The weather that has affected Holy Week in Seville (as in the rest of the bullfight) wanted to make a final nod to the Easter Sunday bullfight, so relevant in the bullfighting calendar. There was just over an hour before the start of the celebration, the sky seemed to confirm the forecast that rain would not make an appearance and the workers removed the protective canvas from the La Maestranza albero.
Suddenly the sky turned black and he said water goes!, shouting like when they buried Zafra. The albero, a quagmire, the public taking refuge in the accesses to the lines; the crews, the matadors in front, checking the slippery terrain... and who more who less suspecting suspension. But, once the time of the parade had passed, the rain stopped, and a rainbow appeared on the horizon, over the roof of the arena, which predicted that - belatedly - the bullfight was going ahead.
Full of no tickets, maximum expectation, three figures in front of their groups and a parade that does not start because - for no reason and hopefully without setting a precedent - the national anthem plays. Then, the pasodoble put things back on track.
A Matilla bull with ample volume and beautiful fur opened the bullring, for which Morante de la Puebla drew a pair of beautiful verónicas but they had no continuity because Esaborío - a premonitory name - did not give options for greater achievements. In banderillas, two superb pairs of banderillas by Curro Javier gave him a standing ovation.
Great bullfighting start to the work of the genius from La Puebla with a sublime trench pass in him. Morante bullfighted with subtlety in the round but when he changed piton the bull was no longer the same and he had no choice but to shorten.
Sebastián Castella cut off an ear of great merit from the first of his batch, smoothing out rough edges and genius based on courage and temperance, in a task that went into a crescendo and ended with the bull being handed over to a full-fledged Castella, who finished the work with a this blow to law.
After the third was returned due to manifest disability, the shift was taken and the one who was going for sixth came out - of the same iron - who did not venture great things in the first thirds but Roca Rey's work approach gave distance in the start date of the series and Always strong and powerful, he played in favor so that the muletazos had substance, length and connection. The sword signed it and the trophy that he paraded around the ring was undisputed.
Nor did the fourth -another Esaborío, what things- allow Morante to show off with the cape beyond a couple of Veronica's throws with his seal. João Ferreira performed his flag brilliantly and was applauded, and Morante's rhythmic start to the fight, with round muleta strikes, pure harmony and temperance raised hopes, but the bull lasted a sigh and Morante, with the same disappointment as the public, went for the bull. sword.
As happened in his first turn, the third of rods from the second of Castella's lot was hardly a procedure of minimal punishment and the bull arrived vigorously at the muleta, after a splendid third of banderillas by José Chacón and the fight by Rafael Viotti .
The beginning of the fight, very firm by the French bullfighter, predicted much more than what later arrived because Matilla's specimen soon collapsed and with it the illusions of Castella, who had the Puerta del Príncipe ajar.
Something happened in the pigsties so that the one who closed the square was not the first hat consigned, but the second, from Román Sorando's iron. Roca Rey did everything in favor of a bull that never gave in, reluctant and outcast, but his laudable effort remained at that.
The celebration ended, Morante left sulking (he has three more afternoons left at the April fair to change it and it will surely be), Castella and Roca with a prize and the public in search of a hot broth and a remedy for the cold.
