El Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana, owned by Mr. Manuel Bowser, opens its doors once again to bullfighting fans to experience the next great event of the year: it is the 2nd bullfight of the season, which will take place on Sunday, July 2 at 4 PM.

After the success of the inaugural bullfight which took place in May, bullfighting fans are awaiting the 2nd bullfight of the season which will have the participation of 3 Mexican matadors: Uriel Moreno “El Zapata”, Manolo Juarez “El Poeta”, the young Peruvian novillero Royer Álvaro, and current phenomenon, Sebastián Ibelles.

In a recent interview with San Diego Red, the young 22-year-old matador Sebastián Ibelles shared that he felt excited about coming back to Tijuana after having been here as a spectator of a bullfight with his uncle, matador César Ibelles, who is currently retired. This is why he is so excited about coming back but as a matador, continuing the family tradition.

Ibelles started his bullfighter career at a very young age, when he was just 8 years old, as his family lived through and experienced bullfighting culture. His great-grandfather, his grandfather, and his uncle were all immersed in this area. As such, both for him and his family, bullfighting represents everything.

I always experienced it since I was very young. I wasn’t like a kid who said he wanted to be a policeman or a firefighter, I always said that I wanted to be a bullfighter.

His family’s great influence was a great reason why he discovered his vocation, however, the inspiration he got to completely dedicate his life to bulls came from his grandfather, who always wanted to be a bullfighter and is now able to experience this through Sebastian.

Despite the difficulties there are as any other career or sport, Sebastian encourages parents with kids who are curious or want to experience bullfighting culture to let them explore and attend bullfights. They also need to be informed correctly so they can have an opinion based on their own experience.

Fortunately, he was able to discover and experience bullfighting thanks to his childhood through his family. However, most children didn’t grow up this way and are forbidden from seeing bullfights, which takes their opportunity away from experiencing this culture.

Before becoming a matador, Sebastian has had long and constant training in his 14 years of career. He handled young bulls for 7 years, which was less risky when he began bullfighting. He then became a novillero for 2 years without picadors, then with picadors, which was a challenge for Ibelles. He had 43 bullfights with young bulls, which prepared him physically and mentally for his official debut as a bullfighter on December 19, 2021, becoming his family’s second torero.

Despite his knowledge and progress, work always continues, and he needed to prepare physically every day to continue working in a career that has the same training as a high-performing athlete. According to Sebastian, he trains for 5 hours from Monday to Friday. However, this is only part of the background that society doesn’t know about the dedication and sacrifice that bullfighting requires, as the matador goes out there to risk his life against the bull.

Since his childhood, his uncle César, the family’s retired bullfighter, has been a fundamental pillar to help him achieve his dream as he guided him with his advice and teachings to never give up and that effort will allow him to reach his dreams, which has allowed the young matador to develop an optimistic, persistent, and realistic attitude:

Now that we are on a greater stage, the doors are not open in some plazas, and you know, you have to work hard, but thank God, paths are opening up.

Fortunately, he always had the unconditional support of his family so that he could work as a bullfighter. Since he was a young boy, he was guided to continue his education in order to enrich his knowledge, which undoubtedly will help him to develop intellectually and professionally. It will also be a backup in case he ever decides to retire to apply his knowledge in any other area.

This also demystifies the belief that bullfighting is antiquated and backwards, and that, just like him, many children and minors should have the opportunity to discover this art in addition to their education. Prohibiting children admission to bullfights takes away this right, creating a negative impact in their development as it decreases their cultural and artistic background and limits their potential regarding their interests and vocation.

Something that defines this young matador is his “Mexican stamp” as he calls it, as most bullfighters learn it in Spain, which is more technical. This is why Ibelles, as he grew up in a Mexican family with bullfighting roots, learned Mexican bullfighting: “Do it how you feel it and how it comes from your heart.”

Ibelles revealed that before the fight, it is important to do a ritual: such as dress up in the same way and wearing a baptism medal, which represents faith; he claims it has given him a lot of luck.

For Sebastian, honesty is the main value that defines bullfighting culture, which expresses itself in that moment: what you are experiencing with the bull is not cheating or tricks, what the people see during the fight is what is really going on in the plaza. It is just like respect, “a virtue that we always have as bullfighters against attack and aggressions”, by not responding to negative comments caused by misinformation and biases about bullfighting culture, which is why he’s decided to continue and focus completely on bulls.

Sebastián Ibelles invited bullfighting fans and non-fans of Tijuana and California to attend the next bullfight and experience this great match, especially those who haven’t experienced it so they can witness it and create their own opinions.

I would like to tell people who don’t know anything about bullfighting culture to come and see it so they can create their own opinion, negative or positive. It is a very pretty atmosphere and it is different from any other show.

Tickets sales can be found at El Foro, Real Inn, and Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana booths, as well as on the following website: Boletomex.com, whose lowest prices are $500 pesos or $28 dollars.

El Nuevo Toreo de Tijuana is waiting for you! Don’t miss the second bullfight of the season on July 2, which will be full of emotion, Mexican talent, and the appearance of Peruvian novillero Royer Álvaro. In addition, there will be a delicious open-air dance which will begin at 12 PM so you can enjoy this fight with the best gastronomy, classic drinks, and live bullfighting music.