Bullfighter gored in the bum by bull

A WELL-KNOWN Spanish matador got a little more than he bargained for when his bovine nemesis got the upper-hand by goring him right through the backside.

The reversal of fortune occurred during a fight in Seville on Friday (April 15). The animal managed to score itself a bull’s eye when it speared Julian Lopez (El Juli), 33, through the right bumcheek in front of a shocked crowd.

The matador was apparently lifted well into the air before being slammed onto the ground in a hail of dust and blood. He was subsequently examined by medical staff at the side of the ring before being rushed to the hospital with a 15-centimetre gash across his posterior.

Lopez is a notable figure in the sport, with a decades’ long career that began when he became the youngest person ever to become a professional bullfighter at the age of 15.

The attack is likely to produce a flurry of polarising opinions due to the controversial status of bullfighting in Spain. Aficionados of the sport are likely to breathe a sigh of relief that Lopez will live to fight another day, whereas critics may see it as a sort of poetic justice.

The incident was the second to occur in Seville’s La Maestranza bullring in just a week. 19-year-old Peruvian matador Andres Roca Rey was gored by one of the beasts on April 9, although he was lucky enough to walk away with only minor injuries.