Advice from a wrestler on how to run the bulls

22/07/2009. JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield) was in Pamplona on the 13th and 14th of July and he took part in the running of the bulls. He is currently one of the most famous wrestlers in the world. He strongly recommends experiencing the running of the bulls at least once in everyone's life as it is a mind-blowing experience.

Many different people from many different walks of life have written about the running of the bulls, but we have never met anyone before from the world of wrestling. JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield) is known as the "millionaire cowboy" and he always appears dressed in a suit and in a limousine before all his fights. We could perhaps call him a "Miura" bull as he is 1, 98 meters tall and weighs 132 kilos. He entered the professional wrestling league in 1995 and he has been champion over ten years. In March 2009 he was crowned intercontinental champion and just one week later he was ignominiously dethroned. All par for the course in the wrestling world.

However, what interests us here is his visit to Pamplona and what he publishes in his blog and the sound advice he gives about taking part in the running of the bulls, with some common sense and a practical head.

JBL states that it is easy to reach Pamplona following in the footsteps of Hemingway but then he describes his own personal experience. The original text can be found in his blog at Universe Wrestling. Firstly, he describes how the city gets ready for the running of the bulls in the early hours of the morning. The bars are gradually emptied along the stretch of the run. His advice is written in the form of a strategy. "The first stretch is Santo Domingo, with a rising slope and a dangerous stretch which has seen eight deaths here. The second stretch is better and safer for running in, The City Hall Square. Once you reach the bend leading into Estafeta stretch, don't go on the left side as this could mean a sure death. Here there are pile-ups and the bulls fall against the fencing on the left side."

The comments from JBL on the rest of the course are equally accurate and quite descriptive. "The final stretch leading into the bullring is a one-way run. The stretch of Estafeta Street is about 300 meters long and there is nowhere to hide. If you choose this stretch, the best thing you can do is run as hard as you can. After Estafeta you enter the stretch leading down into the ring and this is the most dangerous part of all as you run down into the tunnel leading into the arena of the bullring. On this stretch a young male runner died last Friday and today another was seriously gored and tossed. There is always an ambulance parked here. The bulls and the runners all crowd into this narrow stretch to reach the bullring."

After giving this advice JBL states that on the 13th of July he entered the arena here and that there was a pile-up in the tunnel. A bull stepped on a fallen runner and he did not know how the runner would come out of it. But later he learns that the runner was fine. In addition, he states a great truth when he reveals that the most dangerous thing that can happen is when a bull gets separated from the pack and is running alone. But in any case, the running of the bulls deserves to be seen at least once in everyone's life.

JBL did not like the afternoon bullfight and he was surprised to find that the bars remained open all night. The hotel prices did not please him either and he mentions the high number of drunks to be seen sleeping in the streets.