Mexican bullfighter Antonio García, better known as “El Chihuahua”, as that is his home city, warmly invited people in the LA, San Diego, and Tijuana region to the celebration of his 15-year career at a mixed bullfighting show in the city of Tijuana which will take place next Sunday, May 7 at Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana where he promises to give a show worthy of this plaza.

An incident that significantly marked this bullfighter’s career was when he “met death” when he was 19 years old after he was gored by a bull during a fight which left him seriously wounded in the hospital. Due to this, he became aware of the danger of his job “which made me feel ashamed and sad because of the sadness I was causing my family because I was dying." However, this event boosted and motivated him to improve his discipline, appreciate duels, and honor the bull in each fight.

He did not miss his chance to express his love for the city of Tijuana as well as his gratitude and joy at being able to come back to this city which was a watermark in the bullfighting culture of Mexico. When bullfighting began, Hollywood artists came to Tijuana only to watch shows like these, he said in a recent interview with San Diego Red.

The bullfighter said that he was a football player for a while in California which is why he always knew that he enjoyed physical fitness, something that he has continued throughout his life. When he was young, he was influenced by art as there are several artists in his family, such as singers and painters. For example, his uncle is painter Arturo Samaniego, and his father is a veterinarian. His roots allowed him to grow and feed the two foundations that rule his life: art, the reason why he likes to paint on his spare time, and love for animals that eventually led him to his career.

In addition, he spoke about the stigma of this cultural practice and that there is a lack of knowledge about what really happens before, during, and after the fight between the bull and the bullfighter. Due to the diversity of multicultural opinions, a lot of people lack knowledge, which creates disinformation and the background of this activity is ignored.

When someone knows the reality of bullfighting and breaks that barrier that makes them see only the death of the bull, the landscape of what bullfighting completely changes (...) We bullfighters need to show more of that.

Despite this cultural shock, disinformation, and the danger of this vocation as he almost lost his life in one of his duels, he has continued experiencing bullfighting culture and said that the thing he enjoys the most is being able to perceive the nobility and fierceness of the bull. He describes it as an act of risking your life and being able to honor the bull through an offering. ”This magic only exists in bullfighting”, and being able to feel the love from the audience when he carries it out is what fills him with passion and warms his soul.

He revealed that he is a little bit superstitious and that on the day of the bullfight he does a ritual where he does everything starting from the right side from waking up in bed, standing up, putting on his clothes, and taking the first step on the plaza. He also confessed that he is a devout believer of the Virgin of Guadalupe and San Francisco de Asis, which is why he brings their altar at each of the plazas.

Bullfighting culture for him can be represented in 3 words: truth, as there are no tricks or ruses of what goes on in the plaza, as everything that is seen in the fight is real, love, and magic, which is what happens in every bullfight he experiences.

To live for the bull (...) since the moment I wake up I think about bulls, how I am going to do the fighting, how I am going to train to make it better.

His way of honoring the bull during the fight is to give it time so that it feels comfortable, perfect his movements, do it face to face, and conclude at the front as a sign of respect and honor for the bull.

To do this job, he shared that he needs constant physical training and discipline such as running 7 kilometers, simulating bullfighting, eating a balanced diet, training bullfighting movements, and more activities that are part of his background which are not shared or shown to the public regarding this activity which is a part of different cultures.

“El Chihuahua” thanked the invitation by Mr. Manuel Bowser, owner of Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana, as he will be able to celebrate with this show his first 15 years in the bullfighting life, enjoying the love and euphoria from the public which is what is most important to him. In addition, he mentioned the importance that people from both sides of the border visit on May 7 the celebration of this bullfight so that Tijuana continues to be an important reference for this cultural tradition.

This seasonal mixed bullfight will also have the participation of young bullfighters such as Alejandro Lima “El Mojito”, Jóse Cabrera from Spain, and young Tijuana native Emilio Beltrán, who will appear at this event which will begin at 4 PM.

Tickets will have a cost starting at $350 pesos ($20 dollars) for the general entry, $800 pesos ($4 dollars) for preferential seats, and $1,200 pesos ($67 dollars) at the barriers, which can be bought at the Real Inn ticket booth, El Foro, Viajes Kinessia, Boletomex, and Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana facilities.

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