Anthony Joshua backs protégé Joshua Buatsi to settle British rivalry with Anthony Yarde

Joshua: "As a fan 100 per cent I'd like that"

Anthony Joshua has backed protégé Joshua Buatsi to settle his British rivalry with Anthony Yarde, who welcomed talk of a light-heavyweight fight in the future.

Britain's unified heavyweight champion helps to guide Buatsi's career as the unbeaten 27-year-old remains on a collision course with fellow Londoner Yarde.

Buatsi has edged closer to a world title fight, with 12 successive wins, while Yarde emerged with credit from a defeat to Sergey Kovalev in a WBO title fight, and the highly-rated duo continue to be linked with a domestic clash.

"Against Anthony Yarde? As a fan 100 per cent I'd like that," Joshua told The Boxing Show on Sky Sports.

"The lion Yarde against the lone wolf Buatsi. Two wild animals coming together to slug it out.

"One is an Olympian, the other is east London-bred fighter from the Peacock Gym. So different.

"Like me and Dillian Whyte - I was the Olympian, Dillian was a south London-bred, rough fighter. A contrast that made for a great fight.

"I believe in Buatsi, he is talented, but he has to step his game up. Yarde went to the world level against Kovalev and was beaten but that experience does something to you, providing you don't lose the hunger."

Buatsi was crowned the British champion in his 10th professional bout and firmly believes he is the No 1 fighter on home soil.

"I'm confident in my ability, in the skills that I'm learning," Buatsi told The Boxing Show.

"The people that are teaching me, I'm confident in them as well, so it's just about me applying it. Once I'm applying it, I don't feel there's anyone that's going to beat me."

Asked where he ranks in Britain, Buatsi said: "I believe I beat anyone in the country, I don't doubt that."

Yarde insists a fight with Buatsi is inevitable, if they maintain their impressive progress, and expects an explosive encounter.

"The best need to fight the best, at the end of the day, and that's the only way that there's any proof," Yarde told The Boxing Show. "The fight a lot of people want, that I've wanted for years now, it's me against Joshua Buatsi.

"He keeps doing what he's doing, I come back and keep doing what I'm doing, it's a massive fight.

"It has to be a fight that benefits both of us. We're two characters that will give it everything. I'll go for the knockout, I'm sure he will go for the knockout, and that's what makes it such an exciting fight.

"In the future, that has to be a fight for a world title, in my opinion."