When Snooker Stars Settled a Crucible Controversy in the Boxing Ring: The Story of ‘Pot Whack’

Snooker is one of those games. A certain amount of decorum is required, an inner peace, the ability to tell yourself that you will have another chance.

Enter Quinten Hann.

The Australian professional, dubbed the Nick Kyrgios of snooker by one YouTube comment, seemed to lack such decorum.

In one famous incident at the 2004 World Championship, he was particularly miffed during a 10-4 drubbing. It did not help matters when, during the post-match handshake, his opponent Andy Hicks - who had apparently been on the receiving end of verbals from his peer during the contest - said: “That’s you out of the top 16 next season.” Hann was furious.

“You’re short and bald and always will be,” Hann clapped back. “I’ll be waiting for you outside.”

As the referee tutted disapprovingly into his mic, Hann left the arena to jeers from the crowd, sarcastically waving his arms for applause.

Known as one of the most mild-mannered cueists on tour, Hicks was apologetic four days after the event. He said: “It is very unusual for something like that to happen. It’s a game for gentlemen and that is the way it should be.

“There is a lot of pressure out there because there is so much at stake. And we all say and do things that we regret later.”

The incident for Hann, however, was far from over.

After the refusal by Englishman Hicks to the invitation of a scrap outside the Crucible, bald compatriot and fellow snooker professional Mark King stepped in to take his place.

King, from Essex, seemingly had similar irks with Hann. One source of their rivalry, apart from the bald-shaming, went back to a £500 money match won by King when Hann was only 16.

‘Pot Whack’ was born with a date for June 11th 2004 agreed in York Hall, Bethnal Green.

The pair took the fight seriously. Both became ABA-licensed boxers, with King training under the ex-WBU light-welterweight champion, Jason Rowland.

Ding, ding, ding – Quinten Hann to break! The Australian got off to a hot start on the night, causing damage to King’s nose early on. King fought back bravely, unleashing a barrage of punches as he threatened to turn the tide.

In the end, only points separated the two, with who else but a long-haired Ronnie O’Sullivan - who was the reigning World Snooker Champion at the time - brought in to present the winner’s belt to Hann after the six-minute bout.

Hann said after the fight: “I thoroughly enjoyed the training and I enjoyed the fight. I’d love to do it again.

“The bad feeling between us was partly to hype up the fight but we’ve certainly never really been mates.”

The match was even sponsored by the EA Sports game Fight Night 2004, with the Sport Relief charity and youth development boxing programmes benefitting.

As the two men embraced, differences aside, this should have been the end of their time in the limelight.

However, in the years that followed, both players became embroiled in separate disciplinary scandals that brought their professional careers into disrepute.

Hann’s downfall came first. In February 2006, he was banned from professional snooker for eight years after being found guilty of match-fixing. A newspaper had caught him agreeing to throw a game at the previous year’s China Open in return for money. He had effectively retired days earlier and never played on the tour again.

King’s came much later. In November 2024, he was found guilty of fixing his February 2023 Welsh Open match against Joe Perry and of providing inside information on it. A separate charge relating to a match with John Higgins was dismissed. He lost his appeal in May 2025, leaving him with a five-year ban, backdated to March 2023, and costs of more than £113,000. The earliest he can return is March 2028.

There is a lesson here somewhere – perhaps I won’t take my gloves to the snooker club this weekend…