March 10, 2000
Bullfight World...
by Lyn Sherwood
Spanish Matador Manuel Caballero and Spanish Rejoneador Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza have emerged as the most triumphant figures of the 1999-2000 bullfight season in La Plaza Mexico, while Eloy Cavazos turned in the best faena de muleta.
Of particular interest is the rejoneador, who cut ears and tail. It was only the second time in the history of La Plaza Mexico that a rejoneador has won a tail. The first time was in 1966, by matador-turned-rejoneador Carlos Arruza, who died in an auto crash, only a few months after the season was completed.
In the meantime, Mendoza is considering an offer to perform in 15 bloodless bullfights in the United States for a reported offer of four million dollars.
Some of Spain's top mata-dores are making life difficult for the nation's bullfight empresarios. Julian López "El Juli" is, according to reports, now charging $250,000 (dollars) per appearance, and thus, will not perform during the upcoming corridas of the Fallas de Valencia, and has been contracted to perform in only two corridas during the spring fair in Sevilla.
And, top rated stars José Tomás and Joselito will not appear at all in the fairs of either Valencia or Sevilla, because Tomás and Joselito are refusing to perform in any televised corrida, which virtually shuts them out of any of the major plazas de toros in Spain. According to their mutual manager Enrique Martín Arranz, the reason is not economic, but rather a statement of maintaining the purity of bullfighting. And, if you believe that one, I'd like to interest you in investing in some prime Florida swamp lands.
While training at the Nava-lagamella ganadería, near Madrid Feb. 12, Antonio Chenel "Antoñete," 67, the oldest active matador in the world, suffered a broken left arm, while training with a young cow. As a result, the matador has missed several dates. Following his physical rehabilitation, "Antoñete" is expected to return to the rings April 16, where he will perform on a card with two other senior citizen matadors, Curro Romero and Manuel Benitez "El Cordobés", in Jaen, Spain.
For the first time since Panamá was colonized by the United States, bullfighting is returning to that nation. On March 19 and 26, in the Panamanian State of Chiriqui, bullfights will be held, featuring Spanish Matador Antonio Manuel Punta and others to be announced, according to Sevillian empresario Francisco Escribano.
For the past couple of years, Bullfight World has been expanding its scope to, indeed, live up to its name, by covering bullfighting, world-wide, rather than concentrating, exclusively on Tijuana.
Thanks to the tenacity of La Prensa San Diego Publisher/Editor Dan Muñoz, Bullfight World has been published, purely as a public service, for the past 25 years, with very little economic reward.
Last season, in addition to carrying Tijuana news and reviews, Bullfight World began to carry news from throughout the Republic of Mexico, as well as from Spain, South America and France.
Beginning this summer, the column, which will still be known as Bullfight World and will still be written by Lyn Sherwood, will initiate the next step in its expansion. News and reviews of the Tijuana corridas, written and photographed by Gary Sloan, will still maintain a top priority, while Your Humble Servant will be covering the action in Monterrey, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Piedras Negras, and other cities near the Mexico/Texas border.
We're looking forward to keeping Bullfight World's readers even better informed and entertained with the new, more comprehensive than ever Bullfight World.
Return
to Frontpage