Starting lineups, draw revealed for PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden
Monster Energy Team Challenge set to debut inside NYC’s Madison Square Garden Jan. 3-5.
By James Youness
FORT WORTH, Texas – They say the lights are brighter in NYC.
And when PBR parades the Top 45-ranked bull riders in the world into an historic venue like Madison Square Garden, the stakes will be higher.
The show: the first three-day, four-round event of the season, will be that much more energetic, entertaining and dramatic.
The wrecks and animal athlete bar? Raised to even spicier levels, as Unleash The Beast stock contractors are bringing their finest and most prized bovines to the biggest show of the season (short the 2025 PBR World Finals, of course!)
Naturally, the payouts are higher – and with a fourth round in play, additional round wins and outright momentum are up for grabs.
Not to mention the idea cowboys have a chance to earn up to 216 UTB points, should they be able to sweep each of the four sessions with round wins while producing 90s. Not likely, per se, but far from impossible knowing how determined these guys are and will be when they walk into this weekend’s battlefield.
An elegant one, at that.
No. 1 John Crimber has indeed established a nice lead, officially 73 points ahead of No. 2 Dalton Kasel, who’s set to return to action after missing last weekend’s showcase in Albany, New York.
While we wouldn’t advise betting against Crimber taking advantage of this monstrously momentous opportunity, each of the 45 men competing throughout the weekend realize what earning a big chunk of those points would mean to their respective World Championship odds.
And with those kind of points available, anybody entering the event in the Top 5 can exit the showcase as world’s top-ranked rider, including Crimber, Kasel, Julio Cesar Marques, Sage Steele Kimzey and No. 5 Derek Kolbaba.
2025 PBR Unleash The Beast Global Standings: 1. John Crimber (375 points) 2. Dalton Kasel (302 points) 3. Julio Cesar Marques (253.33 points) 4. Sage Steele Kimzey (179.25 points) 5. Derek Kolbaba (164 points) 6. Kaiden Loud (149 points) 7. Jose Vitor Leme (147.5 points) 8. Claudio Montanha Jr. (129.5 points) 9. Cort McFadden (128.25 points) 10. Adriano Salgado (127.33 points)
Kasel won’t be the only big name returning to Friday night’s lineup, either, as the likes of No. 7 Jose Vitor Leme, No. 11 Andrew Alvidrez and 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen are primed to join “Mr. 90 Pointer” inside Madison Square Garden during the first event of the 2025 calendar year.
And for as excited as were are to see the familiar faces load back into the chutes, it’s a debuting element of the opening round that may intrigue us most.
Enter the Monster Energy Team Challenge (METC), a PBR Camping World Team Series-inspired showcase featuring six riders from two of the league’s 10 teams.
Occupying the final 12 outs during Round 1 in New York City, squad-selected riders will don their matching, colorful jerseys as they represent their respective teams on the dirt.
No official points or anything related to the summer series will documented, short the most recent iteration of ongoing rivalries! With the hometown New York Mavericks set to host the Florida Freedom during the first-of-its-kind bull riding competition within a competition, fireworks are set to fly!
Especially considering the young phenom in Crimber will be the star of the show, as the No. 1-ranked rider has a knack of shining when the lights are brightest. Set to represent his red, white and blue contingent with his father and coach, Paulo Crimber, at the helm, it's a family affair once again in Week 7.
But it’s 18-year-old Hudson Bolton who’s slated to make the final attempt of the night as his hometown Mavericks look to show up and show out during their first trip to MSG. Coming off an up-and-down inaugural season as an expansion unit which traversed new waters, the club understands what they need to bring to the table Friday should they want some early-season bragging rights.
Lineups and draw are in for the seventh of 23 regular season Unleash The Beast showdowns, so we’re taking a closer look at Friday night’s matchups, rematches and everything you need to know ahead of the weekend’s opening slate!
With the premier series circuit set to invade New York, New York, Jan. 3-5, we’re breaking down starting lineups for competition inside Madison Square Garden (With coverage set to begin at 8 p.m. ET via PBR’s YouTube channel and Ride Pass on Pluto TV).
PBR NEW YORK STARTING LINEUPS Anderson de Oliveira vs. Rockville Jake Morinec vs. Feeds Red River Dawson Branton vs. Big X Clay Guiton vs. Ridin’ Salty Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Wild Card Koltin Hevalow vs. Chupacabra Boudreaux Campbell vs. Red Mosquito *Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. Bangarang Kaique Pacheco vs. Velvet Revolver Tanner Eno vs. Pack Rat Luciano De Castro vs. Mr. Koolie Alex Marcilio vs. Crazy Cat Nick Tetz vs. Rogue One *Vinicius Pinheiro Correa vs. Precious Pup Lucas Divino vs. Umm Rogerio Venancio vs. Brown Bomber *Daniel Keeping vs. Punchy Pete Brady Fielder vs. Slingin’ It Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Simon *Daylon Swearingen vs. Knucklehead Dener Barbosa vs. Dark Thoughts Austin Richardson vs. Soul Train Sandro Batista vs. First Class Andrew Alvidrez vs. Cash Goblin Cort McFadden vs. The Maverick Claudio Montanha Jr. vs. Ram Rod *Jose Vitor Leme vs. Roc Wit It Adriano Salgado vs. Daniel Penny Derek Kolbaba vs. Air Marshall *Sage Steele Kimzey vs. Mike’s Motive *Julio Cesar Marques vs. Huckleberry Kaiden Loud vs. Sonny B Dalton Kasel vs. Exodus Alex Cerqueira vs. Washita Red (METC) *Mason Taylor vs. Tulsa Time (METC) Elizmar Jeremias vs. Pneu-Dart’s Chief Wahoo (METC) Leandro Zampollo vs. Snuggles (METC) Marcelo De Souza Dias Junior vs. Lights Out (METC) Marco Rizzo vs. Spunky Energy (METC) Thiago Salgado vs. Big Chili (METC) *Wyatt Rogers vs. The Undertaker (METC) Caden Bunch vs. Preachers Kid (METC) Mauricio Moreira vs. Say When (METC) *John Crimber vs. Whiskey Trip (METC) Hudson Bolton vs. Bandito Bug (METC) *Denotes Rematch (METC) = Monster Energy Team Challenge matchup
REMATCHES Daniel Keeping vs. Punchy Pete (1.83 seconds in Fort Worth, Texas) Daylon Swearingen vs. Knucklehead (2.84 seconds in Fort Worth, Texas; 7.18 seconds in Chicago, Illinois) John Crimber vs. Whiskey Trip (90 points in Albuquerque, New Mexico; 91.25 points in St. Louis, Missouri) Jose Vitor Leme vs. Rock Wit It (90 points in Greensboro, North Carolina) Julio Cesar Marques vs. Huckleberry (3.41 seconds in Houston, Texas) Mason Taylor vs. Tulsa Time (4.55 seconds in Fort Worth, Texas) Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. Bangarang (4.32 seconds in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Sage Steele Kimzey vs. Mike’s Motive (89.75 points in St. Louis, Missouri; 91 points in Greensboro, North Carolina) Vinicius Pinheiro Correa vs. Precious Pup (3.65 seconds in Albany, New York)
OUT DUE TO INJURY/OTHER Leonardo Castro (illness) Eduardo Aparecido (injury) Cassio Dias (injury) Alan de Souza (injury) Vitor Losnake (injury) Eduardo Matos (injury) Ky Hamilton (injury)
FOLLOW ALONG This weekend’s PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden presented by Ariat showcase in New York, New York, is set to begin Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:45 p.m. ET as the best bull riders in the world prepare to put on a show inside the ever-elegant Madison Square Garden.
With competition set to continue Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7:45 p.m. ET with Round 2, the three-day showcase will conclude Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:45 p.m. ET via Round 3, followed by the short go, as the quest to earn the 2025 PBR World Championship continues in one of the world’s largest media markets!
All four rounds of action in New York City will be available LIVE and FREE on RidePass on Pluto TV, PBR’s YouTube channel, PBR’s mobile app, PBR’s app on connected TVs, including Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, and Google TV, as well as on your favorite web browser at watch.pbr.com. The stream for PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden presented by Ariat begins on Friday, Jan. 3, at 8 p.m. ET.
Fans can keep an eye on PBR.com and @PBR social media channels for the latest news, scores, wrecks and more!
