15/15 Preview: 2019 World Champions Smooth Operator and Lockwood to Clash for First Time

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – A clash of juggernauts is happening Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa.

For the first time in their respective careers, 2019 World Champions Jess Lockwood and Smooth Operator will face off in the arena on Saturday night during the 15/15 Bucking Battle at Wells Fargo Arena.

It will be the second weekend in a row that the 2019 World Champion Bull has drawn one of the top bull riders in the world. World No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme won last week’s 15/15 Bucking Battle with a season-high 94.25 points aboard Smooth Operator.

The ride also helped Smooth Operator’s chances in the 2020 World Champion Bull race as the 10-year-old superstar bovine was marked 46.5 points.

Reigning Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger knows a matchup with a two-time World Champion like Lockwood may result in another massive score for his bull, who is only .12 points behind No. 1 YETI World Champion Bull contender Chiseled.

 
“It sure helps drawing a guy like Lockwood,” Berger said on Wednesday afternoon. “You have to like it. Guys like Leme and Lockwood let the bull buck. Jess will give the bull the opportunity to buck as hard as he can. Leme and Lockwood can hang on long enough that we get to see him long enough.”

15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Andrew Alvidrez vs. Smooth Wreck (26-7, UTB)
Mauricio Moreira vs. Space Force (15-4, UTB/METC)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Sky Harbor (23-5, UTB/METC)*
Cody Teel vs. The Right Stuff (16-1, UTB/METC)
Ramon de Lima vs. I’m Busted (7-0, UTB/METC)*
Eduardo Aparecido vs. Apper’s Mind Freak (27-5, UTB)
Ezekiel Mitchell vs. Big Black (21-13, UTB)
Mason Taylor vs. Blue Crush (18-5, UTB)
Cooper Davis vs. Rocky (8-2, UTB)$
Colten Jesse vs. American Gangster (14-4, UTB/METC)*
Kaique Pacheco vs. Speed Demon (48-9, UTB)$
Lucas Divino vs. Soup in a Group (28-11, UTB)$
Jess Lockwood vs. Smooth Operator (81-8, UTB/METC)
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. South Texas Gangster (27-11, UTB/METC)*
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Good Night Robicheaux (22-2, UTB)$

Smooth Operator had bucked off 18 consecutive riders before Leme conquered him in Lockwood’s home state. For the second time in three matchups vs. Leme, Smooth Operator spun into the left and into Leme’s wheelhouse – a rarity for the bull.

If Smooth Operator does that again, it could very possibly be 15/15 Bucking Battle career win No. 6 for Lockwood.

“Hell, Jess can ride anything, but I hope that dang bull figures to go back to the right,” Berger said.

 
Lockwood is confident that he can reach the 8-second mark on Smooth Operator regardless of the direction the stout bovine decides to turn.

“He can go any which way he wants and I still got a job to do,” Lockwood said Wednesday. “It don’t matter to me. I’ll take it. I like the matchup. I have never been on him. I finally get my shot at him. I do give him a zero percent chance to go left, though. The only two I covered (last) weekend went away from my hand, so I must be feeling better away from my hand, so fine by me.”

Des Moines will be Lockwood’s second event back following a six-month layoff because of a torn left hamstring. Lockwood finished in 11th place in Billings with a 2-for-4 showing. Axle also bucked him off in 3.43 seconds in the 15/15 Bucking Battle.

“I am happy I am healthy. That is the only thing I am happy about,” Lockwood said of his first event back. “My riding was piss poor, and I didn’t finish two rides. I don’t think I had any rust. Just everything felt good. There are a couple small things probably here or there. I don’t blame my six months off for that. I just blame myself for not finishing my job. I could have possibly won the event if I finished those two rides, but other than that, I am healthy and I feel good, so I am happy about that.”

Lockwood and Smooth Operator could benefit from strong performances in the 15/15 Bucking Battle.

Lockwood is No. 3 in the world standings, and he trails Leme by 757 points.

Leme was a monster in Billings, going a perfect 5-for-5 to win the three-day event, as well as the 15/15 Bucking Battle with that 94.25-point ride on Smooth Operator. Leme earned 196 world points in Billings.

“I was pretty impressed,” Lockwood said. “That is not an easy bull to get by. He has done it before. Anything that turns back into his hand, I give him a 100% chance of riding, pretty much.”

Lockwood knows a ride of his own on Smooth Operator would be quite the statement, and help him chip away at Leme’s lead.

 
“It has so many implications,” Lockwood said. “If I ride him, it is like, ‘Lockwood is back and he rode the defending World Champion bull and he is coming for another world title,’ and this and that. There is all kinds of talk that can go each and every way if I ride him.”

Meanwhile, Smooth Operator needs a 45.25-point score to increase his World Champion Bull average (45.94). A 46.25-point score would push Smooth Operator into the world No. 1 ranking ahead of Chiseled.

The 2020 YETI World Champion Bull will be the animal with the highest average bull score from their top eight regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.

Smooth Operator is the only Top-5 World Champion Bull contender bucking this weekend at the Wells Fargo Arena.

The six-time PBR World Finals qualifier has been surging in the second half with scores of 46.5 points or higher in two of his past three outs.

“He got a little rest (during the summer break), and he is 10 years old,” Berger concluded. “It would be really special for me, that bull and our partners to win a second title, adding to his story.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photos courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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