José Gallego Mateo (19 March 1883 – 7 September 1910),[1][2] known as Pepete III, was a Spanish matador.

The Seville-born matador José Gallego Mateo appeared on carteles taurinos [es], or promotional posters, as José Claro "Pepete," likely because his patronym Gallego seemed ill-suited for a bullfighter.

After taking the alternativa in 1905,[3] the right-hander appeared as a bullfighter in Spain and especially in Mexico.

[4] According to his contemporaries, he was brave and had a good technique, but he was seriously injured frequently—seven times throughout his five-year career as a matador.

Pepete rushed to help the picador, but the bull sank his horn into the matador's right thigh, rupturing his femoral artery.