If the most relevant plazas in the bullfighting geography and the public that occupy their spaces have their seal that distinguishes them, Las Ventas, in its condition as the first plaza in the World, does not make the requirement a watchword. Demand on the bulls and the bullfighters, expressed during the fight in very varied ways and sometimes with excessive rigor. But also, as happens with the most difficult loves, when he gives himself, he does so with rapturous passion.
This is what happened on June 7, 1994 with a bull, “Bastonito”, by Baltasar Ibán, and a bullfighter, the Colombian César Rincón, which thirty years later is still remembered as one of the great milestones of Las Ventas. That was a challenge of power to power between a brave and fierce bull (protested at the start by the insubordinates of the 7th, who saw him as of little use) and a bullfighter who accepted the challenge until the end and ended up battered but triumphant and now forever. “bullfighter of Madrid”.
Third of this San Isidro and a “Bastonito” (fifth in order of the fight) by Baltasar Ibán, a reference point for the fans of Venteña, but not for the general public who come to demand the figures and these (a sign of the times) they shy away
To show the shortlist that was announced on this Catalan election Sunday: “Calita”, Francisco de Manuel and Álvaro Alarcón.
Ernesto Javier Tapia García “Calita” is Mexican (heads the ranking in his country) and has been a bullfighter for fourteen years and last year he left a good mark during his time in Las Ventas.
His first one came out and those of the 7 (just like they did with the “Bastonito” of 1994) protested its size, which – I suppose – not the seriousness of its astifine pitons.
He took two shots and reached the final third without pointing out good things.
Calita bent low with him and began to fight with her right hand, enduring looks, stops and defeats. The same thing happened when she took the left, so she, with good judgment, took the sword, which she used not too far, not even foolishly.
The conspicuous people also protested at the second of the afternoon, with which Fco.de Manuel could not show off with the cape and did not have a stick fight worthy of mention. Juan Carlos Rey placed two superb pairs of flags.
Bullfighting at the beginning of Francisco de Manuel’s work, he genuflects the figure, and bullfighting in a round with Ibán’s charging without surrender and his head held high. Naturally, worse, although little to reproach the bullfighter, who was firm with him, but went on forever with the madness.
Also unpublished is Álvaro Alarcón in the capotero receipt for the first of his batch. The third of rods was spectacular as the bull started from a distance in both matches, although without fixation on the breastplate.
Without wasting time and after toasting Miguel Martín, a bullfighter now in administrative work at the CAT, Alarcón began to bullfight around with good air and in the same tone with the muleta in his left hand, looking for the connection, while some protested his placement, that common mantra in Las Ventas, sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly. The bull said up to here and the young bullfighter from Toledo took the steel, leaving a good and effective thrust.
Arrived at the room and also in this one, without news of bullfighting with the cape in charge of the matadors, a consequence of the behavior of the bulls, elusive and always with their faces in the clouds.
First thirds without pain or glory, the banderillas with the bull waiting for a quinary for the Calita gang.
Arriving at the muleta, the Mexican encountered the obvious lack of breed of the bull, which continued with everything bad that had been announced from the beginning and no improvement, on the contrary. Calita tried in vain and had no choice but to finish in the best possible way, but the blow went to the bottom.
And the fifth came out, “Bastonito”, for Fco.de Manuel, who at least took the cape with humiliation.
And, finally, a takeaway, from Fco. de Manuel for tight chicuelinas, in a third of rods in which “Bastonito” exuded bravery and got those lying on their feet and the picador received a well-deserved ovation.
Toast to the public and to Manuel, crutch in his right hand and kneeling, quoting the bull from afar. Standing series in round in which the bull continued with its brave, humiliated and long attacks. Fco. de Manuel achieved, at times, the necessary symbiosis and in the first round through the left piton there were three colossal naturals, like the chest passes.
Back to the right hand, already at the key point of the task for it to break completely, the brave seemed somewhat indifferent and took the sword from Manuel, leaving a defective half-thrust which eliminated the possibility of a trophy.
“Bastonito”, who lived up to his name in the memory of that one from thirty years ago, was loudly applauded in the drag while Fco. de Manuel received an applause with disagreements while more than one muttered to themselves that “God I free you from a brave bull.”
To the one who closed the bullring, Álvaro Alarcón outlined a couple of verónicas that remained at that, because the bull did not respond as it should and neither did it do so in rods or banderillas.
Alarcón tried with the crutch but without results.
Overall, Baltasar Ibán’s bullfight was below what was expected, but “Bastonito”, an apology for bravery, redeemed it. And how.