PUEBLO, Colo. – Call it an epic comeback. Claim it was a quick-healing injury.

But however you describe the seven-time PRCA World Champion, you’ll have to add “dedicated to his job” as Sage Steele Kimzey is officially returning to the Unleash The Beast Lineup Friday night in Sioux Falls!

Protected by the Carolina Cowboys last month as one of the team’s three riders who are ineligible to be selected during next week’s PBR Teams Expansion Draft, the Strong City, Oklahoma, native doesn’t have a ton of time to ride himself back into elite form.

RELATED: PBR.com’s 2024 PBR Teams mock expansion draft

Yet, after seeing the 29-year-old storm into his rookie UTB season with quite the flashy start, we expect to see him strike early and often inside Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Any time one of the world’s top-ranked riders includes the term “surgery” within his Instagram post, that’s usually not associated with good news.

Initially thinking his banged-up elbow was going to be a bit of a longer deal, Kimzey stayed dialed-in to the sport he loves by offering some one-on-one coaching lessons for athletes looking to take their skillset to the next level.

RELATED: Unleash The Beast Game Notes: Sioux Falls 2024

But after a brief, successful clean-up, he’s set to rejoin the pack Friday night with more than two months of rest. After seeing several of the tour’s regular riders endure some injuries last weekend in Nampa, Idaho, he’ll be a welcome sight for bull riding fans while instantly entering his name for the dramatic race to be crowned the 2024 World Champion.

And a healthy, well-rested Kimzey can, and likely will, be a threat to make a run at the Top 15 ahead of next month’s 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, bumping any and everyone down a spot on his way!

Bringing his 6-for-17 record into one of the final regular season events of the 2024 campaign, he’ll look to add to his 132 UTB points beginning with his Friday night “Welcome Back” matchup against Sweet Train, which will mark his first out since Feb. 3, in Sacramento, California. Having started the season with a runner-up finish in Tucson, Arizona, he directly followed up the effort with a sixth-place showing in St. Louis, Missouri.

Forced to deal with the nagging wing, he was able to secure a 17th-place finish in Chicago later in the season, but has failed to record a ride since Jan. 13, an 85.5-point conversion aboard Stand Off.

Currently ranked No. 34 in the 2024 Unleash The Beast World Championship standings, he’s got five events, beginning this weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to get warmed up ahead of next month’s end-game gauntlet.

With Unleash The Beast preparing to invade Denny Sanford Premier Center Friday night during the 19th event of the 2024 Unleash The Beast campaign April 5-7, let’s take a look at who’s drawing into the lineup during the First Premier Bank PBR Sioux Falls, presented by Cooper Tires:

ROUND 1 MATCHUPS Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. Haymaker Callum Miller vs. Commander Alvaro Ariel vs. American You *Alex Cerqueira vs. Do Dat Eddie *Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Pick Up Man Luciano De Castro vs. Coal Train *Eli Vastbinder vs. Mike’s Magic Andrew Alvidrez vs. Blown Away Vitor Losnake vs. Strong Arm Mauricio Gulla Moreira vs. Punchy Pete Jose de Castro vs. Whiskey Trip Sage Steele Kimzey vs. Sweet Train Wyatt Rogers vs. Johnny Smooth *Leonardo Castro vs. Bo Man Flavio Zivieri vs. Hell Right *Conner Halverson vs. Baldy Daylon Swearingen vs. Bud Man *Jesse Petri vs. Flapjack Kyler Oliver vs. Manaba Cort McFadden vs Fire Zone Marco Rizzo vs. Lost Pearl Ezekiel Mitchell vs. Magic Moves Felipe Furlan vs. Hunting Trip Thiago Salgado vs. Doze You Down Ednelio Almeida vs. Full Throttle Daniel Keeping vs. Smooth Criminal Brady Fielder vs. Sky’s The Limit Kaique Pacheco vs. Nefarious Julio Cesar Marques vs. Black Ice Brady Oleson vs. Gangster Time Alan de Souza vs. Red Scorpion Koltin Hevalow vs. Flyin Wired Cody Jesus vs. Badlands Bob Mitchell vs. Hang ‘em High Eduardo Aparecido vs. John 14:6 Dalton Kasel vs. Hunter John Crimber vs. Bruised Ego Cassio Dias vs. Miller Time * denotes a rematch OUT BECAUSE OF INJURY/OTHER Austin Richardson (Injury) Caden Bunch (Injury) Joao Ricardo Vieira (Injury) Kaiden Loud (Injury) Wingson Henrique da Silva (Injury) Clay Guiton (Injury) Jose Vitor Leme (Injury) Boudreaux Campbell (Injury) Ederson Santos (Injury) Jess Lockwood (Injury) Dawson Branton (Injury) Marcus Mast (Injury) Derek Kolbaba (Injury) Colten Fritzlan (Injury) RELATED: Jose Vitor Leme out for remainder of 2024 Unleash The Beast campaign ROUND 1 REMATCHES Alex Cerqueira vs. Do Dat Eddie (2.84 seconds in Duluth, Georgia) Conner Halverson vs. Baldy (4.25 seconds in Los Angeles, California) Eli Vastbinder vs. Mike’s Magic (2.38 seconds in Tulsa, Oklahoma) Jesse Petri vs. Flapjack (1.22 seconds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 3.55 seconds in Glendale, Arizona; 4.48 seconds in New Orleans, Louisiana) Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Pick Up Man (85.5 points in Decatur, Texas) Leonardo Castro vs. Bo Man (5.81 seconds in Anaheim, California) UPS AND DOWNS HEADING INTO SIOUX FALLS With just five dramatic regular season UTB showdowns remaining, the injury bug couldn’t have picked a less ideal time to bite, as several of the tour’s regular riders were banged up during last weekend’s action in Nampa, Idaho. But that’s simply part of the reality when these cowboys go head-to-head with the rankest (and most intelligent) animal athletes on the planet. The tour is named *Unleash The Beast* for a reason after all, and with the tour’s top bovines continuing to show up and show out.

With each of No. 8 Joao Ricardo Vieira, No. 9 Caden Bunch and No. 16 Kaiden Loud getting roughed up inside Ford Idaho Center last weekend, the trio of cowboys have been ruled out of event No. 19 as they look to rest up and return to action sooner than later (as each of the three riders would not only receive an invite to the 2024 PBR World Finals: Eliminations if the season ended today, but technically would qualify for the 2024 PBR World Finals: Championship via their Top 15 status; extended to Top 16 as things sit, with No. 6 Austin Richardson ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury).

Picking up some lower-body injuries last weekend, albeit seemingly not as minor, No. 18 Wingson Henrique da Silva and No. 45 Ederson Santos endured what may be some season-ending complications, potentially now out for the rest of the UTB season as they join Leme and company in recovering and preparing for the dawning PBR Camping World Team Series season quickly approaching.

2022 World Champion Daylon Swearingen has also been excused for Friday night’s opening round but plans to be back in the draw on Saturday for Round 2 and moving forward. JaCauy Hale will take his opening round spot, dancing with Bud Man. The other last-minute change involved swapping out Boudreaux Campbell for Flavio Zivieri, who will get his first shot back on the world’s top tour for the first time since mid-January, (3-for-14 on the season).

Our sport is very much a weekly roller-coaster. But if you wait in line (take the time to recover and/or grind your way back to qualification status) and you’re tall enough to ride (cleared by medical professionals and/or time your ascension up the ranks with related premier series cut lines), cowboys always find a way to persevere. And while the late-season injury timing could be a lot better for several guys, fans will rejoice at the news that several established veterans are set to return to the chutes on Friday. Alongside some new faces, as well!

We’ve heard about Kimzey, but with Cody Jesus feeling like his groin and hips are in a better spot, he’ll be paired against Badlands in Round 1, where he’ll look to further elevate his No. 13 ranking. Just inside the Championship cutline (Top 15), Jesus returns alongside his Texas Rattlers’ teammate Daniel Keeping, who prepares to record his first UTB out since Feb. 16. Just 2-for-12 in premier series competition this season, he’s had much more success within the PWVT, now 6-for-11 after winning the PBR Dayton two weekends back. Dancing with Smooth Criminal on Friday night, the very man who clinched the 2023 PBR Teams Championship for Cody Lambert and company would be wise to ride several bulls this weekend if he wants to stick around and make a run at World Finals!

The fun doesn’t stop there, as each of Marco Rizzo, Kyler Oliver, Wyatt Rogers and Brady Oleson are getting another shot to impress. Having come up a bit short during their respective early-season stints, they’ll be back in familiar territory as they each attempt to make some noise leading into the season-culminating showdowns. Quite the opposite path of one Jose de Castro, who’s primed to make his debut on U.S. soil Friday night!

PBR BRAZIL STANDOUT JOSE DE CASTRO SET TO MAKE U.S. DEBUT FRIDAY A quick trip to Castro’s PBR.com rider profile can tell you a lot about the young Brazilian. But the biggest thing that pops out on his event results page is a No. 16 finish last fall at a PBR Brazil event in Extrema, MG. The reason being that each of his other 12 PBR-sanctioned finishes each came within the Top 10.

And while the competition in South America is not pound-for-pound the same level of action the youngster will endure this weekend in Sioux Falls, we have to remember it wasn’t that long ago we watched two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme take the same path to his achieving his all-world status. Or perhaps you’ve heard of a man named Cassio Dias, the No. 1-ranked bull rider in the world.

Dias, of course, merely made his debut on U.S. soil just over a year ago, first competing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last spring. Now 17-for-26 overall throughout his 2024 PBR Brazil season, he sits atop the tour’s standings, but has bigger plans for April: Seeing how things flow on UTB while competing against the best bull riders in the world. Set to dance with Whiskey Trip in Round 1 just weeks after declaring for the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft, he’s going to get every chance to show coaches and scouts for each of the 10 PBR Camping World Team Series squads what he can bring to the table ahead of the third year of 5-on-5 action!

FOLLOW ALONG Representing the 19th event of the 2024 Unleash The Beast season, the three-day, four-round showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is set to begin Friday, April 5 at 7:45 p.m. CT, with Round 1 airing live via RidePass on Pluto TV. Round 2’s action will begin Saturday, April 6 at 6:45 p.m. CT and will also air live via RidePass on Pluto TV.

The best bull riders in the world will then return for night three, with action set to conclude on Sunday, April 7 at 2:45 p.m. CT.

RELATED: Where to Watch: Sioux Falls

All of championship Sunday’s action, which includes the third long round, followed by the short go, is slated to air live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, April 7 starting at 3 p.m. CT.

The First Premier Bank PBR Sioux Falls Presented By Cooper Tires Bucking Battle will air on CBS Television Network Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.

Fans can also catch all three rounds of action on the TUDN Spanish broadcast, with Round 1 set to air on Saturday, April 6 at 2 p.m. CT, Round 2 primed to air on Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m. CT and all of championship Sunday’s outs airing on Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m. CT.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the latest scores, wrecks, injury updates and beyond as Unleash The Beast prepares to Denny Sanford Premier Center April 5-7!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media