Admittedly, most of what I know about bullfighting comes from Bugs Bunny cartoons, and that one episode of Columbo with Ricardo Montalban. But as it’s still the only sport where one of the participants winds up with assorted spears protruding from his hide — and then, you know, dead — I’m with those who call for tactical air strikes on all bullfighting arenas. Until then, I’ll have to be satisfied when the occasional bullfighter gets what he so richly deserves; a goring in the zonas danadas. Meet Jose Tomas Roman Martin, a rather famous bullfighter from Spain. On Saturday during an event in Mexico, a 1,100-pound bull gored him in the groin and hoisted him into the air; the wound causing such major blood loss that blood donations were solicited from those in the crowd. Tomas lost up to 17 pints of blood but is expected to survive.
Video following the jump.
This isn’t the first time Tomas has been ventilated by cattle. In May of 2008, he was skewered in the neck in a fight in Jerez, Spain. Is it wrong for me to root for the bull in such circumstances, including the famed Running of the Bulls in Pamplona? If so, too bad. Sometimes you tenderize the beef, sometimes it tenderizes you.
By the way, in the video above, be sure to check out the handy illustration of the “zonas danadas” where Tomas was gored. Juuust a bit outside.
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Bullfighter Jose Tomas in critical condition [Los Angeles Times]
Bullfight audience asked to give blood to gored Spanish matador… who needed 17-pint transfusion [London Daily Mail]
Matador cheats death by millimetres as angry bull gores him in the neck [London Daily Mail]
