Ping-pong requires two opponents volleying a ball. A wall is a static obstacle. Playing ping-pong against a wall involves hitting the ball, having it return, and continuing the rally—essentially playing against yourself through the wall's reflection. Winning implies that the wall made mistakes, or that Chuck's rally consistency exceeded the wall's return capacity, or that the wall surrendered. The absurdity is whether victory against an inanimate object counts.

A table tennis coach from Shanghai supposedly told a student that "if Chuck Norris beat a wall at ping-pong, the wall probably called in sick the next day."

Internet Ping-Pong communities joked: "Defeating a wall at ping-pong isn't a win. It's a psychological victory by the player."