FORT WORTH, Texas – Some 8-second rides just mean more, you know?

Of course, each of Friday night’s 10 conversions were scored and weighted in equal fashion as Unleash The Beast stormed into Golden 1 Center for the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys PBR Sacramento, presented by Cooper Tires. 

But when the final 12 outs of Round 1’s electric showcase dawned, it was time to turn lock in and crank things up a notch – in Monster Energy Team Challenge fashion! 

Making the 8 in any traditional premier series showcase is about as pressure-packed as it gets, seeing cowboys compete against the toughest bulls and grittiest riders on planet Earth. 

However, going the distance in the freshly-debuting 6 vs. 6 format means sending at least five other men, plus a coach or two, into a celebratory flurry.

Which, somehow, bakes a little more pressure into the equation. 

And while 9 out of 10 typical cowboys would likely trade any sort of camaraderie-driven accolades and awards for the coveted gold buckle and World Championship honors associated with being the top-ranked man in mid-May, we have a feeling guys who have competed for the Nashville Stampede, Texas Rattlers and Austin Gamblers (the summer series’ first three Champions) during their respective runs would be a bit hesitant at accepting that swap.

There’s just something special about winning together and team sports in general. 

Bigger celebrations. More intense rivalries. Suiting up with a shared, meaningful goal. 

Knowing your grind each and every week can regularly impact your squad and the emotions they’ll be met with exiting arenas throughout the season.

Only a few of the many reasons PBR has pitted each of the league’s 10 teams against each other throughout the premier series season.

Watching last weekend’s Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by Camping World showdown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, between the Arizona Ridge Riders and Oklahoma Wildcatters be decided by a mere 3.5 points serves as the most recent reminder of what kind of drama the electric head-to-head showdowns can procure. 

So, when the Kansas City Outlaws and Missouri Thunder made their way atop the chutes Friday night to kick off the first of three Show Me State Showdowns set to grace the UTB circuit, they understood they’re riding for a lot more than themselves.

And that they have a rivalry to attend to! 

Knowing Kansas City posted a successful 3-1 record against the Missouri in 2024 meant Boudreaux Campbell, Andrew Alvidrez, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto and company were going to be bringing a bit of a revenge narrative into the showcase. Add in the fact that the Outlaws have won 8 of 11 all-time matchups and it was clear this one involved some lingering feelings.  

After all, the Show Me State Showdown rivalry isn’t one of those “let’s make a rivalry out of it” situations. 

These two squads have had it out for each other since year one, so Friday’s 12 outs merely represented the most recent battle between the familiar foes.

And while there were only three qualified rides logged in the dramatic exchange, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto and his Thunder teammates clamored like they finished off a perfect game when the 27-year-old got Missouri off to a fiery start.

Instantly jumping back to the top of the chutes, the Brazilian celebrated with his team, which included several congratulatory screams, a couple of helmet taps and big hug from his Head Coach Ross Coleman. 

Seeing his all-star get some redemption via a rematch effort against a bull which dispatched him to the dirt during the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, Coleman couldn’t have been more proud of Rossetto and his team, who’s been putting in the work ahead of the big showdown.

“Well, Paulo Rossetto is not only a great bull rider with his right hand but he can ride with left hand too, so it’s almost like watching a switch hitter, you know? He’s such a great superstar but I’m proud of each and every one of these guys on this team. Not only did we win tonight but we learned something too,” Coleman offered before a sold-out crowd inside Golden 1 Center via PBR’s YouTube channel. 

“And that’s what it’s all about. Passing the torch to the next generation and being better cowboys in and out of the arena. We’re going to go back there (the locker room) and look at some game film, but yes, we’re going to learn from our mistakes and go get better tomorrow and have that confidence. We get a little bit of wind beneath our belt like we do today, but we still have UTB tomorrow for these guys and we’re going to be pulling for every one of them.”

Rossetto’s 88.25 points dancing with Blown Away not only earned Missouri an early lead but was eventually good enough to secure the cowboy his first round win of the season. 

RELATED: Paulo Eduardo Rossetto wins Round 1 of sold-out Wrangler Long Live Cowboys PBR Sacramento Presented by Cooper Tires

Representing the second-straight week where a METC rider won the opening round, it’s easy to see why these high-pressure situations are simply forging diamonds for UTB fans around the circuit. 

Adding a little heat to the fire later in the evening, Felipe Furlan got in on the fun, eventually adding his 83.75-point ride aboard JB to Rossetto’s 88.25 points to solidify Missouri’s 172-86.75 victory over the Kansas City Outlaws. 

Going 2-for-6 isn’t the sexiest stretch, all things considered. But when the other guys only manage one conversion in their six, it’s good enough to lift the trophy. And provides something for the unit to build on. 

“We’re really looking forward to it (the upcoming PBR Camping World Team Series season). The guys who bucked off tonight, it wasn’t from lack of effort, so the try is there,” Thunder General Manager Luke Snyder shared in a postgame interview with Kate Harrison via the RidePass on Pluto TV stream. 

“We’re really optimistic – we have to stay healthy and these guys are putting in the work during the week and it’s showing right now. It’s a big deal: We’re bringing a big trophy home for Mr. Johnny Morris,” Snyder concluded with a big smile.

Friday’s showcase served as the first time the Outlaws have competed together since dropping the ball at the 2024 PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas, having brought a regular season title as the league’s No. 1 seed into Sin City. 

Missing their ace and 2024 World Champion Cassio Dias, they weren’t able to take care of business. 

Kansas City’s lone bright spot involved a cowboy by the name of Miguel de Jesus, who produced the team’s lone 86.75-point strike.

Given this showcase also served as his outright UTB debut, he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his premier series career. Entering Sunday’s slate with a 2-for-2 record, occupying the No. 4 spot on the event’s leaderboard, Kansas City may have found themselves a mid-season gem in Jesus.

Julio Cesar Marques was heartbreakingly close to a conversion but was deemed to have hit the dirt 7.86 seconds into his journey with Rooster’s Melt Down.

Head Coach J.W. Hart will surely rally his troops ahead of the squads’ next meet-up, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 14 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The teams’ third and final showcase will take place in North Little Rock, Arkansas, March 8.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels for all of this season’s Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by Camping World. 

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media