Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Speedrunner Summoning Salt Sets New Sub-2 Minute World Record on NES

In a historic moment for the speedrunning community and fans of classic gaming, renowned speedrunner Summoning Salt has shattered records by defeating Mike Tyson in Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in under two minutes.

Released in 1987, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! remains an iconic title in Nintendo’s library, raising the bar for difficulty and precision in gaming.

Over the years, the game's final boss—boxing legend Mike Tyson—has earned notoriety as one of the toughest opponents in video game history. For decades, players have tried and failed to conquer Tyson in record time, especially with the in-game clock operating nearly three times faster than real time.

Until now, no one had managed to complete the fight in less than two minutes by the game’s standards.

After persistently pursuing this goal for five years and enduring approximately 75,000 attempts, Summoning Salt achieved a Technical Knockout (TKO) at an official time of 1:59.97, as documented by speedrunning experts and reported by outlets including Ars Technica. Summoning Salt described this milestone as his most significant accomplishment in gaming to date, highlighting the extraordinary combination of meticulous skill and improbable luck required to succeed.

"This stands as the highest achievement I've ever reached in gaming," he stated.

The run involved landing all 21 frame-perfect punches (with each frame measured at 1/60th of a second), performing 10 flawless dodges and ducks, and taking advantage of a randomized sequence with odds estimated between 1 in 7,000 and 1 in 10,000. The match against Tyson unfolds in carefully structured phases, each marked by knockdowns.

Summoning Salt explained that he played nearly flawlessly in the first two phases, losing just 6 frames across 16 dodges and ducks, and connecting with all 14 possible frame-perfect punches.

Tyson’s behavior pattern during this run was fortuitous, delivering a sequence with only a 1 in 1,600 likelihood of occurrence.

In phase three, Summoning Salt maintained his perfect execution and handled Tyson’s swift—if not entirely optimal—pattern with precision. Despite the years invested in this challenge, Summoning Salt has made it clear that he considers this achievement the pinnacle of his run, with no plans to attempt further improvements.

He acknowledged the inevitability that another skilled player will one day match his performance and possibly surpass it with even better luck in phase three.

Nonetheless, Summoning Salt expressed immense pride at being the first to breach the two-minute barrier against Mike Tyson on the original NES. This remarkable accomplishment not only celebrates personal triumph and perseverance, but also underscores the enduring legacy of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! within the Nintendo community.

As the title remains available through various Nintendo platforms and the eShop, its appeal continues to span generations, inspiring new players and speedrunners alike to test their skills against gaming’s most legendary opponents.

NES Xbox Series X|S Punch-Out Summoning Salt Nintendo Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Mr. Dream