[7] During his childhood and adolescence, he would spend his time at the horse yard, the stables, and the bullpens at Las Ventas helping train bullfighters (by standing in for the bull) such as Agustín Parra "Parrita", Paquito Muñoz, and Manolo Navarro.

[6] A novillero between 1949 and 1952, he donned the suit of lights for the first time in 1949 in a spectacle called "Los charros mejicanos" (or "mexicanos" in some sources;[8] "The Mexican Rustics"), organized by the company that ran Las Ventas.

[6] Antoñete made his début with picadores on 18 February 1951 in Barcelona, alternating with Pablo Lozano and Manolo Sevilla, with bull calves furnished by the Brothers Zambrano ranch.

[6] On 5 June 1952, Antoñete then presented himself at Las Ventas, sharing the billing with Manuel Perea "Boni" and Mariano Martín Aguilar "Carriles", and together fighting calves laid on by the ranch Don Nicasio López Navalón.

[6] Antoñete that day at Las Ventas demonstrated an orthodox and classical style although with temper, courage and much valour, which was why he sustained quite a few serious injuries early on in his bullfighting career.

[6] On 1 July 1953, Antoñete presented himself in Portugal, at Lisbon's Campo Pequeno Bullring, where he alternated with Diamantino Vizeu, Antonio Ordóñez, and Luis Espatanal.

[12] On 8 August 1965, he was borne shoulder-high out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas after reaping both ears from the bull Florido, from the Don Félix Cameno ranch.

Atrevido weighed 486 kg, and the fight was watched by Spain's dictator, General Francisco Franco, who had brought Nicaragua's then president, René Schick Gutiérrez (who would die in office less than three months later) along to the bullring.

[13] Only nine days later, at the same bullring, Antoñete was once again borne shoulder-high out through the Great Gate after cutting one ear from each of two bulls furnished by the Brothers of Felipe Bartolomé ranch.

He managed the same feat again at Las Ventas on 7 July that same year at the Press Association bullfight, after leaving two bulls from the Carlos Núñez ranch earless.

[6] Antoñete's retirement bullfight in 1975, on the other hand, with bulls supplied by the Sánchez Fabrés ranch, was, by many accounts in the news, sad and lacking in triumph.

There followed later engagements in that country in various places, including one in Guanare, alternating with Curro Girón and Juan Diego, with some impressive bulls from the Rocha ranch, and in Caracas, together with José Mari Manzanares and Pepe Cámara.

[11] Antoñete made his comeback in Spain on 12 April 1981 in Marbella, alternating with Rafael de Paula and Francisco Núñez Currillo, and with bulls supplied by the José Luis Osborne ranch (from one of which he cut an ear),[11] and later on 22 May in Madrid, wearing a burgundy and gold suit of lights, and with Madrid bullfight-goers barely remembering who he was after his years away from the Spanish bullrings.

[11] Although Antoñete earned a trip out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas on 3 June 1982 after cutting both ears from the bull Danzarín from the Don Juan Andrés Garzón ranch (alternating that afternoon with José Antonio Campuzano and Jairo Antonio Castro),[6] this triumphal period's (1981–1985) highlight was nonetheless the faena that he performed with the bull named Cantinero ("Bartender") from the Garzón ranch on 7 June 1985 at Las Ventas.

Less happily, he was also on hand at the Colmenar Viejo bullring on 30 August 1985 when one of his fellow bullfighters, José Cubero Sánchez, known as "El Yiyo", was killed by a bull.

With the slightest possible effort he has known how to draw the longest charges from the bulls.On 21 September 1985, Antoñete did exceptionally well at a corrida held at the bullring in Consuegra, appearing after a month's absence due to a goring that he had sustained in late August.

[18] From 1998 onwards, Antoñete participated sporadically at bullfighting events at bullrings in both Spain and Latin America, at which he received recognition and awards despite his poor health, which was due to his tobacco addiction.

[11] In 2000, Antoñete participated in a corrida at Valencia's Monumental bullring in Venezuela for the benefit of those affected by the 1999 tragedy in the state of Vargas (now known as La Guaira).

[1] The chapel of rest was installed on 24 October at 9 o'clock in the morning in the Alcalá Room at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, so that aficionados could pay their last respects.

[1] A bullfighter of great class, Antoñete's style was absolutely classic, indebted to Juan Belmonte's aesthetics (his execution of the half verónica was a tribute to the Pasmo de Triana, whose admirer Antoñete declared himself to be) and Manolete's technique (which he had witnessed as an adolescent, and for whom he had begun smoking once he saw the maestro do it at the puerta de cuadrillas — the bullfighting team gate).