Ponce: The Farewell of a Legend

Enrique Ponce bids farewell to Valencia

After an emotionally charged season, Ponce says farewell. And he does so in his home ring, in his homeland, where it all began nearly forty years ago. For four decades, the maestro has stood atop his profession. On the 9th of October, alongside his own, he will deliver his final masterclass—and it promises to be historic. Don’t miss it.

Having witnessed his career, even indirectly, over more than three decades, and having seen his triumphs firsthand, it may be easy to overlook the significance of the event scheduled for this upcoming 9th of October in Valencia: the farewell of a legend.

In time, the years will undoubtedly highlight the true value of Ponce’s accomplishments during his more than thirty years of reign, almost four decades of a long and brilliant career. He has faced off against leading figures from several generations, many of whom he saw retire—some even return—while he remained at the top. We speak of names such as Espartaco, Rincón, Joselito, Jesulín, José Tomás, and El Juli.

Now, his time has come. After voluntarily stepping away from the profession in 2021, the first such instance in his entire career, he returned in 2023 for a farewell tour. Naturally, his final bow in Europe will take place in the very same ring where it all began, on the 16th of March, 1990.

In those early years, his deep and sincere bond with the Valencia ring was forged, transcending local allegiances. Especially significant was the day in 1990 when he had to fight six bulls during the Feria de Julio, after his fellow matadors, José María Manzanares Sr. and Roberto Dominguez, were unable to perform. Two years later, during the 1992 Fallas Festival, he executed an exceptional performance with a Peralta bull, a masterful display that nearly earned him the tail. And in October 1994, he took on six Victorino bulls single-handedly, by which time this ring had become like his second home.

On this momentous day, the maestro from Chiva will once again step into the Plaza de Toros de la Calle de Xàtiva (as he did so many times with other local heroes such as El Soro and Vicente Barrera) to grant the alternativa to Nek Romero, the most promising young talent in the current novillero ranks. It symbolises the passing of the torch in a profession steeped in hierarchy and respect. Sharing the bill will be Talavante, a figure closely associated with this ring in recent times.

The bulls, from the Juan Pedro Domecq and Garcigrande herds, are a guarantee for this occasion, which serves as the centrepiece of the region’s mini-festival. The programme also includes a promotional event on Saturday, 5th October, and a novillada on Sunday, 6th October, featuring Diego Bastos and Alejandro Chicharro—two of the most prominent novilleros of the moment—facing bulls from Rocío de la Cámara.