Jake Paul, not Mike Tyson, won their boxing match in full rounds

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.)

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.

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!

By

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu

Staff writer

November 18, 2024

Truth-o-meter Ruling

Pants on Fire!

IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT

• 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.

• Paul, 27, defeated Tyson, 58, in a unanimous decision after eight rounds. Each round was two minutes long.

• The posts began circulating online several hours before the fight started.

Statement

“Stunning Knockout: Mike Tyson Defeats Jake Paul in Just 50 Seconds with a Devastating K.O.”

Context

a post

Speaker/Target

Speaker: Facebook posts

Statement Date

November 14, 2024