Team Mann Creek fighting through Brewer’s injury

By Ted Harbin
Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009

ODESSA, Texas - The pain came quickly, and Jay Brewer knew exactly what was wrong.

A little more than a month ago, the Graham, Texas, bullfighter suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. When the same joint dislocated last Thursday during his first fight of the Professional Bullfighters Daisy Protection Bullfight World Championships, Brewer’s disappointment was as strong as the pain.

In the balance is the 2008 PBF world title for Brewer and his partner, Steve Wangler of Plainview, Neb., representing Team Mann Creek Buck-N-Bulls, who entered the year-end competition No. 1 in the standings. But that really doesn’t matter to the team that was so strong all season long.

“Or goal right now is to finish the year out,” Wangler said. “We just want to finish our World Championships, and if we happen to win a world title as a team, then that’s great. But I don’t care about that.”

Brewer said surgery to repair the ailment is scheduled for Jan. 27, and he was already wearing two strong braces when he went down last week, and now will fight the rest of the week even though he’s experiencing excruciating pain.

“It doesn’t hurt when I’m walking, but if I extend my leg, it’s pretty agonizing,” said Brewer, who injured his knee originally on Nov. 29 while trying to help a bull rider out of a sticky situation. “I was working a hang-up at a bull-riding in Graham.

“It’s still real painful.”

After surgery, he said he plans to be on the injury list for three months while he heals and rehabilitates the joint. At the World Championships, though, he’s watching his good friend and partner handle the bulk of the workload.

“I don’t like it,” Brewer said. “I don’t want anybody to think I’m not doing my part. I’m doing everything I can to fight the way I know we can.”

Wangler understands. He was a little numb when Brewer went down.

“I had no idea what to feel, what to say,” Wangler said. “I was not prepared for that at all, but I could care less about a world title right now. We started the ’08 season together, and we’re going to close it together. We’re going to finish this as a team.”