MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a youth heart’s car parking zone in Mexico Metropolis’s Tacuba neighborhood, Baha Males’s iconic music “Who Let the Canines Out” blares via a pair of huge audio system. Because the infectious melody reaches a crowd of over 100 folks all of them start to chant, “Wisin, Wisin, Wisin!”

Shortly, a large, fluffy creature descends three flights of stairs, firing up followers as he prances across the perimeter of a wrestling ring. Youngsters run to offer him a good embrace, whereas dad and mom provide him excessive fives. A lady holds up an indication that claims, “Wisin I like you!” adorned with paw prints.

With floppy ears and a tail on his costume coming unstitched after all of the wrestling, Wisin the “pet luchador” has captured the creativeness of followers throughout Mexico.

Because the early summer time, movies of a wrestler dressed as a pet brawling in “lucha libre” matches has been making the rounds on Mexican social media. Although the favored Mexican type of wrestling has been round for many years, Wisin got here onto the preventing scene only some months in the past.

Lucha libre has suffered lately, particularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic, when virtually all matches had been cancelled, and an unusually excessive variety of wrestlers died of COVID-19. Wrestling, the second most-followed sport within the nation, additionally fell sufferer to drug cartel violence in 2022.

Wisin was initially created by the Institute of Youth in Mexico Metropolis to encourage kids to train. Nonetheless, his character rapidly advanced right into a viral meme throughout Instagram, TikTok, and X.

One of many first movies of Wisin to emerge confirmed him wrestling on the similar youth heart in early Could, hovering onto the ring, clocking 1 million views on X.

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

Mexico has a historical past of taking on a regular basis characters and turning them into offbeat however wildly common memes that usually translate into the bodily world. In 2022, Mexican music followers transformed the mascot of a nationwide pharmacy, Dr. Simi, into plush toys to throw at their favourite artists.

Equally, Wisin’s reputation has skyrocketed in actual life. His fights draw followers of all ages — Mexican kids and adults alike. Provided that lucha libre bouts are largely dominated by older male followers, he’ has created an area for teenagers to benefit from the spectacle.

At Wisin’s newest combat, Juan Carlos Naviera Torres, 35, waited on the sidelines along with his 6-year-old son, Jose Isaac. Torres had a smile throughout his face whereas his son clutched a small pet bag he introduced in assist of Wisin. “I’ve loved lucha libre since I used to be younger, now my son can get pleasure from it, too,” he stated.

“I believe he (Wisin) is an inspiration,” stated Mitchelle Magdaleno, who introduced her toddler to the match. “I haven’t seen him combat but, however I do know he’s good.”

Joined by his fellow luchadores “Andy Panda” and “Gravity,” Wisin was able to combat in opposition to one other trio of opponents.

Because the rain poured and the group dispersed, Wisin didn’t again off. He climbed onto the facet of the ring, flying into the air to pummel his rival to the bottom. “One, two, three!” screamed the referee as Wisin pinned his foe. He made a celebratory run across the ring — the “pet luchador” was victorious once more.