No Fracture for Marchi
By: Justin Felisko
October 11, 2018
Guilherme Marchi will be healthy to return to action by the 2018 PBR World Finals. Photo: Andy Watson/BullStockMedia.com.
PUEBLO, Colo. – 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi received the good news he so desperately wanted to hear on Thursday afternoon from Dr. Tandy Freeman.
This is not the end of the road just yet.
X-rays this week showed that Marchi did not break his right clavicle last weekend at the Ariat Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in Milwaukee, when he was bucked off by Dead Calm (6.27 seconds) in the championship round.
“It is not broke,” Marchi said. “I just tore one ligament and kind of separated my shoulder a little bit, but he said when I can handle the rope I can ride.”
Marchi said he may even return to competition as soon as next weekend at the DeWalt Guaranteed Tough Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in Nampa, Idaho, on Oct. 20-21.
“I can probably come back next week, but I will be ready for Finals for sure,” Marchi said.
The 36-year-old announced in August that he would be retiring at the end of the 2018 season, and he was focused on finishing this year on his own terms at the Finals.
Marchi will begin his rehab process immediately and he will make a decision on Nampa next week.
“I am going to do some things here,” Marchi said. “I will work out and make my shoulder stronger. I think I come back next week, but I am not sure. I am going to check again late, next week.”
If Marchi chooses not to ride in Nampa, that would give him a solid four weeks of recovery time before the start of the 2018 PBR World Finals on Nov. 7-11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It was 13 years ago when Marchi went 6-for-8 to win the World Finals event average during his sophomore campaign in 2005.
That victory was a telltale sign of Marchi’s bright future, which contained a World Championship three years later in 2008.
The PBR’s all-time qualified rides leader is 22nd in the PBR world standings after riding Blue Stone (86.75 points) Saturday night for the 632nd ride of his career.
Marchi is 20-for-51 (39.22 percent) this season in 17 premier series events, including the 25th event win of his career this past February in Kansas City.
The longtime fan favorite is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to ride one more time in front of his fans on the PBR’s grandest stage.
Marchi admitted Thursday that he had already thought about prolonging his retirement one more season if he was going to have miss the 2018 World Finals.
“I am very happy,” Marchi concluded. “I want to finish strong. I didn’t want to finish like that. If it was broke and I was not available to ride at the Finals, I was for sure going to go one more year because I want to retire at the Finals.”
Marchi then laughed.
“But I am ready to retire this year,” he added. “I am happy for the good news. I am going to work hard to be ready for week and the Finals.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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