Joshua posits Ronaldo will defeat Messi in a boxing bout

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua would love to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head in a Misfits boxing match - and while declaring it to be a close contest, he's backed the Portuguese star to emerge victorious.

The heavyweight boxer, 33, is currently enjoying some time off after beating Robert Helenius via a seventh-round KO at the 02 Arena in London last month.

The big football fan has said that he would love to see two icons of the team sport go head-to-head to continue their personal rivalry in the fighting arena. 

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.'

The suggestion of a hypothetical fight between two other football rivals was floated as well - Romelu Lukaku versus Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In response to that, Joshua said: 'Yeah, they don't like each other anyway, do they? That would be a bad boy fight too, to be fair.'

Lukaku has made a name for himself with Serie A side Inter Milan and has joined Roma on loan from Chelsea for this season, while Ibrahimovic retired from football at the end of last season after a long career which saw him finish with AC Milan. 

Joshua, a two-time world champion, is expected to face Deontay Wilder next in a mega-money bout in Saudi Arabia before the end of 2023.