“Stunning Knockout: Mike Tyson Defeats Jake Paul in Just 50 Seconds with a Devastating K.O.”
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Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP)
Jake Paul, not Mike Tyson, won their boxing match in full rounds
If Your Time is short
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Viral posts claim former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in less than a minute to win their highly publicized match.
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Paul, 27, defeated Tyson, 58, in a unanimous decision after eight rounds. Each round was two minutes long.
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The posts began circulating online several hours before the fight started.
Viral social media posts knocked the truth out of claims following Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s much-anticipated boxing match.
According to the posts, the fight ended in less than a minute with a knockout by Tyson, who entered the ring with 44 career knockouts.
"Stunning Knockout: Mike Tyson defeats Jake Paul in just 50 seconds with a devastating K.O.," a Nov. 14 Facebook post claimed using the shorthand for knockout. A separate viral Facebook post claimed the match ended much sooner. "Mike Tyson destroys Jake Paul in a blazing 40-Second knockout, shocking fans in unforgettable clash," a Nov. 15 post said.
The Facebook posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.)
Featured Fact-check
But these claims are wrong on a few fronts. YouTube star-turned-boxer Paul, 27, won the fight against former two-time heavyweight champion Tyson, 58. The match, which was Nov. 15 in Arlington, Texas, and streamed on Netflix, lasted the agreed-upon eight, two-minute rounds. Professional men’s boxing matches are typically three minutes per round, but Paul and Tyson agreed to change the rules for this match.
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A review of the fight’s highlights shows there was no knockout by either boxer and that the winner was decided on points by the three judges’ unanimous decision.
Paul wore silver shorts for the fight, but the posts’ images show him wearing orange and sometimes black shorts; that signals the images are likely generated with artificial intelligence.
We rate the claim that Tyson defeated Paul in a knockout Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived link), Nov. 14, 2024
Facebook post (archived link), Nov. 15, 2024
Facebook post (archived link), Nov. 15, 2024
CBS Sports, Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight winner, results: Social media star beats legendary 58-year-old in sloppy affair, Nov 16, 2024
BBC News, Paul beats Tyson, 58, on points in drab contest, Nov. 16, 2024
NBC News, Highlights: Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson via unanimous decision in boxing match, Nov. 16, 2024
ESPN, Boxing results: Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson by decision, Nov. 16, 2024
YouTube, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS, Nov. 16, 2024
Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, Unified Boxing Rules, accessed Nov. 18, 2024
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Jake Paul, not Mike Tyson, won their boxing match in full rounds
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