Spain's most celebrated matador, Morante de la Puebla, suffered a shocking injury this week when a bull gored him in the rectum during a comeback performance. The 46-year-old bullfighter, known as the 'King of Bullfighters,' was left sprawled in the dirt clutching his rear end after the 512kg bull named Clandestino attacked him at the Maestranza bullring in Seville on Monday.
Details of the Incident
Morante had already cleared three bulls when a fourth suddenly charged. 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, according to El Mundo.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Morante shared a video with his Instagram followers, saying: 'I had a rather rough night. I was in immense pain, felt a lot of fear because I saw the bull had grabbed me and, well, I thought I was bleeding. By the time I got to the infirmary and saw that the bleeding was minimal, I relaxed quite a bit, but of course, it hurt a lot. Without a doubt, it was the most painful goring ever.'
Public Reaction: 'Karma'
Adding insult to excruciating injury, many comments on social media sided with the bull. Anna Nicolini posted: 'No need to hurt animals. He stood up for himself and I'm happy he did. You shouldn't do these sports nowadays.' Many others wrote simply: 'Karma.'
Morante's Status and Recovery
Morante is widely regarded as 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 man on the operating table a special figure — the most outstanding bullfighter of the present day and one of the greatest in history.'
Morante added: 'I've gone through a pretty normal night of little sleep. I've got no appetite, and I'm hoping to get through it with, well, with a bit of patience.' He is expected to remain in hospital for at least a week.
