Aarón Palacio Triumphs in Seville with Two Ears in an Afternoon of Grit and Truth

The Maestranza once again opened its gates to the promising future of bullfighting, featuring a trio of hungry, up-and-coming talents. Leading the charge was Aarón Palacio, a novillero from Zaragoza, who came to Seville determined to make his mark—and he did just that with a heartfelt and commanding display.

The afternoon began with Manuel Román facing a novillo that never truly committed. There was little to admire with the cape, the bull did what was required in the horse, but offered little cooperation in the muleta. Román began his work with some composure, but the bull soon lost steam, forcing him to cut short the performance. He struggled with the sword and left to silence.
With the fourth—an extra bull brought in as a replacement—the Cordoban found better rhythm. Despite the wind, he managed to connect with the crowd through a few well-constructed left-handed series, prompting the band to play. He finished with a clean estocada and, although the crowd called for an ear, it was not granted. Nonetheless, he was awarded a well-deserved lap of honour for a more rounded performance.

Aarón Palacio delivered the performance of the afternoon. He was unable to showcase much with the cape in his first, but began the faena with confidence and authority. The performance built gradually, with fluid and well-linked series on both sides, especially on the right, where the bull was more responsive. He finished with a solid estocada and earned the first ear of the day.
In the fifth, the Aragonese novillero came out all guns blazing. He greeted the bull with two largas cambiadas and impressed with a quite of tafalleras. Though the bull showed signs of retreating, Palacio skilfully repositioned it, adapted his approach, and managed to extract some meritorious passes—particularly toward the end of the faena, where he bravely engaged the bull at close range. After slightly prolonging the effort, he killed with a pinchazo followed by a good estocada. Another ear and a rousing ovation crowned him as the clear victor of the afternoon.

Mariscal Ruiz showed character and determination by receiving his first bull at portagayola—a risky move straight from the centre of the ring. Unfortunately, the bull lacked strength and dragged its feet throughout, making any artistic success impossible. Despite his best efforts, the Sevillian couldn’t find any real connection.
He repeated the portagayola with his second bull, but once again his faena was hindered by untidy passes and a lack of harmony. Although he demonstrated plenty of willpower, he was unable to turn things around. A clean estocada was followed by silence on both occasions.