FORT WORTH, Texas – Looking over the talented group of cowboys making their way south as Unleash The Beast’s season-ending showcase prepares to invade the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area for two weeks of Western sports action May 9-19, there are A TON of riders worth keeping an eye on.

The easy pick, of course, would be the ever-dominant No. 1 Cassio Dias, who’s set to bring a whopping 560.5-point lead over No. 2 John Crimber into this weekend’s 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations, May 9-12.

Crimber himself is coming in red-hot, fresh off his big Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT) Finals win last weekend in Corpus, Christi, Texas, (which, naturally, was also his overall PWVT debut).

And with both No. 3 Dalton Kasel and No. 4 Eduardo Aparecido looking to capitalize on their already-epic seasons, coming off a productive final month of competition as well, this is truly going to be as dramatic, and enticing as advertised.

RELATED: Aparecido ready to seize the moment, step into the limelight at World Finals

With No. 5 Alan de Souza just 43 points behind Aparecido, and a mere 76.83 points back from No. 2 Crimber, podium placements to-be are very much up in the air. Yet, at the same time, Souza, or any of the Top 5 riders not named Cassio Dias would need to get several round wins and packaged with the points from the overall aggregate if they are to eliminate the massive gap the rookie runaway has established.

Representing his first trip back to the postseason in five years, the 30-year-old hasn’t had the flashiest season overall, averaging just 82.92 points per conversion across his 33 successful attempts.

But at the same time, he and Dias also represent the lone two riders who met the 30-ride mark this season, with Aparecido’s 28 the next highest total.

Despite this being just his second-ever appearance on the world’s grandest stage, he isn’t afraid of the big moment or the bright lights.

The biggest change for Souza since last appearing at World Finals in 2019?

The dedicated rider spent the last five years enhancing his physical condition to better allow his durability and skillset to get the job done. And a quick glance at the world standings shows it’s been working.

“I’m more focused on my body because I’m getting older and with the young guys, everything is easier for them,” Souza shared with some humor, via some help from Bruno Zecchin’s translation assistance.

“They don’t feel as much pain as us older guys feel, so I’m more focused on preparing my body and getting ready to ride.”

Souza won’t have any family in attendance this weekend, but his brother Alisson de Souza (who’s spent his past two summers competing in the PBR Camping World Team Series), will be watching from afar.

The two have been chatting daily during the world title contender’s career-best campaign. Sharing some of his rides with Alisson over the season, Alan admitted his brother knows how he rides, his style, and that he often discusses areas he can improve on when they chat.

And credited him for kicking his game up a notch in 2024, overall.

Specifically looking at the Brazilian’s April slate, he not only paced the premier series pack with a tour-high 10 qualified rides but tied the unstoppable Dias with a pair of event titles during his back-to-back victories in Everett and Tacoma, Washington.

Add in a UTB-high four Top 10 placements (which include his two wins in Washington, a runner-up effort in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and an eighth-place finish during the regular season finale in Louisville, Kentucky), a short round win in Everett and the second-highest scored ride of his premier series career (an electric, 88.75-point dance with No. 5 Flyin Wired in Sioux Falls) …

… and it’s easy to see why we suggest keeping an eye on the Nashville Stampede rider this weekend.

With seven short round conversions (7-for-12) to his name, trailing only Dias, he’s showed up when it counts most. Which could bode well for this season’s unique postseason format.

However you slice it, he’s been one of, if not the, most consistent rider on tour for the entire season.

RELATED: 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations sports betting insights

Putting the April accolades aside, we’re onto the excitements of May and all that comes along with the campaign-concluding showdowns set to invade Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas, over the course of the next two weeks.

And with the veteran turning in a rare 0-for-2 showing at last weekend’s 2024 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals matchup, he’ll look to get his slate started on a hot note, set to dance with Rip Thursday night.

With the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations set to kick off the dramatic, three-stage endgame in Fort Worth, Texas, let’s take a look at who’s drawing into the lineup inside Cowtown Coliseum Thursday, May 9:

ROUND 1 MATCHUPS Grayson Cole vs. Working Man Qynn Andersen vs. Rowdy Claudio Montanha Jr. vs. Abracadabra Jean Fernandes Pereira vs. TBR’s Buffalo Joe Dener Barbosa vs. Johnny Walker Red Jake Morinec vs. Goin’ Solo JaCauy Hale vs. Firewater Dawson Branton vs. Zeus Silvano Alves vs. Fire Magic Andrew Alvidrez vs. California Hearthrob *Callum Miller vs. Fire Zone Kyler Oliver vs. Rock ‘n Roll Bob Mitchell vs. Let’s Roll Ezekiel Mitchell vs. Shot in the Dark Jesse Petri vs. Sucker Pop Conner Halverson vs. The Intimidator Wyatt Rogers vs. The Agenda Mason Taylor vs. Precious Pup Ednelio Almeida vs. Dan-O Boudreaux Campbell vs. Magic Moves *Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. King Tut Lucas Divino vs. Quick Show Mauricio Gulla Moreira vs. Whiskey Business Vitor Losnake vs. PIF *Felipe Furlan vs. Snoop Dog Sage Steele Kimzey vs. Sweet John Daylon Swearingen vs. The Colonel Kaiden Loud vs. Black Betty Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Always Been Crazy Alex Cerqueira vs. Triple Aught Cort McFadden vs. Mercy Cody Jesus vs. Flint Stone Julio Cesar Marques vs. Fast Flow Thiago Salgado vs. Spendin’ Cash Leonardo Castro vs. Double 00 Buck Kaique Pacheco vs. Thunderstruck Caden Bunch vs. Crime Scene Brady Fielder vs. Mercy Rule Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Shot Caller Koltin Hevalow vs. Tickle Time Alan de Souza vs. Rip Eduardo Aparecido vs. Last Resort Dalton Kasel vs. Heavy Lifting John Crimber vs. Thriller Cassio Dias vs. Sava *Denotes a rematch OUT DUE TO INJURY/OTHER Austin Richardson (Injury) Wingson Henrique da Silva (Injury) Clay Guiton (Injury) Jose Vitor Leme (Injury) Marco Rizzo (Injury) ROUND 1 REMATCHES Callum Miller vs. Fire Zone (2.41 seconds in Louisville, Kentucky) Felipe Furlan vs. Snoop Dog (88 points in Sacramento, California) Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. King Tut (1.95 seconds in Los Angeles, California; 5.02 seconds in Little Rock, Arkansas)

CASSIO DIAS BRINGS 560.5-POINT LEAD INTO ELIMINATIONS With more than a thousand overall points available to any given rider over the course of the next two weekends, this year’s 2024 PBR World Finals could feature one of organization’s most dramatic finishes in recent history …

… Should No. 1 Cassio Dias fall off a few of his bulls here in Fort Worth, Texas, during the Elimination Rounds, that is.

RELATED: Cassio Dias on chasing gold buckle at his first World Finals: ‘I feel ready’

Bringing an insane 560.5-point lead over No. 2 John Crimber into Thursday night’s opening round inside Cowtown Coliseum, the Kansas City Outlaws’ standout mathematically has a chance to clinch his world title inside the legendary venue this weekend should he pick up a couple of round wins. With just 10 total riders having logged 400 UTB points so far during the 2024 campaign, and just eight above the 500-point mark, Dias has limited the amount of potential competitors he'll need to best in order achieve his buckle-earning honors.

While he’s inevitably been viewed as this year’s top talent for, well, five months now, he still needs to prove he’s able to convert in the direst of situations, as this year’s season-ending showdown marks his first-ever World Finals appearance.

A tour-best 37-for-69 on the season, he’s done it all this year. Ensuring fans were reminded of just how dominant his record-setting campaign was, Dias closed out the 2024 regular season by securing his UTB-high seventh win of the season. And with the World Finals event title itself still up for grabs May 18-19 inside AT&T Stadium, there’s a chance he ties Jose Vitor Leme and Justin McBride for the most wins in one season.

Hanging with the best of them all season long, exiting his eye-popping, 94.25-point showdown with the world’s top-ranked bull in No. 1 Man Hater wasn’t enough back in February, as the skilled Brazilian doubled down one month later, eventually besting the animal athlete again for an epic 93.25 points (which continue to rank as his Top 2-scored outs in his budding superstar career.

Primed to dance with Sava (5-1 overall) during the final out of the night, will the top-tier talent begin putting on his show right away? Or will he spare the pack and allow his fellow world title hopefuls a slightly better chance at knocking him out of the top spot?

WELCOME BACK TO THE PACK Whether riders happened to time their respective recoveries well, with the hopes of returning to action at World Finals with a good bill of health or simply cowboy’d up and said they’re close enough to good to give it a go during the biggest meet-up of the season, the premier series pack is about as healthy and star-studded as it’s been since the beginning of the season!

Obviously we’ll be missing the talents of several regular riders, who haven’t been able to give it a go at all this season due to injuries sustained during PBR Teams or even dating back to the 2023 individual season. We’re talking about guys like Marcus Mast, Chase Outlaw, Derek Kolbaba and company, who might have a shot at suiting up for the summer circuit but haven’t been able to fire it up in 2024 just yet.

While they’ll likely be present and joined on the sidelines alongside the likes of Austin Richardson, Jose Vitor Leme, Wingson Henrique da Silva (who each suffered season-ending injuries at various parts of the season), Clay Guiton (who was questionable all week before eventually being ruled out) and company, they’ll unfortunately only be able to contribute with some cheers and camaraderie-forward advice for their friends and fellow 5-on-5 teammates.

With the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft taking place just 10 days after the conclusion of World Finals, it’s not a bad time to start getting on the same page, after all!

Thankfully, for each rider we’ve lost for the year due to bumps and bruises, we’re getting one back in the fold Thursday night.

Making his way back after missing several events, No. 10 Caden Bunch (who last participated in Nampa, Idaho) is primed to go head-to-head with Crime Scene during his first action in a month, while No. 11 Kaique Pacheco (out since riding in Everett, Washington, inside the very same arena in which his 2023 campaign was ended due to injury one year ago) looks to resume another quality campaign during his opening round showdown against Thunderstruck.

A pair of riders returning from short-term injuries, both No. 14 Julio Cesar Marques (who only missed the regular season finale in Louisville, Kentucky) and No. 23 Felipe Furlan (banged up in Everett, Washington) are also back in the draw, as the talented pair of Brazilian riders look to pick their productive first-year campaigns up where they left them: In world title-contending form!

From retired riders and banged-up regulars to all-world superstars and international sports figures, there will be PLENTY of star power rooting on the top-ranked bull riders in the world as we prepare to crown the 2024 PBR World Champion!

FOLLOW ALONG Representing the final stop of the 2024 Unleash The Beast campaign, the first installment of the season-ending showcase in Fort Worth, Texas, will feature a four-day, four-round format, as Elimination Rounds will take place each night May 9-12.

The action inside Cowtown Coliseum will begin on Thursday, May 9 at 7:45 p.m. CDT, with Round 1 coverage airing live via CBS Sports Network starting at 8 p.m. CDT.

RELATED: Where to Watch: PBR World Finals – Eliminations

Round 2’s action will begin Friday, May 10 at 6:45 p.m. CDT and will also air live on CBS Sports Network beginning at 7 p.m. CDT.

The third round of action will air on CBS Sports Network beginning at 7 p.m. CDT on Saturday, May 11, with the opening weekend’s coverage concluding via the Round 4 CBS Sports Network broadcast on Sunday, May 12 beginning at 2 p.m. CDT.

Fans can also catch all four rounds of action on the TUDN Spanish broadcast, with Round 1 set to air on Friday, May 10 at 2 p.m. CDT, Round primed to air on Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m. CDT, Round 3 set to air on Sunday, May 12 and Round 4 set to round out the weekend’s coverage on Monday, May 13 at 2 p.m. CDT.

Supporters can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the latest scores, wrecks, injury updates and beyond as the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations invade Cowtown Coliseum May 9-12!

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media