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What 2 Watch 4: Campbell to Make Season Debut in Fort Worth

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – What is next for 2020 PBR World Finals event winner Boudreaux Campbell?

Will the 22-year-old take the next step in his career and parlay that event win into a world title-contending season?

Campbell will give PBR fans a first glimpse at what that answer may be when the Crockett, Texas, native makes his season debut this weekend at the PBR Can-Am Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, after missing the first four events of the 2020 season recovering from right wrist surgery (free hand) in January.

Campbell won the 2020 PBR World Finals, as well as the 2020 Rookie of the Year title, 19 miles away inside AT&T Stadium last November in stunning fashion. He went 4-for-5 at the PBR World Finals, winning $368,500, to finish 2020 ranked No. 3 in the PBR world standings. He began the event ranked No. 33.

“I worked my whole life to being on the playing field with the best there is in that arena, and for me to come out on top and be the very best guy there that week helped a lot,” Campbell says in an upcoming CBS Sports Network television feature. “That helps my confidence. I am ready to go after them in 2021. I am looking for a world title. I don’t want to stop there.”

The Crockett, Texas, native has drawn Dance Monkey (0-0, UTB) for Round 1 on Friday night (RidePass at 9 p.m. ET). The CBS Sports Network broadcast airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

 
Campbell competed part-time in the PBR in 2020, ultimately riding at only five Unleash The Beast regular-season events and six Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour events.

His World Finals victory was the sole reason for his Top-5 finish in the world standings after he finished his first season on the premier series 10-for-18 (55%) with four Top 10 finishes. Campbell, a member of the victorious Team USA squad at the 2020 Global Cup USA in Arlington, punched his ticket to the World Finals by riding I’m Legit Too for a career-best 91.5 points in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The performance had many thinking Campbell would be a threat to win the 2020 PRCA bull riding championship in December, but he struggled at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, going 1-for-10 to finish No. 10 in the PRCA title race.

It was during the NFR that Campbell aggravated what he believed to be an old injury in his right wrist, which he learned in December was a broken scaphoid bone.

Campbell opted for surgery and is now ready to make a full run in the PBR this season. He will begin the year with eight guaranteed events on the Unleash The Beast.

WHO’S IN & OUT THIS WEEKEND

Riders from last year’s Top 30 that are not competing

No. 3 Chase Outlaw (left shoulder surgery)
No. 9 Daylon Swearingen (right shoulder surgery)
No. 14 Colten Jesse (hip surgery)
No. 22 Fabiano Vieira (head injury)
No. 24 Matt Triplett (hip surgery)
No. 26 Andrew Alvidrez (broken neck)
No. 27 Aaron Kleier (remaining in Australia)
No. 29 Stetson Lawrence (left shoulder surgery)
No. 30 Tye Chandler (elbow)

 

Alternates this weekend (Bold riders only guaranteed to compete in Round 1)

Junior Patrik Souza
Claudio Montanha Jr.
Colten Fritzlan
Joao Henrique Lucas
Dalton Kasel
Taylor Toves
J.T. Moore (No. 1 Velocity Tour rider invite)
Kyler Oliver
Marcelo Procopio Pereira
Dakota Louis
Rafael Henrique dos Santos
Alex Cardozo
Thiago Salgado
Marcus Mast
Rodrigo Melgar
Luciano de Castro
Chase Dougherty

The PBR competition department announced this week that the Unleash The Beast field of competition will increase to 40 riders on weekends in which there is not a 15/15 Bucking Battle.

As part of the new event structure, any rider that is not seeded based on Unleash The Beast tour event standards (Top 30 available plus any Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour invites) will need to earn a qualified ride in Round 1 to advance to compete in Round 2.

The nine riders above bolded – Marcelo Procopio Pereira, Dakota Louis, Rafael Henrique dos Santos, Alex Cardozo, Thiago Salgado, Marcus Mast, Rodrigo Melgar, Luciano de Castro and Chase Dougherty – will be facing this scenario in Round 1 on Friday night.

Salgado is set to make his premier series debut against Butterfly Kisses (1-0, UTB) in Round 1. The 22-year-old is competing in the PBR for the first time in his career this season, and he is 3-for-9 in four American events in 2021. Salgado won Round 1 last weekend at the Lexington, Kentucky, Velocity Tour event and finished third overall by going 2-for-3.

Dougherty was a Wednesday replacement for Chase Outlaw, who decided to turn out of Fort Worth after getting on three practice pen bulls Tuesday at home in Hamburg, Arkansas, and decided he isn’t quite ready to make his season debut yet.

The 2018 Wrangler National Finals bull riding event winner takes on Manaba (1-0, UTB) in Round 1.

 

JESUS CONTINUES TO BATTLE BACK FROM ONE-YEAR HIATUS

Cody Jesus is using one of his three remaining injury exemptions this weekend in Fort Worth after going 0-for-1 in Del Rio two weeks ago.

Jesus has drawn Mike’s Motive (0-1) for Round 1. Rafael Henrique dos Santos won Round 1 in Del Rio with an 89.5-point effort on the bovine athlete.

WORLD LEADER DAVIS TAKES 130-POINT LEAD INTO FORT WORTH

2016 World Champion Cooper Davis had a great showing last year in Fort Worth, Texas, and now the world leader will look to rekindle his success from Dickies Arena inside Cowtown Coliseum.

Davis won last year’s 15/15 Bucking Battle (89.5 points on Preacher’s Kid) at Dickies Arena, which is only five miles away from Cowtown Coliseum. He also finished third overall at the event.

The 26-year-old leads No. 2 Junior Patrik Souza by 130 points in the world standings.

Davis has drawn Baby Gangster (0-0, UTB) for Round 1, while Souza will take on Bout Time (1-0, UTB).

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Christopher Thompson/Bull Stock Media

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