Men are extremely frail and weak. A single otter killed a man (I saw a video). I have seen videos of a domestic cat fucking a person up. 10 dogs at least have a fighting chance.
But the point is, a single man locked in a cage with 2 wolves would get murdered, pipe or not.
You know there are millions more instances in history of a human annihilating a peak domestic cat than the other way around, right? Humans aren't extremely weak and frail, they're an apex predator. And a guy experienced with killing unleashed animals is not equivalent to someone that lets themselves get owned by a cat.
Do you know how wolves fight? They don't jump at a cow's side and devour a hole into their guts. They're actually really lame. They chase after a moose and bite them in the ass to hinder their movement. Then if possible they just latch on and hang out as the prey runs until enough bleeding and running has exhausted them. This is an effective strategy because they're pack hunters that can literally dogpile the prey with multiple latchers. Despite human use of the term, lone wolves have a really hard time and tend to be looking for a pack to join.
Generally speaking wolves are scared of humans and will run away or submit. The number of actual instances of a wolf pack eating or so much as attacking someone, even a child, hovers close to zero. Historically, a wolf pair does not test its luck against a big bipedal human with a huge blunt weapon. Rather it is instinctual to them to communicate submission, since they have social language and basically no exposure to animals that predate on them. Odds are very high they will let the guy do what he will to them in the misguided hope it will satisfy him and get them away.
You might like to read Vicious: Wolves and Men in America. Well actually it's perhaps a grim read, but very informative.
Thanks for the book recommendation, I will make sure to look for it. I appreciate informative posts like this.
On your wolf scenario, I agree. But cornered animals are part of a saying ("like a cornered animal") for a reason. If a wolf has no last resource he will fight for its life.
As for humans being apex predators... we are, because of our intelligence, which allowed us to organize and develop technology and weapons. But an unarmed man is a joke of an organism.