The fortress idea sounds good but how do even 32 midgets kill eight and do all this dismembering and fortress building in 5 minutes without tools? We use tools for everything even in primitive cultures. Without them we are hopeless against an adapted powerful predator like a lion.

They would all have to be trained in some fairly intense tactics just to do the killing let alone the building and unless they all chose the same eight some would distrust the others for the remainder of the challenge as they would have had to defend themselves against them initially. This would make it harder to concentrate on the lion, more prone to psychological break down and a much higher probability of failure.

I still think minus any tools no hope. If they could fashion a rope to strangle or restrain the lion with from their clothing perhaps. If they could build a fire perhaps.

Knowing while 'playing' in a way which would not harm another lion at all they can do damage to a human which is fatal without emergency medical attention. That has been made clear by real life examples.

There would be no punching it that would just be like patting your kitty cat but making him angrier at the same time. To wrestle it you'd need to be able to jump on simultaneously while avoiding claws or teeth. To do that you'd need to be able to apply a weight which is far greater than the number of people which would surround it in close enough proximity to jump on.

Also you'd need to do it without hesitation. I doubt it's really possible with an agitated, angry lion who is jumping and pouncing on midgets or people and taking each out out at least to the point of serious maiming within about 3 secs a piece. He's not giving you any chance to get into position in significant enough numbers.