Boxer Anthony Joshua backs Cristiano Ronaldo to beat Lionel Messi in a boxing fight

British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua has revealed he would to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head in a boxing match.

According to the British heavyweight boxer, 33, he wants them to continue their personal rivalry in the fighting arena but will back the Portuguese star to emerge victorious over the Argentina star.

In an interview posted on YouTube, Joshua was asked to name two non-boxers he’d love to see fight based on personalities alone, and responded with ‘Ronaldo versus Messi’, taking one of modern football’s fiercest rivalries into a new battleground.

When asked who wOULD WIN, Joshua said ‘Ronaldo’, before adding: ‘I love Messi and Ronaldo. Messi’s got that vision though. I can imagine him bobbing and weaving, angles, but yeah, it’d be tough. They’re both as good as each other.’

Joshua refused to name a non-boxer that he would like to meet in the ring in a cross-over fight, saying ‘I got no beef with no one’.

When faced with the idea of facing the Portuguese icon was put to him, Joshua said: ‘Nah, I respect Ronaldo.’