Meet Joshua “The Killer” Filler (Youngest Mosconi Cup Winner)
When you think of pool’s best players of all time, names like Efren Reyes, Willie Mosconi and Earl Strickland come to mind. However, a breed of younger players are starting to take over the game of pool. Players like Joshua “The Killer” Filler.
Filler made headlines in 2017 by becoming the youngest player ever in the Mosconi Cup. He was only 20 years old and represented Team Europe, who also won the tournament. Despite being in his 20s, Filler has already accomplished more than many pool players do in their lifetime.
So, who is Joshua Filler, and just how good is he?
In this article, we will answer this question by giving a backstory of how he got into pool and tell you about his biggest championships, equipment preferences and other achievements.
Who is Joshua Filler?
Joshua Filler is a professional pool player from Germany. Filler was born in Bönen, Germany on October 2nd, 1997. His father was a pool player and introduced him to the game at a young age.
Filler started playing when he was about 6 years old. He would spend much of his time on the pool table, and it was clear that he had a natural talent for the game. As he grew older, he started playing in local and regional tournaments and even won a few. Filler was playing at the national level by 2007 when he was just 10 years old.
By the time he was 12, Filler was dominating many junior championships in Germany and Europe. You can watch him dominate a European 14.1 Championship match in 2011 when he defeated Russian Vitaly Pavlukin 75–29 HERE.
Filler won his first major championship when he turned 13 by beating 14-year-old David Maslove 7–6 in the junior event of the 2011 European 9 Ball Championship finals in Luxembourg.
When did Joshua Filler turn pro?
Filler played and won several other junior tournaments until he went pro in his late teens. His first big breakthrough as a pro pool player came in 2015 when he won the 14.1, 8-ball and 10-ball events in the German Championships.
Two years later, he qualified for the Mosconi Cup with the European team, becoming the youngest-ever player in the tournament. His history-making Mosconi Cup qualification and triumph marked his entrance into the international pool scene.
Joshua Filler’s Championships
Joshua Filler became a world champion at a very early age and has already won dozens of major championships despite still being in his 20s. He has also been consistently ranked among the top pool players in the world for almost a decade now. Here is a list of his biggest championships to date:
1. Mosconi Cup (4 times)
- 2017 – Won with team Europe by beating team USA 11–4.
- 2020 – Won with team Europe by beating team USA 11–3.
- 2021 – Won with team Europe by beating team USA 11–6.
- 2022 – Won with team Europe by beating team USA 11–7.
2. World Cup of Pool (1 time)
- 2021 – Won playing with Christoph Reintjes for team Germany. The duo beat Great Britain (represented by Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes) 11–7.
3. World Pool Masters (1 time)
- 2022 – Won by beating Lo Ho Sum from Hong Kong with a 9–6 final score.
4. WPA World Nine-ball Championship (1 time)
- 2018 – Won by beating Carlo Biado from the Philippines with a 13–10 final score.
5. US Open 9-Ball Championship (1 time)
- 2019 – Won by beating Wu Jiaqing from Taiwan with a 13–10 final score.
6. Euro Tour (5 times)
- 2019 – Won the Leende open by beating Ruslan Chinachov from Russia in the finals.
- 2021 – Won the Austria Open by beating Austrian Mario He in the finals.
- 2022 – Won the Treviso Open by beating Eklent Kaçi from Albania in the finals.
- 2022 – Won the Lasko Open by beating Spaniard Francisco Sánchez Ruíz in the finals.
- 2023 – Won the Austria Open for the second time by beating Daniel Maciol from Poland in the finals.
7. European Pool Championship (3 times)
- 2018 – Won the 10-ball event by beating Austrian Albin Ouschan in the finals.
- 2021 – Won the 9-ball event by beating Sanjin Pehlivanović from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the finals.
- 2022 – Won the 14.1/Straight Pool event by beating Roman Hybler from the Czech Republic in the finals.
Joshua Filler’s Cue of Choice
Joshua Filler plays with Predator cues. Predator has been his cue sponsor since 2009. In one of his interviews with Billiards Digest, Filler said he prefers the 58-inch Predator Panthera 5-2 playing cue. This cue has a low-rise design, a professional taper, and uses Predator’s Z-3 shaft. His break cue is a 19oz Predator BK Rush Redline with a BK Hybrid tip and sports wrap.
Other Awards and Achievements
1. Youngest Mosconi Cup Player – In 2017, Filler made history by becoming the youngest-ever player in the Mosconi Cup. He also won the cup for the first time the same year.
2. 2-Time Mosconi Cup MVP – Filler was named the MVP for the Mosconi Cup in 2017 and 2022.
3. 2019 AZBilliards Player of the Year – Filler was named the AZBilliards player of the year for 2019 after a highly successful year that saw him take home almost $150,000 in prize money.
4. 18-time German and European Youth Champion – Filler has won the German and European Youth Championships a combined 18 times. He has won the German Championship 11 times and is a 7-time European youth champion.
5. Youngest Player to Win the China Open – Filler won the China Open 9-Ball Championship in 2017 at just 20, becoming the youngest-ever player to win the title.
Wrap Up
Although still young, Joshua Filler has achieved great success by winning several German, European and world titles. He still has many years of playing ahead and will probably win more championships before it’s all said and done.
Joshua has a ton of natural talent, but his dedication to the sport, hard work and great personality have also contributed greatly to his success.
Whether you are a pool fan or player, Joshua Filler is worth celebrating, and his story should inspire you to keep working hard to get where you want to be.
As always, Happy Shooting!