Ray Reardon, a former world snooker champion, passed away at the age of 91.
As per BBC Sports, the Welsh snooker legend, who had been battling cancer, dominated the sport in the 1970s, securing six world titles between 1970 and 1978.
Nicknamed "Dracula" due to his widow's peak hairstyle, Reardon rose to fame as snooker gained popularity on television.
He won his first world title in 1970 against John Pulman and secured four consecutive titles starting in 1973, including a memorable victory over Higgins in 1976.
Reardon claimed his last world title in 1978 and remained at the top of the world rankings until 1981.
He retired from professional snooker in 1991 at the age of 58.
Later, Reardon served as a consultant to Ronnie O'Sullivan, helping him win the world title in 2004. In 2016, the Welsh Open trophy was named the Ray Reardon Trophy in his honor.
Mark Williams, a fellow Welshman and three-time world champion, paid tribute to Reardon, saying, "Ray is one of the best sportspeople ever from Wales and the best snooker player. He’s one of the reasons why a lot of us started playing."
While, Jimmy White expressed his sorrow on social media, stating, "Gutted to hear my very good friend Ray Reardon has passed away. A total class act and very kind to me when I was making my way in the game. A giant of the game. Rest in peace mate."
Other notable snooker figures also honored Reardon. Neal Foulds described him as "a giant of our sport," John Virgo called it "an honor to have known... a true great of our game," and Mark Selby added, "What a legend."
