Manuel Escribano... 35 Years Later

Manuel Escribano will perform solo at the Alicante bullring on June 28. He follows in the footsteps of José María Manzanares Sr., who, in his 109 appearances in Alicante, fought as the sole matador on four occasions. One of these was during his farewell as a novice with picadors in May 1971. The other three were on June 23, 1985; August 4, 1989; and June 24, 1990.

Manzanares wore a white and silver suit for his farewell as a novice, facing young bulls from Manuel Santos Galache, cutting nine ears. He arrived at the Alicante bullring in a carriage. After the fifth bull fell, he was carried around the ring on the shoulders of his father, Pepe Manzanares, who was part of his team. The event lasted 100 minutes. The young bulls weighed 346, 392, 376, 344, 383, and 390 kilos, respectively. The numerical summary was: two ears, two ears, two ears, two ears and two laps of the ring after a request for the tail, and one ear.

The first time Manzanares fought six bulls in Alicante was on June 23, 1985. He wore a white and black suit to fight two bulls from Montalvo (1st and 6th) and one each from Jandilla (2nd), Torrestrella (3rd), El Madrigal (4th), and Marcos Núñez (5th). The highlight was his performance with the fifth bull, from which he cut two ears. The overall result was: one ear with a request for the second, one ear, one ear, applause after a warning, the aforementioned two ears, and applause.

Manzanares returned to fight in Alicante in 1989 after a year's absence due to disagreements with Mayor José Luis Lassaletta, which prevented him from participating in the Hogueras Fair. For the occasion, he announced six bulls in what became known as the Flamenco Bullfight. In the stands, the voice of Antonio Vargas Cortés 'El Potito' could be heard, accompanied by guitarists 'Moraíto Chico' and 'El Niño Luisa'.

He wore crimson and gold to face bulls from Felipe Bartolomé (one ear), Carlos Núñez (ovation), two from Torrestrella -3rd and 4th- (two ears and applause), Jandilla -named 'Escopeta'- (two ears and tail), and Joaquín Buendía (ovation). Three-quarters of the Plaza de España arena was filled, in an event that lasted 105 minutes.

On June 24, 1990, Manzanares performed in a burgundy and gold suit in his last evening facing six bulls in Alicante, where he gifted a bull from Sepúlveda. Three bulls from Jandilla (3rd, 5th, and 6th), two from Gabriel Rojas (2nd and 4th), one from Concha Navarro (1st), and the aforementioned from Sepúlveda were fought. He cut two ears from Floreado (555 kilos) of Gabriel Rojas, and from Salinero (525 kilos) of Sepúlveda. He was applauded with the bull from Concha Navarro; with the third from Jandilla; there was a division of opinions after the fourth from Gabriel Rojas; he was booed - something unusual in Manzanares' career in Alicante - when he dispatched the fifth from Jandilla, and he was applauded after the sixth from the same herd.

Jose María Manzanares -son- intended to celebrate his 20th anniversary as a matador by fighting six bulls in Alicante on June 24, 2023. A back injury thwarted the event where he was to fight six bulls from Daniel Ruiz. The lineup eventually included Cayetano, Emilio de Justo, and Juan Ortega.