Cordobés, El

Cordobés, El

 orig. Manuel Benítez Pérez

El Cordobés

(credit: Michael Kuh/Black Star)

(born May 4, 1936?, Palma del Río, Córdoba, Spain) Spanish bullfighter. He grew up an illiterate orphan in Córdoba (his nickname means “the Córdovan”) and was once imprisoned for unauthorized entry into bullrings. He began his career in 1959 and became a full matador in 1963. In the month of August 1965 alone, he killed a record 64 bulls and is believed to have been paid 35 million pesetas. The crudity of his technique was offset by his exceptional reflexes and courage; handsome, dashing, and flamboyant, he became the most highly paid torero in history.