PBR Tacoma: Florida Freedom vs New York Mavericks Showdown

As the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) cowboys stride into the Tacoma Dome on Saturday night, the air may have a tension that you can cut with a knife. Leading the Florida Freedom will be John Crimber, the 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Series and Championship MVP, squaring off against the gritty concrete cowboys of the New York Mavericks with steely Mason Taylor.

Whether the fans inside the Tacoma Dome know it or not, they are in store for an action-packed night of bull riding that will be capped off by the Battle for the Belt between the Florida Freedom and New York Mavericks and what should prove to be an exciting conclusion to Battle for the Belt Rivalry Series games.

With the Battle for the Belt series tied, this game has more than bragging rights. The Mavericks want to bring the Belt back to Brooklyn, but their work is cut out for them. While many may point to John as being the all-star on Freedom, Florida has a lot of depth on its roster that it can call on to help deliver the win.

Let’s look at the roster for each team for the Battle of the Belt.

Leandro Zampollo, the cowboy who won Last Cowboy Standing inside Dickies Arena, will be joined by Mason Taylor, Marco Rizzo, and Mauricio Moreira in the closing spot for the concrete cowboys of the New York Mavericks. All are capable of posting high scores and making spectacular rides. The Mavericks look ready to avenge the loss to the Freedom and take the Belt back to Brooklyn with them.

Of course, John Crimber will be closing the game for the Florida Freedom flock, but Yan Victor Cunha, Joao Lucas Campos, and Thiago Salgado are riding with him. Joao Lucas Campos was on a tear in the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, winning events, and all of the riders can add high scores to the board to put the W on Florida’s side and keep the Belt with the team.

Suppose Baby T can deliver a ride like he did in Nampa during Round One of the Progressive PBR Nampa event, which you can check out here, or Joao Lucas Campos has another hot ride like he did here. Florida may have the edge over the gritty concrete cowboys in that case.

Will it be a nail-biter of a game? That’s possible with these two teams, as the last game proved both teams can run up the points on the board.

While some may be quick to look at what this game looks like on paper and say that one team and the odds are lopsided to one side, it’s bull riding and unpredictable until the rider nods, the gate opens, and the 8-second whistle blows.

While on paper, one team may get favorable odds, nothing is for sure in the sport of bull riding, and this game should deliver on the edge-of-your-seat excitement PBR fans have come to expect at the events.

If you cannot make it to Tacoma to catch all of the exciting action of the PBR Tacoma and the conclusion to the Unleash The Beast season event, you may be wondering where to catch all of the action.

Easy answer! Tune into CBS on Sunday, April 27 at 12:30 ET to catch the Battle for the Belt conclusion.

The only question is, which team do you have the W going to?