José Antonio Canales Rivera, first statements after his father's death: "We are not well"

The death of José Antonio Canales leaves his wife, Teresa Rivera, and his son, José Antonio Canales Rivera, broken. A new misfortune for Paquirri's sister and for the bullfighter who lost José Rivera, known to all as Riverita, five months ago, in January 2021. The young man, visibly affected and sad, now only wants the family to be united and strong to face this new blow. Only then, he says, the duel will be a little less hard.

Reporters have been able to speak with him at the Cádiz funeral home and, above all, they have asked him about his mother, Teresa. "Well, imagine, none of us are well, but these things are like that and fortunately everything has been very fast and that's it, at least he is resting," she replied. Canales Rivera makes it clear that now they are all together and support each other. "That's always been the case. And now in these moments more, what are we going to do!"

The death of José Antonio Canales comes as the entire Rivera family is embroiled in controversy. One of them is Riverita's inheritance. The other, the family problems of Isabel Pantoja, Paquirri's widow, with her children, especially with Kiko Rivera. Riverita, Paquirri's brother, did not leave a widow or second wives. His heritage does not seem, in principle, to be large but even so it is raising controversy. The press says that the most relevant are their properties: land and houses in Benalup, Vejer de la Frontera and Barbate. The burning point of his will is his universal heir, Canales Rivera.

This, they say, could be affecting their cousins, Francisco and Cayetano Rivera. The bullfighters in principle do not receive anything, despite the closeness and affection they felt for their uncle. There was a rapprochement with Kiko Rivera months before he died and it is said that Riverita gave Pantoja's son a cloak that belonged to Paquirri.

And then there's Jacobo Moreno Muñoz, 33, who claims to be the unrecognized son of 'Riverita'. The young man spoke with Diez Minutos magazine and revealed that he went to see his father in Barbate and he apologized for not having been with him more. The resemblance between Jacobo and Riverita is undeniable. "I am willing to take a paternity test and I want it, although I have no doubt that I am his son," he said. With his words a different scenario opens because a way could now be opened to claim paternity posthumously Jacobo, who knows both Teresa Rivera, his aunt, and Canales, does not rule out fighting for what corresponds to him of the inheritance. Although he would not be the only one, as the bullfighter has recognized. Since the death of Francisco Rivera, Paquirri, 'his Families' have gone through different stages, some more cordial than others, and on several occasions tense due to inheritance.