Wisin the “puppy luchador”, is embraced by a child as he greets fans at a lucha libre event at the Institute of Youth, in Mexico City on Thursday, July 25. Wisin was originally created by the institute to motivate children to exercise, however his character has evolved into a viral meme across Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Fernando Llano/Associated Press file

MEXICO CITY — In a youth center’s parking lot in Mexico City’s Tacuba neighborhood, Baha Men’s iconic song “Who Let the Dogs Out” blares through a pair of large speakers. As the infectious melody reaches a crowd of over 100 people they all begin to chant, “Wisin, Wisin, Wisin!”

Quickly, a giant, fluffy creature descends three flights of stairs, firing up fans as he prances around the perimeter of a wrestling ring. Kids run to give him a tight embrace, while parents offer him high fives. A woman holds up a sign that says, “Wisin I love you!” adorned with paw prints.

With floppy ears and a tail on his costume coming unstitched after all the wrestling, Wisin the “puppy luchador” has captured the imagination of fans across Mexico.

Since the early summer, videos of a wrestler dressed as a puppy brawling in “lucha libre” matches have been making the rounds on Mexican social media. Though the popular Mexican form of wrestling has been around for decades, Wisin came onto the fighting scene only a few months ago.

Lucha libre has suffered in recent years, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, when almost all matches were canceled, and an unusually high number of wrestlers died of COVID-19. Wrestling, the second most-followed sport in the country, also fell victim to drug cartel violence in 2022.

Wisin was originally created by the Institute of Youth in Mexico City to motivate children to exercise. However, his character quickly evolved into a viral meme across Instagram, TikTok, and X.

One of the first videos of Wisin to emerge showed him wrestling at the same youth center in early May, soaring onto the ring, clocking 1 million views on X.

Another fan video edit with over 500,000 likes has a tongue-in-cheek caption that reads, “My psychologist: A puppy luchador doesn’t exist.” The video then proceeds to show proof of Wisin waving at fans and backflipping into an opponent.

Mexico has a history of taking everyday characters and turning them into offbeat but wildly popular memes that often translate into the physical world. In 2022, Mexican music fans converted the mascot of a nationwide pharmacy, Dr. Simi, into plush toys to throw at their favorite artists.

Similarly, Wisin’s popularity has skyrocketed in real life. His fights draw fans of all ages – Mexican children and adults alike. Given that lucha libre bouts are mostly dominated by older male fans, he’ has created a space for kids to enjoy the spectacle.

At Wisin’s latest fight, Juan Carlos Naviera Torres, 35, waited on the sidelines with his 6-year-old son, Jose Isaac. Torres had a smile across his face while his son clutched a small puppy bag he brought in support of Wisin. “I’ve enjoyed lucha libre since I was young, now my son can enjoy it, too,” he said.

“I think he (Wisin) is an inspiration,” said Mitchelle Magdaleno, who brought her toddler to the match. “I haven’t seen him fight yet, but I know he’s good.”

Joined by his fellow luchadores “Andy Panda” and “Gravity,” Wisin was ready to fight against another trio of opponents.

As the rain poured and the crowd dispersed, Wisin didn’t back off. He climbed onto the side of the ring, flying into the air to pummel his rival to the ground. “One, two, three!” screamed the referee as Wisin pinned his foe. He made a celebratory run around the ring – the “puppy luchador” was victorious again.