From this Friday to Sunday, the Alicante Hogueras fair announced one event per day. The truncated 20th anniversary of the alternative of José María Manzanares, this Saturday, was preceded by an even older one, that of El Juli in his quarter-century season as a bullfighter and who ended up celebrating and leaving on the shoulders of a square with a spectacular atmosphere together with Roca Rey and Tomás Rufo.
The man from Madrid began rhythmically to the verónica until the media with the painting of Victoriano that opened a square that already marked its good condition from the beginning. Juli began genuflecting, and a look at the line extending the trip started a general ole before starting the bullfighting round. More reluctantly though obediently he took the ‘Stunned’ crutch to the natural, which forced the man from Madrid to pull him -push is now said-, until reaching the desired depth. He raised his work to the right again, the bull sewn to his crutch, with the ligature as the maximum virtue before going for the sword, which did not sink completely, and that together with the delay in bending the bull cooled the thing until stay the prize in an ovation.
Uglier in character was the second one, who leaned into the alley as an attempt to jump before Roca Rey enters the scene. Contrary to his brother’s, nothing good showed in his first attacks, brute, without delivery. With feet together high, the Peruvian tried ‘Viajero’ at the beginning, in which he already marked his tendency to flee. When he managed to get me to see only crutch, the tandas emerged powerful, intense, with echo. But on the third time, feeling subdued, he sought shelter on the boards. The memory of those first bars encouraged a minority to ask for the granted ear.
With his tertiary appearance, the third, another ‘Traveler’, who did not finish defining himself in the first thirds, jumped into the Alicante arena. But Tomás Rufo was clear from the beginning and fell to his knees to hit up to five right hands and the chest one that brought the audience to its feet. Already on his feet -the bullfighter-, the man from Victoriano accused the demanding start and it was difficult for him to keep up with the rhythm that Rufo imposed on him, from below and always adjusted. The final circulars, the luquecinas and the rudeness without a crutch to a delivered bull ended up driving the public crazy, who strongly demanded the double trophy. The president did not miss the low placement of the withering sword blow and lowered the clamor to one ear.
At 8:37 p.m., delayed start and snack included, the bullpen gate was opened for ‘Lover’ to come out, the fourth, taller than his brothers and the one who had a hard time humiliating. He asked El Juli for calm after a stumble in the opening and used science to try to warm up some traditionally scattered lines after the break with a full belly. At his height, he held it naturally to finish the comeback in a round, linked, chaining a windlass and a chest shot that definitely put the square in the game. He returned to the natural without the ascending tone being altered, he then fell to his knees provoking the bull and in the media He chained two circulars behind the back in a high finish where the luquecinas were not lacking either. The low thrust unleashed madness and this time the president did not oppose the double prize.
With the afternoon launched, Roca Rey gained ground with the buttoned fifth, with a serious expression, who took the fabrics from below until the auction stocking. The removal of the Peruvian is chilling, about to be run over by a chicuelina and not move his shoes an inch when linking the tafalleras.
The task was a duel of braves. The serious and demanding onslaught of ‘Jara’ was challenged by no less enrazado Roca Rey and from that union sprang an intense work, pure, with his hand lowered as essential medicine for a bull that mutated in each batch until transforming his bravery into an uncomfortable genius. A very tight ending again preceded a warning before going in to kill. The crossing of the sword made the bull fall slow. Another warning sounded and the public cooled down, but the effort was rewarded with a well-deserved and sweaty ear that also opened the big door for him.
With the triumph of his companions assuring, Tomás Rufo found himself with a hard ballot against the sixth, precisely the worst condition of the sextetoy to the one that Fernando Sánchez matched extraordinarily. Outcast, without any zeal and with a tendency to crack from the beginning, Rufo tried in every way to accompany Juli and Roca Rey on his shoulders. Pepino’s, with great merit, found an answer in the final arrimón. And the effective final sword blow consolidated the longed-for ear for the desired final photo.