Top bullfighter dies in contest after 700kg bull rams him into wall

A young bullfighter has tragically lost his life in his debut contest after being lifted by the horns and slammed against the wall of an arena in Portugal.

Manuel Maria Trindade, 22, was captured on film standing before the bull at Lisbon's Campo Pequeno, before running towards it to incite the 700kg beast into charging. However, when he attempted to seize one of the horns, he was flung into the air and then crushed against a wall as thousands of spectators looked on.

The crowd's screams filled the air as Trindade lay motionless on the ground while other bullfighters managed to restrain the animals.

Emergency paramedics swiftly attended to him and it is believed that he was initially stabilised despite sustaining serious head injuries. He was rushed to Sao Jose Hospital and placed into an induced coma but sadly, his condition worsened and he passed away on August 23.

Trinidade had gained recognition as an emerging 'forcado' - the term for a Portuguese fighter whose task is to provoke the bull into charging.

When the bull becomes enraged, traditionally eight forcados form a line and attempt, one after another, to leap onto the animal with the goal of subduing it, reports the Mirror.

This differs from Spanish bullfighting where the matador kills the animal, as this practice was outlawed in Portugal by a Royal law dating back to 1836. This means that bulls are later slaughtered, although celebrated bulls are put out to stud.

Adding to the heartbreak at Lisbon's Campo Pequeno, a 73 year old man tragically lost his life as he witnessed the horrifying scenes.

Vasco Morais Batista, an elderly orthopaedic surgeon from the Aveiro region, had watched as Trindade was brutally rammed against the wall by the bull.

Despite immediate medical attention and being rushed to Santa Maria Hospital, an aortic aneurysm was detected and sadly, he could not be saved.

The contentious issue of bullfighting continues to spark heated debates in countries where it is deeply ingrained in their traditions, with numerous protests labelling it as animal cruelty. Amidst a barrage of harsh comments following the tragic death of the 22 year old, his mother, Alzira Trindade, fiercely defended her son's love for animals.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, she wrote: "I thank you for all your applause, all the laughs and joys over the death of my son. Did you all know him to be so happy about his death? Did you know if he liked animals?"

"Just in case YES! We've always had dogs and they're part of our family, they slept with him, when he came home they played with him... animals know who the good people are! ! ! My son belonged to a group of brothers who wore the jacket with honour, with bravery. They never hurt a bull, they handled him with art!"