Seville’s famed bullfighter José Antonio Morante de la Puebla remains in “very serious” condition after sustaining a severe goring during Monday’s bullfight at La Maestranza plaza.
The incident occurred during the tenth event of the April Fair when Morante attempted to control the fourth bull, a 512-kilo animal from Hermanos García Jiménez. The bull suddenly charged, knocking him to the ground and attacking him in the lumbar region before he could fully retreat.
Medical officials confirmed the injury as a “very serious” horn wound in the posterior anal margin with a trajectory of approximately 10 centimeters, partially damaging the anal sphincter muscle and perforating the posterior rectal wall by 1.5 centimeters.
Morante underwent surgery lasting over two hours in the plaza’s infirmary, where doctors performed wound irrigation, repaired the rectal wall and sphincter apparatus, and placed an aspirative drain in the retrorectal space.
Despite initially showing no visible bleeding and only a small hole in his attire at the left thigh, the matador later complained of pain and sought medical attention after placing his hand on his left buttock.
Earlier in the same bullfight, Morante had cut an ear from his first bull, appearing confident and smiling throughout his performance before the sudden turn of events.
The medical bulletin was signed by Dr. Octavio Mulet, chief surgeon of La Maestranza’s infirmary, who emphasized the gravity of the injury despite its initially deceptive appearance.
