Matt accomplished his mission in 1997

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998 | 4:28 a.m.

Mike Matt went to the 1997 Wrangler Bullfight Finals in Las Vegas with a two-part mission: to prove that his 1996 world title was no fluke, and to earn some significant money in the process.

Mission accomplished.

The 25-year-old bullfighter placed no lower than second in any of the four rounds of the Finals, held in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo each December at the Thomas & Mack. He earned $32,481 -- the most of any bullfighter -- and finished the season with $54,955 to claim his second world champion bullfighter title.

"I just kind of matched them (the bulls), was able to get around them and score some points," Matt said. "I got the big goal -- the gold buckle -- so I'm really happy."

Regardless of the outcome of the '97 Finals, Matt was happy just to be among the field of six bullfighters competing in Las Vegas. In early October, with only two events left in the regular season of the Wrangler Bullfight Tour, Matt still hadn't qualified to compete in the Finals.

Not to worry. Matt swept up titles at those last two regular-season events, conducted in Minot, N.D., and in Matt's hometown of Billings. The wins not only qualified him for the Finals but also propelled him from ninth place to first in the tour's regular-season standings.

"(Winning the last two events to qualify for the Finals) wasn't really the plan," said Matt, 5-9 and 165 pounds. "But I just kind of got over that hump and was really able to kick it in at the end of the year."

Once the Finals began, Matt had the look of a bullfighter ready to claim yet another world title.

"I'm really confident," he said before the Wrangler Bullfight Finals began last year. "I think I have as good of chance as anybody. I just have to draw the right bulls."

And that he did. Matt averaged more than 81 points in the first three rounds, winning the first round and placing second in the next two. In round four, Matt wrapped up his second straight title with a 75-point fight against Harry Vold Rodeo's bull No. 014. He split the round win with runner-up Greg Rumohr, who turned in 75 points against Coyote Hills' Tic Tac Toe.

"I was consistent all week," Matt said. "I thought I fought bulls the way I should have.

"Just getting here is a great accomplishment, but to win the world twice -- back to back -- is awesome."