Paquirri

Francisco Rivera Pérez (; 5 March 1948 – 26 September 1984), better known as Paquirri , was a Spanish bullfighter. He died after being gored by a bull named Avispado at the Pozoblanco bullring. During his career, he was six times borne shoulder-high out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas.

Early life Rivera was born to Agustina Pérez Núñez (Tarifa, 1922–1977) and the novillero (novice bullfighter who fights yearlings) Antonio Rivera Alvarado (born in Barbate, 17 February 1920; died in Cádiz, 10 November 2009), who was in charge of Barbate's municipal slaughterhouse, where Rivera and his brother José Rivera "Riverita", who also became a bullfighter, began their bullfighting. He grew up in Barbate within bullfighting milieux.

On 28 June 1964, he made his début in a novillada with horses at the Cádiz bullring. He alternated with José González Copano and Rafael Jiménez Márquez, facing an encierro (set of bulls for a corrida, usually six) of beasts from the Marqués de Villamarta's herd.

Matador

Rivera took his alternativa as matador de toros at the Plaza Monumental in Barcelona on 17 July 1966. Standing as "godfather" for this occasion was Antonio Bienvenida, while Andrés Vázquez bore witness. Bulls were supplied by the Juan Pedro Domecq ranch. The alternativa was not fulfilled, however, as the newly minted bullfighter was seriously gored in the right thigh during the bullfight.

For the corrida at Pozoblanco, Córdoba, according to what Rivera's widow Isabel Pantoja has said, the bullfighter several times changed the date, the bull ranch and the bulls that he would have to fight at the Pozoblanco bullring. It was thus fate that led to what happened there on 26 September 1984, when, sharing billing with José Cubero Sánchez ("el Yiyo") and Vicente Ruiz Soro ("El Soro"), the afternoon's fourth bull, named Avispado (whose name meant "sly" or "clever"), weighing 420 kg, from the Sayalero y Bandrés ranch, badly gored him, the goring from the thin-horned bull

Even though, according to the doctor who treated Rivera, the goring was not in itself deadly, the bullfighter's death owed itself to a fatal set of circumstances: the sanitary services on which the bullring relied were very limited; he was transferred in a conventional ambulance; and the roadway that joined both localities was in poor condition. The prominence that his death had in the press contributed to changing legislation governing bullfighting spectacles, requiring that bullrings of all categories have mobile intensive care units, and that those of the first and second categories have properly equipped operating theatres.

The consequent judicial proceedings brought to light that Rivera had died of intense hypovolemic shock through massive and rapid haemorrhage.

Unveiled in September 1991 was a monumental bronze sculpture in Rivera's memory outside the El Puerto de Santa María bullring. It depicts a scene with Rivera and a bull, with the bullfighter performing a porta gayola move. The sculpture has, according to the source, "a notable realism and dynamism in its composition". It was created by Venezuelan sculptor Manuel de la Fuente.

Personal life Rivera's first marriage was to Carmen Ordóñez, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez Araujo's daughter, on 16 February 1973 at the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great in Madrid. Two sons were born of this union, Rivera and Carmen legally separated on 16 February 1979.

After the separation, Rivera had a relationship with Bárbara Rey, and then later with the singer Lolita Flores.

On 30 April 1983, Rivera wed for the second time, with the singer Isabel Pantoja as the bride. The matrimonial ceremony was performed at the Basílica de Jesús del Gran Poder in Seville and was an event dubbed the wedding of the year, reportedly costing ₧ 1,500,000.