Moreira Undergoes Hip Surgery, but Could Provide Late-Season Impact for Arizona Ridge Riders
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Mauricio Moreira had just ridden WSM’s Jive Turkey for a monstrous 94.25 points during Round 2 of the 2022 PBR World Finals and climbed the steel fence inside Dickies Arena to salute the raucous fan base. He then jumped onto the ground, pounded his chest, and pointed at the dirt.
A fired-up Moreira was running on pure adrenaline during the 2022 PBR World Finals. His hip injury had continued to worsen all season long, ultimately putting a dagger in his 2022 world title hopes. Moreira eventually walked off the dirt following his ride on Jive Turkey and found a place underneath the grandstands to catch his breath as his adrenaline wore off and the pain in his hip returned.
The ride would go down as the best at the World Finals, and Moreira won the Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award, which is given annually to the rider who posts the highest-marked ride at the Finals.
It was the lone shining moment for Moreira as the 22-year-old’s hip injury led to him going 2-for-7 at his second career PBR World Finals.
“I am glad to come here,” Moreira said on Championship Sunday in Fort Worth. “I am hurt, and I rested, and I come to do my job, and this (ride) was not expected, right? I only rode two bulls, but I made a good one. I made some good rides this year. I am glad for all the guys here. A lot of guys hurt. A lot of guys went to the hospital. I am happy to be here today, and this is a high score for every Brazilian and every guy who came here and did their job strong.”
Moreira’s toughness and talent were never in doubt for the eight teams considering him for the 2022 PBR Team Series Draft, presented by ZipRecruiter.
The second-year pro had finished No. 8 in the world standings and won two events (Sacramento, California & Glendale, Arizona) despite needing hip surgery all year. Moreira, the No. 5-ranked rider in the world in 2021, finished tied for third in the PBR with seven 90-point rides on the Unleash The Beast this past season. He posted a career-best 37.5% riding average after going 18-for-48.
The question, though, was if Moreira would finally decide to get the much-needed surgery on his hip and how he would return from said surgery.
Moreira is arguably one of the most talented young Brazilian up-and-comers in the PBR, and he would have been a Top-5 pick at the draft if not for his hip injury. Instead, Moreira fell into the second round before the Arizona Ridge Riders happily selected him with the 11th pick overall.
It could be a selection that pays huge dividends later this year for Arizona, especially now that Moreira went through with surgery Wednesday in Nashville under the watchful eye of Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd.
“I am feeling really good,” Moreira told PBR.com on Thursday. “Doctor says it is not too bad, and I won’t feel any more pain after resting and doing physical therapy. Hopefully, it will be like three or three and a half months.”
Moreira does not have to look far to see at least one success story of a rider opting for hip surgery with Byrd.
2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen had Byrd repair his hip in February 2021 and returned to competition in four months. Fifteen months post-surgery, Swearingen hoisted the Jerome Robinson Cup as a PBR World Champion inside Dickies Arena.
Since the end of the 2021 PBR World Finals, Moreira went back and forth about getting surgery. There were days he was 100% committed to getting his injury fixed, and other days he thought it was unnecessary.
Now that he has gone through the process, he is happy to think about his future.
“Dr. Byrd gives you a lot of confidence when you go through the surgery,” Moreira said. “He is just a really good doctor. He has a nice, blessed place there. You feel good. You feel comfortable. It is not like everybody says how surgery is bad. I like it. I feel good now. I think I will do much better next year. He is a nice guy. He talk to me a lot. He said this is not a bad thing here, and I can come back stronger than I was before. This is a good thing. I am happy. I feel healthy. I feel comfortable. I feel ready to do my physical therapy. I am working on (improving) my English, and I will pick up for that world title soon.”
There is another possible championship coming sooner in Moreira’s career.
The PBR Team Series Championship takes place on November 4-6 in Las Vegas.
All eight teams will make the playoff weekend, and Moreira should be cleared for a return to competition before then.
Moreira could very well be back in October, possibly even for the Ridge Rider Days on October 14-16 in Glendale, Arizona, the regular-season finale for the PBR Team Series.
Time will tell how soon Moreira can return to his previous form, but the talented young gun could very well be a massive addition later this year for the Ridge Riders alongside teammates Luciano de Castro, Eduardo Aparecido, Chase Dougherty, Marco Eguchi, Alisson de Souza, Vitor Losnake, Sandro Batista, Koltin Hevalow and Tyce Willis.
“I know I cannot start, but if I could be at the Finals, if I am there, I can do a good thing,” Moreira said. “We have a great team. If I can do my job, maybe we can be champions. That is the good part. They have good guys. I will just rest.”
Moreira then laughed and referenced himself in the third person.
“Calm down, ladies and gentlemen. He is coming back.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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