A cheeky claim made by an X user has quickly turned into a lively debate online: Could 100 unarmed men take on a single gorilla?
Michael Sherrills, who unintentionally sparked the discourse with his April 24 post, says yes. One hundred men could beat one gorilla, but “everybody just gotta be dedicated,” he wrote in an X post that’s since been viewed over 288 million times.
Within days, the question grew into a dominant topic of conversation across social media, reaching platforms ranging from TikTok to Facebook to Reddit. It’s also been discussed on several podcasts, including sports shows like “Bussin’ With The Boys” and “Pardon My Take.”
By Monday, MrBeast, the YouTube star known for his elaborate stunts and extreme experiments, had weighed in on the post.
“Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?” he wrote on X, with what appears to be a fake YouTube thumbnail of a video titled, “100 Men vs a Gorilla.”
Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk was among those who replied, writing, “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen?”
The men vs. gorilla debate is the latest version of a trend that frequently resurfaces online in which someone goes viral asking what animal people think they could take on in a fight. In recent weeks, a man vs. dog debate similarly had some wrangling over whether they could successfully fight a dog one-on-one. And just days ago, another post gained traction by asking people if they, for $100 million, could survive against either a gorilla, tiger, bear or hippo.
“The thing people love the most is things that probably won’t ever happen, because you can debate about it,” Sherrills, 25, said. “It’s like tasting a dream, you know what I’m saying? And I think people love to feel it out.”
Sherrills said he was inspired to start the discussion after watching a TikTok video about a gorilla. But since the question blew up online, he said his fellow internet users have taught him more about these primates than he ever expected.
Thousands of people online weighed in on their chances to overpower the gorilla 100 to 1. Some expressed confidence in the number advantage, some deliberated their strategies and others expressed certainty that the gorilla would win. One user shared an animated simulation of the fight (which ended with a victorious gorilla), while another posted a lengthy X thread (complete with tree charts) giving his detailed analysis as someone with “an actual degree specifically in monkeys.”
Some observers online were quick to joke that they’d root for the gorilla instead of the men. Others joked about playing dead or the last man standing being granted mercy by the gorilla. One user shared a full list of 100 men who might stand a chance if sent into the arena.
Even brands, such as the supermarket chain Aldi and the streaming service Tubi, joined in on the trend.
Although some responses have made Sherrills rethink whether he’d be willing to put his claim to the test himself, he said he still has faith in his chances.
“I can do it, but I got to be in the last batch, and I have to be able to pick the other 99 people. I can be a part of the 100, but I can’t be in the first wave,” Sherrills said. “We’re gonna have to call a couple of wrestlers, some football players probably. But yeah, I think I can get a good list.”
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