Fallas Fair: Borja Jiménez and Tomás Rufo, hand in hand with white gloves | Culture

A head-to-head in bullfighting is synonymous with rivalry and competition. If not, it doesn’t make sense. The one-on-one between Borja Jiménez and Tomás Rufo was white glove. There were removals in the first four bulls, but without replicas. No one came out to eat the other, and each one went about his own thing. And peace in the ring to the bullfighters of good will. The afternoon, however, ended with controversy and almost scandal because the president of the celebration refused to grant Tomás Rufo an ear in his first two tricks. Was there a majority request or a scandalous request based on shouting? That’s the question. With the controversy served, the debate is also on the table.

The first bull of the afternoon, deep and well armed, was very weak throughout the fight. With a clear vocation to attack, it did not pose problems. Borja Jiménez prescribed bulk batches and none finished. Loose passes, without brilliance. Furthermore, the bull, always with one eye watching the boards, wanting to leave. That was the great virtue of the bullfighter, not letting the bull get its way.

He went to the bullpen door to receive the third. He endured the bull’s start and the long run was perfect. Then came two more pitches in the third, a cluster of chicuelinas, a medium and the final revolera. Quite a task with the cape. Already with the muleta, the change from the back was also brilliant, but from then on, with a bull held with pins, the task was a total insistence, but without getting much benefit from such a long work. Responsible Borja Jiménez, without real arrival. Another bull at the limit of its strength was the fifth, also low, that could not handle its soul. The task, or attempt at it, went smoothly. Vain attempts. And to something else.

A gayola door Tomás Rufus went to receive his first; The trance came out clean. A bull with just enough strength to endure a long and not always round task. The bull made a thread, a certain gazapeo that made the bullfighter uncomfortable. Caught at medium or long distance, the bull was happier on the muleta, and that is where Rufo shined more and better. A very well hooked round with the right raised the atmosphere. Then came the encimismo, and the bull no longer responded the same, nor was there as much brilliance. Solvent, Rufo, in any case. The thrust, somewhat loose, denied him the forcefully requested ear.

It was very difficult for the fourth to accept the fine from Rufo, who became very insistent. At no time did the real work begin, which involved more stubbornness than bullfighting. Some trouble even happened due to such closeness. There were many loose muletazos, but without finishing the whole. Very long work, too. The thrust, this time, was textbook. The presidency got a monumental fight for not granting the ear, and the return to the ring had more value than a trophy that no one would remember now.

A notable tame bull was the one that closed the bullfight, although before being stung Tomás Rufo gave him a remarkable bunch of verónicas, with temper, rhythm and slowness, finished off with an anthological average. It was, possibly, the most truly brilliant part of his performance. From the outset, he had also received that kneeling bull in the mouth of bullpens. With the bull not very interested in the work, and with the public rallied in favor of the bullfighter, Rufo insisted on putting the meek one on the spot. He achieved it halfway, with constant blows of crutches and very excited by the stretching. Rufo very ceremoniously between rounds, killed that bull with a somewhat loose thrust and, on this occasion, the presidency granted the loudly requested ear, which was clear compensation for denying the previous requests. Rufo rejected the trophy, threw it angrily into the sand, and was forced to walk around the ring up to three times. The scandal did not get any bigger. But almost.