PBR | Did Florida do enough to surround MVP John Crimber in 2025?

FORT WORTH, Texas — One year ago, the Florida Freedom were an upstart with a phenom. In 2025, they look like a contender with a plan.

The question is simple: Did Florida do enough to surround MVP John Crimber with the right talent this season? Short answer: yes — that first pick changed everything.

With the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 PBR Teams Draft, the Freedom chose a wiry 18-year-old from Decatur, Texas, fresh off a breakout rookie season on the Unleash The Beast. John Crimber wasn’t just the pick of the draft — he was the foundation of a franchise. In his first year, he nearly shocked the world by chasing down a PBR World Championship, finishing runner-up to Cassio Dias, and then carried that fire into Teams, closing the season as the 2024 PBR Teams MVP.

From 2024 to 2025: Building around a star

2024 core: Thiago Salgado, Alex Cerqueira, Elizmar Jeremias, Caden Bunch, Casey Roberts, plus offseason adds Conner Halverson, Trey Benton III, João Lucas Campos — and the No. 1 pick, John Crimber.

2025 core: Protected seven are João Lucas Campos, Alex Cerqueira, John Crimber, Yan Vitor Cunha, Elizmar Jeremias, Thiago Salgado, João Ricardo Vieira; reserves Cannon Cravens, Douglas da Silva.

Draft haul: At the 2025 PBR Teams Draft in Austin, Florida added Cannon Cravens (Round 1), Douglas da Silva (Round 2) and Alison dos Santos (Round 3). While the draft didn’t deliver another superstar, it fortified depth and gave head coach Paulo Crimber insurance options for the stretch run. Florida leaned into a veteran Brazilian backbone (adding João Ricardo Vieira) while keeping the young firepower (Campos, Cunha) and the clutch hands (Salgado, Jeremias, Cerqueira). They moved away from the 2024 mix-and-match depth in favor of cohesion and closing power around Crimber.

Surrounding the MVP: Role clarity and clutch

What’s different about 2025 isn’t just Florida’s record — it’s the fact they now boast two Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey MVP race candidates.

It isn’t just Crimber anymore. Right now, Thiago Salgado leads the league at 1,300.75 aggregate points, with John Crimber second at 1,225.25. That’s not just star power — it’s proof Florida can win games without needing their closer to slam the door every night.

Salgado has become the league’s premier leadoff man, setting the tone early and getting Florida on the board. Crimber, meanwhile, has embraced the role of walk-off king, thriving in the closer spot and delivering when everything is on the line. Together, they’re the most dangerous 1–2 punch in the sport.

Veteran ballast: Adding João Ricardo Vieira, the oldest rider in the league at 41 — and even older in bull riding years — gives Florida a Hall-of-Fame-level adult in the room next to a 19-year-old closer. He’s the kind of steady hand who’s weathered every storm, and that kind of mileage pays off when the road runs through Las Vegas in October.

Edge factor: Alex Cerqueira is leaning into the smoke from the torch John has lit— when Florida drew bulls for Carolina Cowboy Days, he told Paulo Crimber he wanted Magic Potion. When you’re asking for the rankest bull alive, a beast on a 54-out buckoff streak that’s toppled every rider who’s tried him, that swagger bleeds through a locker room. And on Sept. 12 in Greensboro, Cerqueira will nod his head on Cowboy Days against the very bull that’s outlasted them all. If he can finish what no one else has, it won’t just shake up the standings — it’ll shake the sport.

Statement in Anaheim

If fans needed proof this roster was built to win, Anaheim delivered it. Florida hung their second perfect game of the season, going 5-for-5 to shut out the Austin Gamblers 434.25–0 — the highest win margin in PBR Teams history.

The order told the story: Salgado set the tone (87.5 on Triton), Vieira steadied the middle (83.75 on Money Pit), Campos brought fire (87 on Late Night Toss), Jeremias added depth (87.25 on Ridin’ Dirty), and Crimber slammed the door (88.75 on Mo Money).

That wasn’t just a win. That was domination — and a leaguewide signal they can hang their hat on.

A Rivalry was Born: Florida Freedom vs. Austin Gamblers

Every league needs a rivalry, and the PBR Camping World Team Series might have just found its fiercest. Sparks first flew at Gambler Days in Austin, but Anaheim poured gasoline on the fire.

When Florida landed the record-setting shutout on Austin — their third win over the Gamblers this season — the feud went from whispered to undeniable. And John Crimber wasn’t about to let it simmer quietly.

“You know I’m not really much a fan of the Austin Gamblers, they don’t like us too much,” the 19-year-old said with a grin. “So you can go ahead and rename that team the Florida Gamblers, because we own that team.”

Pressed on whether there was anything sweeter than moments like that, Crimber leaned in even harder: “There’s nothing better than that. This team right here is — I don’t want to be on no other team than this one. So we’re gonna keep that same momentum rolling and keep having fun.”

John Crimber and José Vitor Leme, Austin’s three-time PBR World Champion, have a way of getting under each other’s skin. Both fill the closer’s role, and every time Florida and Austin clash, they meet in the fifth frame. The teenager firing shots now is the same kid who once bucked off practice bulls in Leme’s yard. Back then, Crimber was just a boy chasing a dream. Now he’s under the bright lights, staring Leme down in the chute — and beating him head-to-head. For a champion long seen as the gold standard, that kind of role reversal has to bite.

For Paulo Crimber, Florida’s head coach and John’s father, the perfect win carried double weight. “As a coach I couldn’t ask for a better team,” Paulo said. “As a dad I couldn’t ask for a better son. That’s talent, that’s a good human being. This is what it’s all about — makes me very proud.”

Verdict

Yes — Florida did enough, and then some.

They surrounded their phenom with veterans, scorers, depth and identity. They turned an individual superstar into the centerpiece of a franchise that looks as dangerous as any in the league.

At 15–5, leading on points, with the league’s top two MVP contenders, Florida has made its case. They didn’t just support John Crimber — they built a team that makes him even better.

And as the road to Las Vegas shortens, one thing is clear: If you want the buckle, you’ll have to rip it out of Florida’s hands.