“I’ve been breaking barriers and making history in real life, so it’s only fitting that I bring the same energy to Undisputed… and I can’t wait for players to test their skills as ‘El Gallo de Dorado.’ Just like in the real ring, I’m here to take over.” This is what Jake Paul said while talking about his addition to the boxer’s roster in the new boxing video game Undisputed. After its early release in October, the newest edition of the Undisputed was released in December 2024. Undisputed developers have rolled out Patch 1.2 for their boxing simulation game, introducing bug fixes, quality-of-life upgrades, fresh content, and new DLC featuring Jake Paul.

Known for its realistic portrayal of the sweet science, Undisputed has earned acclaim for its roster of legendary and contemporary boxers like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Alvarez, and many more, offering players the chance to control their favorite boxers in thrilling, lifelike matches. With Jake Paul’s addition as part of the new DLC, it seemed like Steel City Interactive would have hit the nail on the head by catering to all the audiences. However, that is not what happened.

Undisputed, what have you done?

According to a recent post from Happy Punch, in the game, the OVR i.e. the Overall rating of boxers like Canelo Alvarez, Deontay Wilder, and Caleb Plant is 90, 87, and 83 respectively. However, what was troubling was the OVR that the developers of the game chose to give to Jake Paul. The character T, symbolizing the Problem Child, received a whopping OVR of 84. The X post added, “Jake Paul’s rating on the Undisputed video game compared to some of boxing’s stars 👀 Other notable names: – Bam Rodriguez (84 OVR) – Conor Benn (83 OVR) – Lawrence Okolie (80 OVR).” 

The heated debates and criticisms surrounding Jake Paul’s inclusion in Undisputed stem from the fact that he is not an orthodox fighter and has yet to face established, top-tier opponents in his boxing career. His reputation in the boxing world largely comes from a few high-profile bouts, including fights against Mike Tyson and Tommy Fury, but these matches raise questions about his credibility as a professional boxer.

After Jake Paul’s OVR rating went viral, former world champion Enzo Maccarinelli took to X to express his outrage. He exclaimed, “Wtf @PlayUndisputed how’s he got a higher rating than me” – accompanied by a mix of angry and laughing emojis.

The former WBO Cruiserweight was not the only one upset by the OVR of Jake Paul in comparison with other seasoned boxers. Users in the comments were almost up in the arms when they came upon Happy Punch’s post. So what did they say?

Is Jake Paul better than Caleb Plant and Bam Rodriguez?

One user wrote, “@SweetHandsPlant would beat the breaks off @jakepaul.” It’s true indeed. Sweethands boasts an impressive record of 25 professional bouts with a knockout rate of 60.78%. In contrast, Jake Paul has a far less experienced record of only 12 bouts, albeit with a slightly higher KO rate of 63.64%.

Another user frustratedly commented, “Has Jake ever even fought a current professional boxer? Serious question because I can’t think of one. Unless you count Tommy Fury, but is he even a professional boxer?” Adding to the critique is Paul’s lack of title fights or significant bouts against seasoned, high-ranking fighters, as his matches are solely against retired athletes, MMA fighters, or celebrities.

Others echoed similar sentiments, with one post reading, “The disrespect to Caleb plant is crazy .. lol.” The statement is justified because Caleb Plant is a former IBF Super Middleweight champion as well as the current WBA Interim Super Middleweight champion. He also boasts an impressive career, including a knockout victory against Anthony Dirrell and competitive bouts against elite fighters like Canelo Álvarez. Fans argue that Plant’s real-world experience and accomplishments far outweigh Paul’s, making the latter’s higher rating difficult to justify.

Someone gave a reality check by commenting, “Bam Rodriguez is on the P4P list 💀💀💀 Jake should realistically be like a 72-75 if undisputed wants to be taken seriously.” Jesse Bam Rodriguez has held the WBC and The Ring super flyweight titles since June 29, 2024, and has held world championships in two weight classes. He previously held the WBC super flyweight title in 2022 and the unified WBO and IBF flyweight titles from 2023 to 2024. So him having a rating of 84, the same as Jake Paul is absurd, to say the least.

The mockery continued, with fans joking that Paul’s rating should be as low as 60. They commented, “Lmao. Should be a 60.”

Lastly, a fan reminded, “That’s criminal, he should be 74 OVR and I’m being generous.” The sentiment was clear. Many fans viewed Paul’s high rating as undeserved. Users pointed out that he has yet to face prime professional boxers with credible resumes for him to be recognized so highly. However, the developers of Undisputed have yet to respond to the outcry, leaving fans wondering whether adjustments will be made in future updates or not.

What do you think? Should Jake Paul’s OVR rating be reduced to better reflect his actual boxing skills? Or is his inclusion and high rating a fair representation of his influence in the sport?