The return of Spain’s most celebrated matador got here to an eye-watering end this week – after he was gored within the rectum.
Morante de la Puebla – or ‘King of Bullfighters’ as he is understood – was left sprawled within the dirt clutching his rear end after the 512kg bull named Clandestino quite literally ripped him a brand new one.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Morante, 46, said in a video shared together with his Instagram followers: ‘I had a moderately rough night.’
But adding insult to excruciating injury, most of the comments are crammed with people taking Clandestino’s side.
Anna Nicolini posted: ‘No have to hurt animals. He stood up for himself and I’m comfortable he did. You shouldn’t do these sports nowadays.’
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Many others wrote simply: ‘Karma.’
Morante was injured on the Maestranza bullring in Seville on Monday.
He had already cleared three bulls when a fourth suddenly charged, El Mundo reports.
The bull’s horn bore into his rectum, tearing a 10cm wound to the posterior anal margin, partially damaging the sphincter muscles and perforating the rectum.
In his video to fans, he said: ‘I used to be in immense pain, felt a variety of fear because I saw the bull had grabbed me and, well, I assumed I used to be bleeding.
‘By the point I got to the infirmary and saw that the bleeding was minimal, I relaxed quite a bit, but in fact, it hurt rather a lot. Definitely, it was probably the most painful goring ever.’
He added: ‘I’ve passed through a fairly normal night of little sleep. I’ve got no appetite, and I’m hoping to get through it with, well, with a little bit of patience.’
Morante is widely considered the premier matador of his generation and his comeback had garnered sold out crowds.
Antonio Lorca wrote in El País: ‘With unusual speed, the news spread like wildfire throughout the bullfighting world; not for nothing was the person on the operating table a special figure — probably the most outstanding bullfighter of the current day and one in all the best in history.’
Morante is anticipated to stay in hospital for no less than per week.
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