'The Pirate' bullfighter makes 'triumphant' return to ring five months after horrific goring left him blind in one eye

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Jun 29, 2008
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Matador Juan José Padilla hailed for first performance since accident
Lost left eye in horrific goring in October, where footage showed him leaving ring screaming 'I can't see'

The Spanish matador who lost his left eye in a horrific goring made a remarkable return to the ring yesterday.
Juan
José Padilla, dubbed The Pirate because of the eye-patch he now wears,
was given one of the highest accolades when his fellow bullfighters
carried him out from the arena following the fight.

Despite
not having two-eyed stereoscopic vision to judge distances and the
speed of approaching objects accurately, he showed little trouble
killing his first bull in front of a crowd of 5,400.

Scroll down to see video of The Pirate's return and the goring...



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He's back: Juan José Padilla, dubbed The Pirate
because of the eye-patch he now wears, was given one of the highest
accolades when his fellow bullfighters carried him out from the arena
following the fight






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Look of a killer: Juan Jose Padilla aims his sword during his return bullfight







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Daring: Despite not having two-eyed stereoscopic
vision to judge distances and the speed of approaching objects
accurately, he showed little trouble killing his first bull in front of a
crowd of 5,400


He then dedicated the second
1,100lb beast to his tearful father, fulfilling what he described as an
'unquenchable desire to face a fighting bull with the aid of only a cape
and a sword'.

He said: 'This is like a dream come true after so many months. I am fully aware that nobody thought I would be back.




'But I am not a hero, just someone who has been given the chance to stay alive and continue his passion.'

The
38-year-old, known professionally as the Cyclone of Jerez, was the star
attraction at the south-western town of Olivenza's annual taurine
festival.



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Honour: Padilla was given one of the highest
accolades when he was carried out of the ring on the shoulders of his
fellow bullfighters









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Preparation: Padilla pictured in the wings of the arena before his return to the ring









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Proud: Matadors Juan José Padilla (right), Jose Maria Manzanares (centre) and Morante de la Puebla (left) before the bullfight



He had previously said he was returning to the ring because of a need 'to win, to triumph, to be a better man'.
Yesterday's
bullfight was the first time Padilla had professionally fought since
October, when he was seen hobbling from a Zaragoza ring covered in blood
screaming 'I can't see'.

He was wounded in October after he slipped on the sand, a bull's horn pierced his jaw and it came out through his eye.
The crowds at the Zaragoza's Fiestas Del Pilar bullfight at the Misericordia ring were left stunned.

He
then underwent a life-saving five-hour operation to repair severe
damage to his eye, bone, muscle and skin - his face reconstructed with
titanium plates and mesh.



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Back in business: Juan José Padilla pictured last week in a press conference before his return








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Now and then: Juan Jose Padilla pictured (left) in November, and before the goring (right) in 2009






It was not the first time Padilla, a
popular matador who has won many fans for his courage and willingness to
face the toughest bulls, had been gored.

In 2001 the Jerez native suffered serious injuries to his neck during a fight in Pamplona.
His
return to the ring came as the intense debate over bullfighting in
Spain continues - with supporters saying it is a key part of its culture
and critics claiming it is animal cruelty.

The
'spectacle' has come under pressure since the 2007 start of the
economic crisis, as public funds to promote fights are cut, and the
region of Catalonia banned it in 2011.

But
Spain's new conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is an avid fan
and recently inspired the national television networks to start showing
fights again.

Coverage had been abandoned in 2006 under the previous Socialist administration.

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Gored: The bull's horn pierced Padilla's jaw and
emerged through his left eye socket after his fight went horribly wrong
in the northeastern city of Zaragoza's Fiestas Del Pilar




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Fateful fall: Mr Padilla slips as he turns around from the ball and falls to the floor, giving the bull the chance to strike






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Pierced: The bull takes its revenge on Mr Padilla by goring him through his jaw as he lies helplessly on the ground




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After: With blood gushing from his face, and his assistants distracting the bull, Mr Padilla is helped from the ring


 
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