Bullfighting and Life Lessons in Málaga

This Saturday, Málaga will witness the bullfighting debut of a local torero. The Sevillian Pepe Moral will hand over the tools of the trade to Pablo Páez from Ronda, in the presence of José Fernando Molina and against bulls from Murteira Grave. In the lead-up to this event, the godfather and the novice bullfighter shared a discussion with students from bullfighting schools in the province on Monday, and they conducted a class on salon bullfighting for young enthusiasts of the national festival.

The meeting, organized by the company Lances de Futuro, saw both Moral and Páez teach technical aspects of bullfighting and open their hearts by sharing their personal and professional experiences during their journey in the world of bullfighting, which has not been easy. With this, they aimed to convey values associated with bullfighting and life such as sacrifice, the spirit of improvement, commitment, and respect.

Pepe Moral, making his debut at La Malagueta, explained that this Saturday will be the first time he grants an alternative since he became a bullfighter in 2009 and, just as his godfather and witness of the alternative (Uceda Leal and Salvador Cortés, respectively) did for him, he will be available for whatever Pablo Páez needs.

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During the talk, Moral discussed the personal and professional hardships he faced over the past years and how he regained his passion after returning to the bullfighting school in Seville. A process of 'resurrection' that led him to triumph with the Miura bullfight at the April Fair this year.

"In my career, there have been afternoons that have marked me, but the most important was this year in Seville. That Miura bullfight was a turning point in my career and it's a date I will never forget. Seville has given me light to continue the path I want," highlighted the Sevillian bullfighter, who this year has begun to reap some of the rewards in the form of contracts, although he hopes there can be more in the 2026 season.

Pablo Páez's debut is the first alternative that Pepe Moral will grant in his career as a bullfighter

In addition to explaining technical issues, Pepe Moral told the students from the bullfighting schools that when they are in front of the young bulls "do whatever comes to mind, don't be afraid or embarrassed."

With the "utmost enthusiasm"

For his part, Pablo Páez stated that he faces his debut with "the utmost enthusiasm and I am going to give 100%" and added that when he was told he would be on the posters in Málaga he could not believe it. "It's a day I will never forget. I was so happy when they told me I was going to take the alternative that I even danced," he recounted.

Páez is hopeful of achieving a triumph in Málaga that will allow him to carve out a future in the challenging world of bullfighters and revealed that in 2019 in Acho (Peru) he was close to giving up bullfighting. "If nothing happened that afternoon I was going to quit. I triumphed and more opportunities started to come. That day when I cut the ear, I started to cry," he said.

Now on the street, in the Antonio Ordóñez square, next to La Malagueta, in front of the gaze of passersby and tourists, Pepe Moral and Pablo Páez explained their bullfighting concepts with the cape and muleta to about thirty students of both sexes and various ages.