Photos: Courtesy by La México, La Monumental Plaza de Toros México, Getty Images, EFE, Unsplash & Flickr

Wednesday 5 February at 4:30 pm sharp, the afternoon of bullfighting begins at Monumental Plaza de Toros México now called La México to celebrate its 79th anniversary, as well as being the protagonist of the farewell in the bullfighting world of the Spaniard Enrique Ponce who shares the bill with the Mexicans Diego Silveti and Alejandro Adame, who confirms his alternative in bullfighting.

The Valencian bullfighter will be heard for the last time in front of more than 45 thousand people pronouncing a resounding “olé” while the paso doble “Cielo Andaluz” is heard to begin the 50th paseíllo of the master Ponce in the bullring of the Plaza México. Origins of the bullring, sculptures and other anti-bullfighting events

Neguib Simón Jalife, a Yucatecan businessman of Lebanese origin inaugurated the bullring on Tuesday, February 5, 1946, which was completed in only nine months. The project was to build in La Ciudad de los Deportes, a football, baseball and fronton stadium; a boxing and wrestling arena; an Olympic swimming pool, artificial beaches, cinemas and restaurants.

Unfortunately, the businessman lost all his fortune in the construction of the football field and the bullring, so at the end of the same year he had to sell them to Moisés Cosío and his work was left unfinished.

The first bullfight with bulls from the San Mateo ranch was attended by the main figure of bullfighting, Manuel Rodríguez “Manolete,” who alternated with Luis Procuna “El Berrendito de San Juan” and Luis Castro “El Soldado.”

The sculptures around the square were made in bronze and concrete by the Valencian sculptor Alfredo Just Gimeno. The main work is a fourteen-metre long figure known as “El Encierro” -The Running of the Bulls, - which is located in the frontispiece of the main entrance.

At the top of the white friezes, “Manolete,” “El Boni,” Silverio Pérez, Carlos Arruza or Luis Procuna are sculpted performing verónicas or natural passes and other bullfighting suertes that bear their name, such as the gaonera of the matador Rodolfo Gaona or the chicuelina of Manuel Jiménez “Chicuelo.”

The arena has also been the setting for a wide variety of sporting events such as the Red Bull X-Fighters freestyle motocross world championship or some tennis matches between Roger Federer and Alex Zverev; Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud; Nick Kyrgios and Cameron Norrie; Andrei Rublev and Daniil Medvedev or the last one between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul.

Without leaving aside the musical concerts, including Vicente Fernández’s “Un mexicano en La México,” Luis Miguel gave three consecutive performances as part of the ‘“Palabra de Honor,” tour, José José filled the Plaza de Toros México and sang for more than 100,000 people, and Joan Manuel Serrat, Miguel Ríos, Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel also performed “el Gusto es Nuestro” at this venue.

This and more are what the Monumental Plaza de Toros México has to offer!

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