Lucha Libre Wrestlers Enforce Masks at Busy Mexico Market
Mexico City’s Central de Abastos market has enlisted professional wrestlers to promote mask-wearing among its bustling crowds. As Mexico's COVID-19 death toll continues to rise, both market stall owners and customers are encouraged to wear masks and use hand sanitizer in the busy marketplace, which attracts about half a million visitors daily.
This week, Mexico’s iconic lucha libre wrestlers transformed Latin America’s largest wholesale food market into a new battleground against COVID-19, marching through the aisles to remind people of the importance of mask compliance.
A year into the pandemic, arenas that once drew thousands of fans for high-energy lucha libre matches remain closed. So now, the masked wrestlers are taking on a different fight.
“Put on a mask!” a group of wrestlers in full lucha libre attire called out to shoppers and vendors alike in the Central de Abastos. “Be responsible!”
This week, Mexico’s iconic lucha libre wrestlers transformed Latin America’s largest wholesale food market into a new battleground against COVID-19, marching through the aisles to remind people of the importance of mask compliance.
A year into the pandemic, arenas that once drew thousands of fans for high-energy lucha libre matches remain closed. So now, the masked wrestlers are taking on a different fight.
“Put on a mask!” a group of wrestlers in full lucha libre attire called out to shoppers and vendors alike in the Central de Abastos. “Be responsible!”
Anyone who resisted was promptly sprayed with disinfectant.
The massive Central de Abastos market, sprawling across an area equal to about 327 soccer fields, attracts around half a million visitors daily, making it a key risk zone for COVID-19 spread.
With Mexico's official COVID-19 death toll approaching 200,000—the third-highest in the world—markets have posed a particular challenge for authorities. While many Mexicans do wear masks, ensuring mask compliance in busy markets has been critical for officials balancing the need to keep food supplies open and control the virus's spread.
“We have to keep fighting,” said wrestler Ciclon Ramirez Junior, clad in blue. “The campaign reminds people not to let their guard down; they need to keep wearing masks and using sanitizer. This fight isn’t over; we’ve got to keep pushing.”
This month, a youth office in Mexico City’s government began deploying wrestlers to markets across the capital, using the campaign to both raise pandemic awareness and celebrate lucha libre, one of Mexico’s most beloved cultural traditions.
The masked lucha libre fighters, already a major tourist attraction, have long captivated audiences with their secret identities and outlandish performances.