Darío Gómez has been crowned the Manomanista champion, defeating Iñaki Artola in a final match at the Navarra Arena in Iruñea, which generated significant anticipation. The contest did not meet expectations in terms of play, with Artola himself admitting he was not as calm as in previous finals. The promoters, Aspe and Baiko Pilota, do not currently foresee a rematch.
Gómez becomes the first player from La Rioja to reach the elite Manomanista title since Barberito in 1954. His victory caps a dominant performance throughout the championship, having previously eliminated top players such as Elordi, Jaka, and Altuna III.
The formula of a Manomanista final rematch as a crowd-pleaser seems to have lost traction in Pelota Pro Liga's programming, which has not replicated the season's most important match since August 2018. At that time, Altuna III and Aimar Olaizola replayed their earlier encounter, with the amezketarra player securing a clear victory.
There have been previous attempts at rematches, such as the one announced in 2019 between Iker Irribarria and Mikel Urrutikoetxea, which was thwarted by injury. In 2021, Laso faced Jokin Altuna, and in 2023, Aitor Elordi's unexpected win against Altuna III opened new possibilities, although the rematch was ultimately not held due to medical precautions.
