Meet Wisin, Mexico’s Latest Viral Meme and the “Luchador Puppy”
MEXICO — In the parking lot of a youth center in Mexico City’s Tacuba neighborhood, Baha Men’s signature song, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” blares from two large speakers. As the infectious tune reaches a crowd of more than 100 people, they all start chanting, “Wisin, Wisin, Wisin!”
Soon, a giant, fluffy creature descends three flights of stairs, igniting the crowd as it struts around a wrestling ring. Children run to hug it, while parents give it high fives. A woman holds up a sign that reads “Wisin, I love you!” adorned with paw prints.
With his floppy ears and tail that comes off after every fight, Wisin, the “luchador puppy,” has captured the imagination of fans across Mexico.
Since early summer, videos of a wrestler dressed as a puppy fighting in “lucha libre” bouts have been circulating on Mexican social media. Although this popular form of Mexican wrestling has been around for decades, Wisin has only appeared on the fighting scene in the last few months.
Freestyle wrestling has suffered in recent years, especially during the coronavirus pandemicas nearly all matches have been canceled and an unusually high number of wrestlers have died from COVID-19. Wrestling, the country’s second-most-watched sport, has also victim of drug cartel violence in 2022.
Wisin was originally created by the Mexico City Youth Institute to motivate children to exercise. However, his character quickly became a viral meme on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
One of the first videos of Wisin to emerge showed him wrestling at the same youth center in early May, rising in the ring, racking up 1 million views on X.
Another edited fan video with over 500,000 likes features a tongue-in-cheek caption that reads, “My psychologist: There is no such thing as a luchador puppy.” The video then shows evidence of Wisin waving to fans and performing a backflip on an opponent.
Mexico has a history of taking everyday characters and turning them into quirky but wildly popular memes, often translated into the physical world. In 2022, Mexican music fans turned a national pharmacy mascot, Dr. Simi, into a stuffed animal to throw at their favorite artists.
Likewise, Wisin’s popularity has skyrocketed in real life. His fights attract fans of all ages, from Mexican children to adults. Since lucha libre fights are mostly dominated by older male fans, he has created a space for children to enjoy the spectacle.
During Wisin’s final fight, Juan Carlos Naviera Torres, 35, waited on the sidelines with his 6-year-old son, Jose Isaac. Torres had a smile on his face as his son clutched a small bag of puppies he had brought to support Wisin. “I’ve loved 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 fight. “I haven’t seen him fight yet, but I know he’s good.”
Joined by fellow luchadores “Andy Panda” and “Gravity,” Wisin was ready to fight another trio of opponents.
As the rain fell and the crowd dispersed, Wisin didn’t back down. He stepped to the edge of the ring, soaring through the air to send his rival to the ground. “One, two, three!” the referee shouted as Wisin pinned his opponent. He made a celebratory run around the ring – the “little luchador” was victorious again.
