He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered to be one of the greatest bullfighters of all time, described as such in a 1945 Mexican documentary film. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he excelled at the suerte de matar — the kill. Manolete's contribution to bullfighting included being able to stand very still while the bull passed close to his body and, rather than giving the passes separately, he was able to remain in one spot and link four or five consecutive passes together into a compact series.
