Back in 1996, apart from tasting his second career defeat to Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson made headlines for one more reason. While on a date with then-girlfriend Robin Givens, he rented out an entire zoo and almost came face-to-face with a silverback gorilla bullying the rest of the troop. In fact, Mike Tyson reportedly offered the zookeeper $10,000 to open the cage so he could “smash that silverback’s snot box.” The zookeeper wisely declined. But that wild story? It’s classic Iron Mike and it’s just one chapter in a life that’s included everything from owning three pet Bengal tiger to a prison romance with a dr-g counsellor.
Now, nearly three decades later, the conversation blew up again after a tweet “Could 100 unarmed men take down one gorilla” went viral. Even Conor McGregor chimed in. The Irishman confidently tweeted, “On behalf of gorillas, I’d smoke a 100 easy.” Bold! But when it comes to gorilla combat theories, Mike Tyson still owns the mic.
In just a few hours, the former heavyweight champion will step in as a guest analyst for the much-anticipated Fatal Fury event featuring Ryan Garcia and Rolando Romero, right in the heart of Times Square. As the venue gets prepped and buzzing with excitement, Mike Tyson took a moment to address one of the internet’s wildest and most asked question.
During a chat with IFL TV, the reporter threw it out there: “Who wins? 100 Mike Tyson’s or one gorilla?” Without missing a beat and with that signature intimidating glare, Mike Tyson answered, “Gorilla’s going to get up f***d up.” Seeing the intense pause, the reporter initially thought Tyson was done answering. But nope. “You have to think. No serious, 100 of us, right? 20 at a time rushing them, biting them… He’s not gonna do well,” the 50-7, 44 KO boxer stated.
He then launched into a wild, graphic explanation of the brutal ways 100 versions of himself could take down a gorilla. “[We’re] Gonna stomp his teeth out of his mouth, kick him in the b**l, grab his d**k,” Tyson said without hesitation. And after that brutal onslaught? Mike Tyson doubled down, “He’s not gonna do it, man. He’s not going to do it.”
Honestly, Mike Tyson was only 23 when he racked up an incredible 37-fight win streak before finally tasting defeat at the hands of James “Buster” Douglas in February 1990. That kind of dominance, speed, and raw power at such a young age is exactly why the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet” wasn’t just hype. It was reality. For context, today’s reigning heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk is 38 years old with a 23-0 record. And Mike Tyson accomplished far more, and much earlier.
So, when he makes wild claims, you can almost see where he’s coming from. But still, it begs the question: just how much truth is there to Mike Tyson’s words? And what do others think about it?
Mike Tyson says he can, but can he?
Social media seems to agree on one thing: a gorilla would absolutely wreck 100 average men. But within the combat sports world, the debate is far from settled. As wild as it sounds, the conversation has sparked serious discussion among pros.
“Everyone is neglecting cardio here,” said Ben Askren on his podcast. He then crunched the numbers saying: “If a gorilla can kill a human in 15 seconds, 100 humans, that’s 1500 seconds, that’s like 25 minutes. Can a gorilla really fight hard for 25 minutes?” No, he doesn’t think so. On the flip side, Daniel Cormier wasn’t buying it. “Every time they’re running at him, he’s like, bang, bang, bang. 100 men have no chance. It will not take 25 minutes. First off, he’s biting, he’s scratching, and he’s slapping the s**t out of you,” he explained.
And then there’s Rolando Romero. When Dan Canobbio threw the question “100 dudes vs. 1 silverback gorilla,” the 16-2, 13 KO boxer stated, “Bro, humans have been capturing gorillas for years.” And then to back up his answer he added, “I don’t know which idiot truly believes that a gorilla’s gonna beat mankind. I would set a trap.” Classic Rolly. But hey, would you expect anything less?
So while Mike Tyson stands firm in his belief that 100 versions of himself could take down a gorilla, the jury’s still out. But what about you? Who’s your money on? The king of the jungle or 100 determined humans?
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