Legends of the Cue

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 plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

  1. 1d ago

    Chris Melling - Part 4 (“The Magician” — Viral Shots, Derby City, Ultimate Pool & Legacy)

    Why do they call Chris Melling “The Magician”? Part Four of our Legends of the Cue conversation provides the answer. We begin with perhaps the most famous rack of Melling’s career: his extraordinary World Pool Series clearance against Mika Immonen. Chris takes us inside the combination-carom, the severe swerve shot and the unforgettable four-rail bank that helped turn the clearance into one of pool’s most widely viewed highlights. He explains what he saw, what he intended and why the shots that looked impossible to millions of viewers made sense to him. But Chris Melling’s career is about far more than viral pool shots. He recalls his remarkable comeback from 8–2 down against John Morra to win the 2018 Derby City Classic 9-Ball title after an exhausting stretch of nearly continuous play. From that high, Chris revisits perhaps the most painful defeat of his career: the Chinese Pool World Championship final, where a substantial lead disappeared amid a camera flash, changing break conditions and a dramatic late reversal. Melling also reflects on his World Pool Series success, his love of straight pool and one-pocket, and his latest career resurgence on the Ultimate Pool circuit. Well into his forties, “The Magician” continued winning major events, including the Louisiana Open, Kansas City Open and Ultimate Pool Masters. Chris explains how quickly he sees patterns, how instinct and calculation coexist in his game, and why natural talent means little without the thousands of hours required to develop it. Then Allison Fisher puts him through Alli’s Rapid Rack, producing quick answers on his favorite game, greatest cue action, dream doubles partner, toughest opponent and the one shot he would most like to replay. There’s even a terrific story involving Jimmy White and an unexpected dinner with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Finally, Chris considers the lessons of his career and how he hopes to be remembered: a normal kid from a working-class town who lived his dream, became one of the best in the world and built a life playing pool. A fitting conclusion to the extraordinary story of Chris “The Magician” Melling. 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...

    Chris Melling - Part 4 (“The Magician” — Viral Shots, Derby City, Ultimate Pool & Legacy)
  2. 1d ago

    Chris Melling - Part 3 (Triumph Through Loss — China Open, Mosconi Cup & MVP)

    Some of Chris Melling’s greatest victories came during the most painful period of his life. Part Three of our Legends of the Cue conversation explores the remarkable intersection of loss, resilience and championship performance that helped define Chris Melling’s career. Chris begins by discussing the difficult choice between professional snooker and pool. He believed he possessed the ability to reach snooker’s upper ranks, but pool provided the exhibitions, tournament income and financial stability needed to make a living. His victories over elite snooker players offered tantalizing evidence of what might have been. By 2010, however, Melling had developed into one of Europe’s strongest nine-ball players. Winning the EuroTour Portugal Open helped establish him among the continent’s elite and put him on course for the Mosconi Cup. Then everything changed. Chris speaks movingly about his mother’s cancer diagnosis, his reluctance to leave her to compete in China, and his parents insisting that he go and do the job they had supported him in pursuing since childhood. With virtually no preparation—and carrying an enormous emotional burden—Chris won the China Open. Within weeks of returning home, his mother passed away. From that devastating period emerged another defining chapter. Chris recalls making his Mosconi Cup debut for Europe in Las Vegas in 2011, opening against Shane Van Boening and discovering the camaraderie of team pool at a time when he needed it most. A year later, at London’s legendary York Hall, Melling delivered again, producing a memorable pressure clearance against Brandon Shuff as Europe retained the Cup. Chris was named 2012 Mosconi Cup MVP. The conversation continues through his return to professional snooker, Q School, his remarkable collection of maximum breaks and another reinvention as he returned his focus to pool. This is Chris Melling’s story at its most personal: grief and greatness, vulnerability and resilience, and the emotional experiences behind one of cue sports’ most remarkable careers. 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...

    Chris Melling - Part 3 (Triumph Through Loss — China Open, Mosconi Cup & MVP)
  3. Sep 8

    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...

    Chris Melling - Part 2 (Becoming a World Champion)
  4. Sep 8

    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...

    Chris Melling - Part 1 (From Keighley Kid to Cue-Sports Pro)
  5. Sep 1

    Henrik Larsson - Part 4 (Parasport Pool, the WPA and a Legacy Beyond Championships)

    In the concluding episode of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with Henrik Larsson, we meet a champion who is still winning—but increasingly focused on what he can leave behind. Fresh from another major victory in Rome, Henrik discusses why integrating wheelchair and Parasport competition alongside major professional pool events matters so deeply to him. His goal is not special treatment. It is normalization: athletes with disabilities working just as seriously at their craft and being judged for the quality of their performance rather than the circumstances of their lives.  That philosophy now drives Henrik’s work helping lead the World Pool Association’s Parasport efforts. He shares his vision for international representation, fair classification systems, a global ranking structure and ultimately the dream of bringing cue sports into the Paralympic Games. Henrik also explains why developing Parasport pool worldwide requires understanding enormous differences in culture, accessibility, resources and attitudes toward disability.  The conversation becomes deeply personal as Henrik reflects on what disability really means, quality of life, parenthood and why—at 54—he continues competing only as long as he believes his game is capable of winning. He revisits the great characters of the pool world he encountered, from Mike Sigel, Nick Varner and Jim Rempe to Earl Strickland and Keith McCready, and explains why putting the sport first remains one of Jörgen Sandman’s most enduring lessons. Then it’s time for Alli’s Rapid Rack, where Henrik chooses 10-ball, The Hustler, Las Vegas, pizza, Earl Strickland—and, when offered the choice between being a rock star for one night or world champion once more, doesn’t hesitate: world champion.  He still wants that elusive 100-ball straight-pool run. He still wants a seventh world championship. But when asked how Henrik Larsson ultimately hopes to be remembered, the six-time world champion offers a much simpler answer: As a good person. 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...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 4 (Parasport Pool, the WPA and a Legacy Beyond Championships)
  6. Sep 1

    Henrik Larsson - Part 3 (Pressure, Rivalries and Six WPA World Championships)

    What happens after you become the best—and everyone expects you to keep winning? Part 3 of our Legends of the Cue interview with Swedish wheelchair pool great Henrik Larsson begins with that question and develops into a revealing conversation about championship pressure, rivalries, mental toughness and the changing meaning of success. Henrik takes us inside his remarkable 2007 WPA World Championship victory, when outside expectations, conflict with an opponent and pressure from his own federation left him wanting almost anything except to play the final. His solution was fascinating: if he didn’t feel like the confident Henrik Larsson who could win the match, he would simply behave like him. It became an important lesson about fear, performance and the mind. Then comes his great rivalry with Finland’s Jouni Tähti. After painful defeats, Henrik meets Tähti again in the 2012 world final. Facing another deficit, he decides he simply will not lose a third consecutive time—and produces what he calls one of the proudest performances of his career.  Henrik also discusses joining Predator, the growth of Parasport pool, his later world championships, and the 2016 victory that gave him his sixth WPA world title—along with the amusing role a ringing telephone played in that tournament.  But this episode becomes about much more than trophies. Henrik explains the creation of Malmö’s Wheelchair Academy, a 13-week empowerment program designed to help wheelchair users develop practical independence in virtually every aspect of life—from transportation and employment to caring for a home and family. More than 200 people have participated in a program Henrik believes can improve both quality of life and independence.  We also explore his Swedish Parasport Hall of Fame recognition, a third-place finish against Sweden’s standing players, his pursuit of a 100-ball straight-pool run and the arrival of Heyball. Part 3 reveals a champion whose greatest challenge eventually became larger than winning matches: how to use everything pool had taught him to empower others. 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...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 3 (Pressure, Rivalries and Six WPA World Championships)
  7. Aug 25

    Henrik Larsson - Part 2 (Stockholm, 2,000 Exhibitions and Becoming a World Champion)

    In Part 2 of our Legends of the Cue interview with Henrik Larsson, the aspiring Swedish pool player arrives in Stockholm at age 19 with no elaborate career plan. As Henrik puts it, he was simply addicted to shooting pool—playing until the last poolroom closed at five in the morning, sleeping late and starting all over again the next day.  But Henrik quickly realized that becoming a great player also required finding a way to finance the journey. What follows is a fascinating story of entrepreneurship in professional pool. Henrik teaches juniors and beginners in exchange for free table time, develops corporate pool programs, forms an entertainment business and eventually performs more than 2,000 trick-shot exhibitions. He and his partners go on to own two major Stockholm poolrooms—one built around rock-and-roll and live music, another designed as an upscale, multi-level billiards and corporate-entertainment venue.  Then we turn to the competitive career. Henrik recalls being at the forefront of wheelchair pool in Europe, competing successfully against Sweden’s standing players and winning an early championship in Berlin in 1993. A year later, he travels to America and takes on formidable American wheelchair star Aaron Aragon, scoring a breakthrough victory that Henrik still considers one of the most important of his career. He explains the physical realities of elite wheelchair pool—the reach, table height, bridge shots and pattern choices—and why straight pool became his favorite discipline.  By 1999, wheelchair competition is being staged alongside the European Championships. Henrik begins an extraordinary run of European titles. And in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2003, everything changes: Henrik captures both the WPA 8-Ball and 9-Ball World Championships. From Stockholm poolroom obsessive to double world champion, Part 2 traces the years when Henrik Larsson turned opportunity, creativity and relentless practice into international 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...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 2 (Stockholm, 2,000 Exhibitions and Becoming a World Champion)
  8. Aug 25

    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...

    Henrik Larsson - Part 1 (Growing Up, Rock Guitar and Discovering Wheelchair Pool)
5
out of 5
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About

"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 plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

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