15/15 Bucking Battle Preview: Leme and Woopaa Set to Square Off for Third Time in Tulsa

By: Justin Felisko

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – World No. 1 bull Woopaa sure looked like he was firing on all cylinders on Tuesday night at Last Cowboy Standing despite having not bucked in more than two months as he and Boudreaux Campbell teamed up for an electrifying 95.25-point ride.

Woopaa was marked 46.5 points for his explosive effort, giving him bull scores of 46-plus or higher in five of his six outs this season and increasing his lead in the 2021 YETI World Champion Bull race.

However, stock contractor Laramie Wilson believes his bull is just getting warmed up and that Woopaa still has a higher gear in him despite his impressive effort on the historic rodeo grounds of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“He was good, but I don’t have him in the best of shape,” Wilson admitted. “He just come off cows, so he’s still a little bit thin. I’m happy and I’m pumped for Boudreaux. It was a great ride. The bull still bucked. I think we can be a little bit better. We’ve seen him be 47 in the first half. That’s where I want to be. I want to be back up there at 47 points.”

 
Woopaa will have a great chance to potentially be 47 points this weekend at the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Pit Boss, when he squares off against reigning World Champion Jose Vitor Leme in the 15/15 Bucking Battle (CBS national television Sunday at 1 p.m. ET).

15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups

Cole Melancon vs. Ridin Solo (16-5, UTB)*
Mauricio Moreira vs. Hank (12-0, UTB)
Chase Dougherty vs. Night Hawk (4-1, UTB)
Silvano Alves vs. Moon Walk (0-0, UTB)
Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. HomeBru (6-1, UTB)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Diddy Wa Diddy (3-5, UTB)$
Junior Patrik Souza vs. Oilfield Outlaw’s Yellow Feather (4-1, UTB)
Cody Teel vs. First Down (5-1, UTB)
Marco Eguchi vs. The Sauce (11-1, UTB)
Boudreaux Campbell vs. I’m Legit Too (28-11, UTB/METC)$
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Top Shelf (11-5, UTB)$
Dener Barbosa vs. Chiseled (17-13, UTB)
Cooper Davis vs. Born To Sin (7-2, UTB)$
Kaique Pacheco vs. Midnight Rock (18-4, UTB)$
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Woopaa (5-4, UTB)$
*Bull previously bucked off the rider
$Rider previously has ridden the bull for a qualified ride

This weekend will be the third matchup between the top two athletes in the PBR.

Leme clinched his world title last year at the 2020 World Finals by riding Woopaa for 95.75 points, and the performance from Woopaa also netted him the 2020 ABBI Classic title.

The No. 1-ranked bull rider in the world then rode Woopaa for 94.75 points with broken ribs to win the PBR Can-Am Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, for his first win of the 2021 season on Feb. 27. That event was also Leme’s first after he broke his right ankle at the season-opener in Ocala, Florida.

Leme injured that same ankle again during his victory Tuesday night in Cheyenne when Young Man’s Blues stepped on him following his 90.75-point ride in Round 3. Leme shook off the pain, though, and went on to ride Midnight Flyer (88.75 points) and Safety Meeting (91.25 points) and win his first PBR Major.

The 24-year-old was flying back to Dallas on Wednesday morning, and he said is hopeful to be ready for Tulsa on Saturday.

Woopaa averages a bull score of 46.5 points with Leme.

The PBR record for the highest ride score in Tulsa PBR history is 95.75 points by Mike White on Troubadour in 2008. Of course, the all-time PBR record is 96.5 points, which has occurred four times in PBR history.

Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney also ended three-time World Champion Bull Bushwacker’s streak of 42 consecutive rides at the BOK Center in 2013 with a 95.25-point ride.

Woopaa departed Cheyenne for Tulsa on Wednesday morning.

Wilson needs to get Woopaa at least two more Unleash The Beast outs to officially have him qualified for the YETI World Championship, and he is tentatively scheduled to buck every other week for the next month.

“It works out good,” Wilson said. “We’ll go to Tulsa, Little Rock, Fort Worth, and they’re all two weeks apart, so it will keep him on a pretty good regimen.”

 
PACHECO LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH REMATCH

2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco went 0-for-2 in Cheyenne and saw Leme extend his lead on him to 361.5 points in the world standings.

The No. 2 bull rider in the world also has a rematch in Tulsa as he is set to face Midnight Rock. The Cord McCoy bucking bull has bucked off 13 consecutive riders on the premier series and 16 overall since Pacheco rode him for 88 points last August in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Pacheco almost advanced to Round 3 on Tuesday night before losing his rope at 7.92 seconds against Ridin Solo.

Pacheco had previously earned world points in five consecutive events to end the first half.

No. 3 Cooper Davis also has a rematch against Born To Sin, as does No. 5 Joao Ricardo Vieira against Top Shelf.

Vieira most recently rode Top Shelf for 90.5 points Tuesday night in Cheyenne, while Davis is 1-1 against Born To Sin. In their last meeting, Davis took care of Born To Sin for 90 points at the Del Rio, Texas, 15/15 Bucking Battle.

There are a total of seven rematches in the 15/15 Bucking Battle:
Cole Melancon vs. Ridin Solo (0-2)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Diddy Wa Diddy (90.75 points in Okeechobee, Florida)
Boudreaux Campbell vs. I’m Legit Too (1-1; 91.75 points last season in Lincoln, Nebraska)
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Top Shelf (90.5 points at Last Cowboy Standing)
Cooper Davis vs. Born To Sin (1-1; 90 points in Del Rio, Texas)
Kaique Pacheco vs. Midnight Rock (88 points last season in Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Woopaa (2-0; 94.75 points in last meeting – Fort Worth, Texas)

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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