No, Mike Tyson did not pose with Palestinian flag before fight with Jake Paul

What's the claim?

Viral posts on Facebook, TikTok, Bluesky, and X feature images of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in the ring with a Palestinian flag draped over his shoulders. These posts claim the image was taken before his fight with Jake Paul on November 15, 2024. 

Other versions of the claim suggest the image was taken the day before the fight and shows Tyson expressing support for the Palestinian cause. Archived versions of some of these posts can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here.

We also discovered iterations of the image on TikTok (archived here and here) using Logically Accelerate, a tool that enables proactive discovery of fact-check-worthy content on various platforms.

Screenshots of Facebook posts containing a fake image of Mike Tyson with a Palestinian flag before his bout with Jake Paul. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our analysis revealed numerous visual discrepancies in the viral images of Tyson with the Palestinian flag wrapped around him, indicating they were likely created using AI technology. An analysis with AI detection tools also found substantial evidence of manipulation.

What discrepancies did we find?

Reverse image searches did not identify any legitimate sources for the image or any evidence supporting its authenticity. There were no reports of Tyson displaying solidarity with Palestine before or during the fight, and no coverage of the event included this image.

Additionally, the text overlay in one of the viral posts misquotes Tyson as saying, "I am stand with Phalastine (sic)," with a misspelling of Palestine and a grammatical error. There are no credible reports or social media posts of Tyson making such a statement.

A comparison of the viral images with highlights (archived here) available online and an edited livestream of the fight uploaded by Netflix revealed further inconsistencies. Tyson has a prominent tattoo on his left pectoral region in honor of his late daughter Exodus, which is missing in the viral images. Furthermore, Tyson's facial tattoo around his left eye appears significantly larger and lighter in the manipulated images. The design of the tattoo does not match the actual one seen in verified footage of the fight.

In one of the viral images, there is also an additional tattoo below Tyson's right eye, which does not exist in real life.

The tattoo around Mike Tyson's left eye appears much more distinct in the viral image, while in reality, it has faded. The viral image also omits Tyson's tattoo of his late daughter Exodus on his left pectoral region. (Source: X/ESPN/Modified by Logically Facts)

In the other viral fake image, there is a tattoo under Mike Tyson's right eye that he does not have in real life. (Source: X/ESPN/Modified by Logically Facts)

Further discrepancies were identified in Tyson's attire and the depiction of the Palestinian flag. In the fight, Tyson wore boxing shorts with the BYLT logo, a brand he represents, and his name embroidered on the waistband. The viral images feature nonsensical words on the shorts, differing significantly from his actual fight attire. Additional gibberish text was visible on the boxing ring ropes, further suggesting AI manipulation.

Both viral images contain several indicators of AI generation, such as gibberish written on Mike Tyson's boxing shorts that do not match what he wore in the fight, as well as gibberish written on the tightropes in the background. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

The Palestinian flag in the viral images also displays a design error. The red triangle in the flag originates from the hoist (the vertical side attached to a flagpole) and points outward toward the fly-end. In the manipulated images, the red triangle incorrectly originates from the flag's fly-end.

The Palestinian flag has a red triangle originating from the vertical side or the hoist, while it appears to be originating from the horizontal side of the flag in the fake image. (Source: X/Wikimedia Commons/Modified by Logically Facts)

A TrueMedia analysis of the images provided substantial evidence of manipulation in both instances.

TrueMedia's AI detection software found substantial evidence of manipulation in both versions of the image. (Source: TrueMedia/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is Mike Tyson's stance towards the Israel-Palestine war?

Tyson has not publicly taken a partisan stance in the Israel-Palestine conflict. He has previously been seen wearing a wristband supporting Palestine (archived here) and has also spoken against antisemitism (archived here). 

In November 2023, Tyson was photographed at a fundraising event in Miami for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). However, he later clarified that he was invited to the event as part of a casual dinner and was unaware it was a fundraiser. 

Tyson stated that he made no donations and reiterated his support for peace, saying, “As a Muslim and human, I support peace. My prayers have been and continue to be with my brothers and sisters.”

The verdict

The images of Mike Tyson with a Palestinian flag before his fight with Jake Paul are fake and likely AI-generated, as evidenced by our investigation and AI detection tools.