Mauney: ‘Who says I am out of my prime?’
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – It does not matter who two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney is referring to.
The doubters.
The haters.
The critics.
The armchair social media bull riders.
What is important is that Mauney believes in himself.
“I am not finished just yet,” Mauney says in an upcoming episode of PBR Keep Riding, presented by Monster Energy. “Who says I am out of my prime? I just have been knocked down a little bit.”
Mauney had just finished talking about two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood and Jose Vitor Leme with PBR Keep Riding co-hosts Craig Hummer and Justin McBride when he made sure to chime in about his own self-confidence.
The 32-year-old has been out all season as he continues to recover from reconstructive right shoulder surgery.
Mauney provides fans an update about his rehab this coming Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
The 14-time PBR World Finals qualifier is on track for a return to competition this coming July 20-21 at PBR Last Cowboy Standing at Cheyenne Frontier Days, but that does not mean the two-time World Champion could not get on a bull in Guthrie, Oklahoma, at the Lazy E Arena later this month if he absolutely had too.
“For J.B.’s prediction, I can go to Guthrie, but I am not going to,” Mauney tells Hummer and McBride with a smile. “Tandy told me it is six months healing time. The first surgery I had, I came back in four months, and that didn’t end so well for me, so this time I believe I am going to give it a full six months and come back in Cheyenne.”
Mauney discusses a range of topics with Hummer and McBride such as the PBR Global Cup and past World Cups, his rivalries with Silvano Alves and Guilherme Marchi, his current role at home as father Mauney and the evolution of the PBR locker room.
“It was a different mentality then,” Mauney said. “It was more old school cowboy tough. Now you go back into the locker room and someone is doing yoga in there.”
And would Mauney coach a Global Cup team in the future?
“I would think about it,” he said. “I had a good time when we went to Mexico and in Brazil. It was fun. It was a blast hanging out with everybody and being a team. I wouldn’t put it past being coach, helping a coach.”
Of course, much of the Mauney talk lately has been in the past or future tense, such is the unfortunate case when the future Ring of Honor inductee has been making more trips to the PBR sports medicine room vs. the 90-point ride list.
Mauney has undergone two right shoulder surgeries in the past three years, including a career-threatening one following a serious wreck at the 2017 Calgary Stampede.
Regardless, Mauney still appears to have the confidence that he had when he was winning gold buckles.
“That was typical Mauney, right?” McBride says to Hummer following Mauney’s interview. “My favorite was his response when we were complimenting him, but at the same time it was a little bit in the slap in the face. I think he felt like where we were talking about him in the past tense, and Jose and Jess in being the here and now, which is the scenario. Those two guys are the two best bull riders in the world right now, but Mauney is not willing to accept that just yet.
“Mauney is expecting to come back off this last injury, and come back and bang heads for a world title.”
This current six-month layoff is the longest of Mauney’s career, but it may just be exactly what he needed to get back on track.
A fully healthy Mauney for the final four months of the 2020 season could be a dangerous one.
Mauney added that he will get on some practice bulls before he climbs back into the UTB arena in Cheyenne.
“Oh, I will go get on some practice bulls,” Mauney said. “Knock all the rust off. In my 14 years, this will be the longest amount of time I have ever been without getting on bull. I figure I better go get on a few practice bulls and knock the rust off.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
© 2020 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.