Boston is a city of champions, but TD Garden had never hosted the world’s toughest athletes until PBR’s Unleash The Beast Stop No. 3
For the first time ever, the Unleash The Beast tour transformed TD Garden into a proving ground where momentum, standings and championship intent took center stage.
By James Phillips | COO & Co-Founder, Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation
Boston sports are built on banners, dynasties, and grit. Bruins. Celtics. Championships forged in noise, pressure, and expectation. But this past weekend, the hardwood and history of TD Garden gave way to something entirely different — eight seconds of chaos, courage, and consequence.
For the first time ever, PBR brought the Unleash The Beast to Boston, officially kicking off the 2026 calendar year with Stop No. 3 of the season. On January 2–3, TD Garden transformed into a proving ground — not for trophies earned in the past, but for world points, momentum, and championship intent.
The dirt was better. The rides were sharper. And for the first time this season, it felt like the tour had fully arrived.
Below are my Top 3 takeaways from Performance No. 1 — Friday night — as the road to a 2026 PBR World Championship began to take shape.
Performance No. 1 — Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
TD Garden | Boston, Massachusetts
Takeaway No. 3 — A New Year, a Full Roster, and a Noticeable Shift
If there was one thing immediately clear on Friday night, it was this: the lineup looked normal again.
After the first two events of the season in December, Boston marked a turning point. More healthy bodies. More familiar names. More riders who didn’t just show up — they showed intent. It looked like a locker room that made a collective New Year’s resolution to chase a gold buckle.
While scores remained tightly grouped, the quality of rides told the real story. Twenty-two qualified rides in a single round was no small feat at this level.
The cutoff line spoke volumes. After Night One, 83.75 points or better was required to crack the Top 12 heading into Championship Saturday.
Boston didn’t just feel like another stop. It felt like the season settling into its stride.
Takeaway No. 2 — The Return of a Champion, and the Shock No One Saw Coming
Anytime José Vitor Leme walked into the building, expectations followed.
A round win. A statement ride. Maybe even Premier Series 90-point ride No. 89. That was the standard he set — and the one everyone else measured themselves against.
Instead, the reigning world champion came up short.
Leme was bucked off Drago at 3.89 seconds, stunning the TD Garden crowd and serving as a stark reminder of how unforgiving this sport remained.
Still, at this level, one ride could change everything. One bull could erase a mistake. One qualified ride was all it took to stay alive.
Takeaway No. 1 — Boston Was in a New York State of Mind
Friday night didn’t just set the tone — it established the standings.
Top Three — Go-Round No. 1 (Friday Night)
Daylon Swearingen (Penfield, New York) • Bull: Hector • Score: 87.70 points • World Points: 28
Marco Rizzo • Bull: Project X • Score: 87.55 points • World Points: 18
Claudio Montanha Jr. • Bull: Mr. Jimmy • Score: 87.10 points • World Points: 16
That wasn’t luck. That was earned position.
Boston’s first-ever PBR performance ended with a familiar feeling — New York at the top, setting the pace.
Championship Saturday Night — Jan. 3, 2026
Every score mattered as the field narrowed, determining which riders would finish inside the Top 12 after Round Two and advance to the Championship Round.
The energy inside TD Garden reflected the stakes. Boston’s fans were loud and fully engaged as they filed in for just the second PBR Unleash The Beast performance in city history. The anticipation was palpable — a crowd beginning to understand not just the spectacle, but the consequences.
Takeaway No. 3 — Depth, Draft Strategy, and a Championship-Round Reality Check
After Round Two, there were 17 qualified rides — a testament to both improved conditions and a loaded field.
Top Three — Go-Round No. 2
• Clay Guiton — Mo Money — 88.70
• Marco Rizzo — Let Him Fly — 88.25
• Thiago Salgado — I’ll Make You Famous — 88.25
Those performances set the stage heading into the Championship Round, where 10 of the 12 finalists would ultimately make two qualified rides and position themselves for stronger draft placement.
Matchups in every Championship Round on the Unleash The Beast Series are determined with a bull draft.
The available bulls are placed on the board, and selections begin with the No. 1 rider entering the round. Strategy matters. Matchups matter. And sometimes, what’s left matters most.
Daylon Swearingen and Andrew Alvidrez were the only two riders entering the Championship Round without a second qualified score. As a result, they were left with what remained on the board after everyone else had chosen.
There were still excellent matchups — but by the end of the round, the bulls would have the final say.
Takeaway No. 2 — Bob Mitchell, Magic Potion, and One of the Toughest Matchups in the Sport
Steelville, Missouri’s Bob Mitchell took on Magic Potion, the bull that held the record for the most consecutive buckoffs in PBR history — now 56-0 on the Premier Series.
Mitchell, one of the toughest competitors in the locker room and a rider unafraid of any matchup, paid the price and was helped from the arena. The hope is that the leg injury will not keep him out for too long and is not too serious.
Magic Potion’s streak continued.
According to the Paramount+ telecast, the last rider to cover Magic Potion was Sage Kimzey at a professional rodeo — a reminder of just how rare success against this bull truly is.
Hats off to Bob Mitchell for drafting a bull that most guys want to stay away from.
Takeaway No. 1 — Brady Fielder, Eyes On Me, and a Statement Heard Around the World
Only one rider made the whistle in the Championship Round.
Australian superstar Brady Fielder matched up with Eyes On Me — a bull most riders would welcome in a high-pressure situation — and delivered when it mattered most.
Fielder’s 91.20-point ride won the Championship Round and the event. He finished with a total score of 265.15 points, 135 world points, and nearly $55,000 in earnings.
Marco Rizzo was the winner in Chicago prior to the holiday break and entered the Championship Round leading the event but came up short. Still, his consistency carried him to a runner-up finish, narrowly missing back-to-back victories.
Rizzo closed out the weekend with an aggregate score of 175.80.
Young phenom John Crimber rounded out the Top 3 with 174.20 points on two rides, collecting 64 world points.
Congratulations to Marco Rizzo on the success he’s had over the last two events, as he now sits No. 1 in the PBR world standings very early in the 2026 season.
As we look ahead to this weekend at Madison Square Garden — the Buck Off at the Garden — HERE are the updated PBR Unleash The Beast world standings heading into New York.
Beyond the Dirt
What happens beyond the dirt can be just as meaningful as what happens on it. Sometimes getting back up is the only plan—but what if getting back up isn’t possible without help? A car accident, stroke, heart attack or fall can change a life in an instant, limiting mobility and independence.
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