one of the greatest, like Steve and now Ronnie.
A real insight to his career and after.
I don't watch snooker as much because the characters in the game have changed now.
Doesn't feel the same.
Great interview - I really enjoy watching Hendry discuss snooker, both on his own channel and elsewhere. It's clear (as Hendry acknowledges) that Ronnie has surpassed him, both statistically and on the level of play at their best, but Hendry is a close second and, as someone who rooted for Jimmy constantly against him, I have the utmost respect for Hendry, his achievements and the new level of attacking play and break-building he brought to the game.
A legend and probably the most dominant force in the history of Snooker. Just my humble opinion. At his peak, he was unbeatable.
No one is unbeatable.
The episode on Stephen’s channel with him and Ronnie potting balls and chatting is phenomenal
My favourite snooker player used to watch him ever since being a little kid when I was 6/7yrs old.. I dunno why I liked him so much even as a kid , but the 90’s were a great era in snooker
He had the eye of the tiger I can remember being at me nana's lying in front of the gas fire lol It felt like years watching Hendry I can remember looking in his eyes you just knew he wasn't going to miss. That's why I loved him..
@@smasherdobson4884 haha I used to watch him at my nans too quite often actually, she never minded me watching snooker so it was all good.. yea he had that focused look on his Face Id always remember
My favourite player of all time....grew up watching this man dominate the sport I love for over a decade...ice cold on the green baze....and rightly known as a goat of the game along side Ronnie 👌👌
A proper sportsman. I love Hendry and Ronnie. 2 proper legends.
Best I’ve seen, he never missed, his positional play was always perfect and he was cool under pressure. He truly is the king of the crucible. He won 7 words in 10 years, that will never be topped.
He missed plenty, but his opposition in the early 90s was poor.
Loved this episode. Could listen to SH all day. Sad to think that even someone like him can see himself as a nobody at times. Crazy.
The sort of legacy he has left does not fade - he'll be forever remembered as one of the Goats. Great interview.
Stephen . You were the reason I picked up a cue . (Fair enough , nothing ever came of it 😝)but some of the best years of my life was in a snooker club every day for hours . In my head I was you , I studied your game trying to emulate it . That’s part of your legacy to me and countless others mate , let alone all your achievements. Also you’re Scottish 👍
Fantastic interview from Simon and the production team. My snooker heros in the 80's were Higgins, Reardon White and Davis, thought Davis would never be bettered until this young Scots kid came along and exploded snooker into a new level. I used to resent watching Stephen 😂 because Jimmy White and Davis kept getting spanked by him, but he really grew on me his break building was phenomenal, , i admired him greatly , Stephen is a fantastic ambassador for snooker, love his youtube channel as well.
Always the Goat in my mind. I will never forget switching of the tv in a rage during the match with Mike Hallet only to discover i missed one of the greatest final comebacks pf all time. Absalout Legend
I never got to see Stephen in his heyday because I moved to the USA in 82, but i just can't get enough of him now what a beautiful person he turned into!
One of the best watch on Simon’s podcast. You can actually see the admiration he has for Hendry. Overall although i enjoy watching Ronnie have to see Hendry was more ruthless and a savage for that 10 year period true goat of the game.
Ronnie is the greatest and I love him, but Hendry is up there and possibly the most ruthless champion of all time.
Will never forget the 2002 Crucible Semi-Final with them both facing off in their prime. Ronnie said before the match, "I just want to beat him up and send him home". In a close and exciting match, Hendry proceeded to hand Ronnie's a** to him.
Legend. One of the best sportsmen of all time. For me, right up there with the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Sir Donald Bradman and Cliff Lazarenko. Respect.
At his best, he dominated in a way no one else did....he walked around the table like no other player, and I include the top five players (Davis, 2 Higgins, O'sullivan, Selby) because winning was the challenge for him and success went with the victories....
To put it in perspective at his height, Stephen Hendry was a winning machine, frightening to play against and transferred to the modern time would be winning over 50% of todays tournaments, and every year he would be in the crucible final playing against worthy opponents.... he reigned supreme for 10 years, and players like O'sullivan, Higgins, and Williams had the scars from his skills to make them better players and increase the longevity of their game's....
How much i loved listening to Stephen 18.20 when said he never playing for his own cash for gambling as he not natural gambler its such educational thanks Stephen.
I hear Stephen talking about the mental side of his game that went to pieces, I can’t help but think of the badminton player Kento Momota, who in 2018 and 2019 just almost completely dominated the badminton scene.
He had an accident that killed his driver in early 2020, briefly threatened a comeback at the end of 2021, but then is now just shadow of his former self.
I wish they can find a way to come back.
Good god, Momota. The moment I heard about his crash, I immediately thought to myself: "The guy will never be the same". Part of the reason why Axelsen is so dominant nowadays is because Momota was never the same after his crash.
🤣🤣 I’m Simon Jordan I’m sick off the nonsense out there , that’s why I’ve joined
Up with a company that ruins the lives of vulnerable
People . How noble of you . 👍
Brilliant chat. Truly incredible player. His UA-cam channel genuinely is great.
I was born in 1991 and grew up when hendry was in his prime. He was an absolute animal. Strangely it was almost boring how good he was as you just knew he'd clear up. He was a miserable sod but I adored him 😂
Just like Steve Davis the decade earlier .
Joe Johnson upset the snooker world in 1986 beating Steve Davi’s in that final
Brilliant episode. Simons questions spot on as usual. Stephen is a massive hero of mine. Both podcasts are a great watch/listen.
Incredible player, the best pundit and brilliant UA-cam channel…overall LEGEND of the game…period!!!
Don't like both. Selby fan here!
brilliant show and insight with an absolute legend of the game. Superb interview as always from SJ, looking forward to many more.
Outstanding interview. It would be great if Stephen could find the right person to be in his corner and help him enjoy the heat of battle again.
Steven, dont be to hypercritical of yourself! Once a legend- forever a legend!!! Massive inspiration!
Really enjoyed this. Great chat as always. Thanks 👌🏼
I love Stephen Hendry words when said he is Grady in winning.
Really enjoyable, great questions and honest answers
Top bloke. Love his UA-cam channel
Hendry was playing before I was even born in the early 90s. I was his fan growing up. I miss watching snooker regularly. Nowadays there so much entertainment to choose and keep up with in the Internet era. I also want to pay respect to my 2nd favourite Paul Hunter. R.i.p. I hope his family is doing well.
Great video Simon. Enjoy listening to you and Jim on TalkSport.
Lovely conversation! Simon is improving, wasn’t cutting him off as much. Great job 👍🏾
Wow I wasn't expecting this, brilliant!!!
Absolute legend. Best one yet 👍
Amazing to hear him talk about the decline. Shows why Stephen respects Ronnie so much to continue playing at that level at that age
Another superb episode 👏
Excellent interview. In my opinion he is GOAT. A Legend and a real champion and ambassador for the game.
He won 5 world titles in a row id like to see Ronnie o Sullivan do that .
also a match fixer great player
It's good to see you doing another sport. I do love a bit of snooker. And who is better equipped to ask questions that nobody else would dare to than Simon Jordan. I think snooker players are very interesting people and nowadays very introverted.
His book is excellent.
Brilliant interview.
all things considered, how Stephen talked about Ron makes him a much better man than a lot of people think. obviously he has an ego, he's a great champion that only saw victory as a possible outcome yet he was gracious enough to put everything aside and admit what a genius Ron is and how better he is in a lot of aspects. nothing but respect, Mr. Hendry, well done.
Great interview. Would love to see more snooker player interviews
love to see ronnie obviously but some players like Judd , Neil Robertson etc, some of the other top players should try to raise their profile and the game
Stephen Lee 😂
Stephen - get onto Steve Peters
50:31 - "...almost like a different person, a different life..." - exactly how The Nugget describes it, with his music and modular v. snooker glory..
Great interview, thanks both...
Since Stephen gave up he’s proved to be such a lovely person. Like many I was a Jimmy fan. Hated Hendry but I never realised the influence his manager had over him and his attitude
Always love to hear Stephen chat about the game. His book is brilliant and his UA-cam channel.
Top bloke ❤
Loving the content Simon, Hendry was a great player and a mental giant. He was like a machine mentally
That interview was excellent. Stephen is still a legend. I love his UA-cam channel. Simon doesn't mess around with BS questions either.
One of the greatest if not the greatest. Great interview. Kindest regards, Richard U.K
great interview, good on you Stephen nice to hear you be so honest, your a great of the game and it's nice to see so much humility, keep up with the golf you will beat Bullard soon!
Not a snooker fan, watched the odd match 80s - 90s when it was on bbc, mainly if it involved Stephen, as he’s Scottish. Was going to just flick through this interview , but watched the full video, really enjoyed it.
A brilliant interview.... Legend..
Fantastic and insightful as always!
Great interview, very well thought out questions
Proper guest, proper winner.
Sir Simon = Top LAD Proper Clobber ✊💯 Facts
What a legendary snooker player Stephan Henry was.
Crap trolling.
Nice conversation with Stephan and I really enjoying his UA-cam channel cue tips.❤
Interesting growing up the three people who were absolutely dominant in their sport to the point of being best ever were Hendry, Tiger Woods and Phil Taylor.
Getting older i always thought, reading between the lines and from you heard from others that they weren't necessarily the nicest people but just put it down to being so driven and focussed on winning.
Delighted to be proved wrong with Hendry: between seeing this and his YT channel he comes across as a decent guy with great sense of humour and really down to earth.