LAS VEGAS – Marco Eguchi slowly undid his riding vest with sweat pouring down his face.
Beads of sweat trickled over the gash on his left cheek, which was an unwelcome gift from Spotted Demon on Thursday night after the two teamed up for 94 points in Round 2 of the PBR World Finals.
Eguchi took in a deep breath and then exhaled before sliding into his seat in the locker room.
No matter how many hours of circuit training he has done this year, the new-and-improved Marco Eguchi was still quite gassed.
Eguchi had just ridden Stuntman Ray for 91 points for his second 90-point ride in 24 hours. A night earlier, Eguchi had been assisted out of the arena and diagnosed with a concussion.
RELATED: Eguchi pays the price during Round 2 victory
Eguchi, though, cleared the PBR’s concussion protocol Friday and took a commanding lead in the World Finals event average race with his third consecutive ride of the week inside T-Mobile Arena.
The 29-year-old and Derek Kolbaba tied for the Round 3 victory.
Eguchi is one of five riders a perfect 3-for-3. He leads Jose Vitor Leme (3-for-3, 269.5), Eduardo Aparecido (3-for-3, 263), Chase Outlaw (3-for-3, 259) and Guilherme Marchi (3-for-3, 256.75) in the event average.
Eguchi has quickly become the unexpected breakout star at the World Finals, and he thinks he can pinpoint one major reason for his success.
“This is the lightest I have been at the Finals,” Eguchi said. “I now am 145 pounds. I do a little more cardio, like not lifting heavy, just more body weight.”
According to Eguchi, he has lost almost 10 pounds since the summer break and is now on pace for a Top-10 finish in the world standings for the first time in five years.
Eguchi finished 2013 ranked sixth in the world standings. He has finished no better than 12th at the PBR World Finals.
“I was too heavy,” Eguchi admitted. “A little before the break (I noticed). I feel it. I felt a little heavy. Some guys like to be like that, but for me it was not working.”
Eguchi had not surpassed the 90-point mark in more than four years, and now he heads into Saturday night with two consecutive rides 91 points or higher.
“This guy is on fire,” two-time World Champion Justin McBride said on CBS Sports Network. “The way he laid it out against Spotted Demon. Took a big shot. Wins the go-round. Here he comes again. Stuntman Ray has a great day. He never lets his chin get up. That is how you ride great bulls.”
He has drawn Big Benny (17-5, PBR UTB) for Round 4 on Saturday night.
Fans can watch Round 4 on CBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. ET. RidePass will be offering companion coverage at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Eguchi actually has a harder time gaining weight than losing, he says.
“It is easy to lose weight, but hard for me to gain it,” Eguchi said. “I’m trying to do like a lot of mixed exercises. When I start on cardio, I do like stairs, and then I go to the gym and I do a circuit. These times I’m going, going, going.”
Eguchi’s circuit training consist of four different stations with five different exercises in each grouping.
He normally works out for two hours a day.
“Every kind of exercise in the gym I do,” He said. “With a little weight. Light weight.”
Eguchi used to work out in the morning, but that changed with the birth of him and his wife, Amanda’s son, Isacc, in June.
“I have a little boy, he don’t let me sleep so good, so I have to change my training for night,” Eguchi said with a laugh.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko