The hunt for the buckleMarchi closes in on elusive first world title |
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The question, however, is if he’s going to join the ranks of the great ones before him and become a World Champion.
“He’s the best bull rider we’ve got right now,” said Cody Lambert.
“He’s one of the best bull riders ever,” Jerome Davis added. “He reminds me of Clint Branger, and Clint was one of those guys who was runner up time and time again.”
“He looks like he’s going to be the champ,” proclaimed Ty Murray.
It’s a story everyone has read for, oh—the past three years.
Marchi has been the single-most consistent rider for the past four years; however, all he has to show for it to this point are three second-place finishes.
As Davis mentioned, it’s a story often compared to that of Branger, who is considered among the best of the best, and yet never was able to win the coveted gold buckle.
Most riders believe the fifth-year pro from Brazil deserves to win, and all that stands between him and the $1 million bonus are 8 rounds and 8 of the rankest bulls in the world.
“He had a really bad showing at the World Cup and I think that pretty much surprised everyone,” Murray said, “but I look for it to be his year. I always say that coming that close either makes you or breaks (you). I think he’s a guy who hasn’t been broken.”
“He’s been second a few times when it looked like he was going to win it,” Lambert recalled, “and it slipped away.”
“It’s not so much that he’s lost it in years past as much as there was always one guy who did a little bit better than he did,” Murray added.
“He’s determined to win a world title,” Lambert said. “To me, the difference this year is he knows he’s going to win it. He doesn’t hope he’s going to win it. He knows he’s going to win it.”
There have been a few stretches late in the season when Marchi’s had a few bad weeks. But just when some observers might to wonder if he’s starting to weaken, he always manages to come back with a solid performance the following week.
“Consistency,” J.W. Hart said, “that’s the one word. He doesn’t have the prettiest style. His English isn’t really that great to get across who he is to the fans, but his consistency speaks for itself.”
Although he’s led by more than 4,000 points, he still maintains a 3,358.75-point lead over his nearest competitor – Valdiron de Oliveira – going into the Finals.
“There was no pressure on him all year and he knows it’s getting close,” Davis said. “I think he wants it so bad that he’ll come right through all this.”
“As far as I’m concerned it’s over,” Lambert said. “He’s already won it.”
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright
