‘Cannabis v booze!’ Football legend Gazza challenges rap star Snoop Dogg to boxing match

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more bizarre in the unlikeliest Twitter spat of recent times, English football icon Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne has challenged US rap star Snoop Dogg to a “cannabis versus booze” boxing match.

California rapper Snoop, 47, recently sparked the row when he posted an image to his 33 million Instagram followers of former England icon Gascoigne showing the toll his troubles with alcohol had taken on him.

Snoop then compared that with two images of himself, talking up the supposed benefits his beloved herbal habit have had on him down the years.

Gazza, 52, later hit back by calling the rapper an “ugly tw*t” while posting an image of a dog made up to look like the US star, complete with his trademark hairstyle.

Appearing on UK TV show ‘This Morning’ on Monday, Gazza opened up to Piers Morgan on the row with the rapper across the Atlantic.

“When I found it was Snoop Dogg I thought ‘why me’? That happened six years ago,” Gazza said when telling Morgan about the initial furor over Snoop’s Instagram post.

“I mean I’m a fan of his as well, I couldn’t believe it,” the ex-Tottenham and Lazio ace added.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll do a charity boxing match with him, cannabis versus booze. Bring it on! I’ll kick him in the ring,” Gazza then added with a smile, prompting laughter from Morgan.

TV personality Morgan had been among those to stick up for the troubled former football star after Snoop Dogg’s post, branding him “nasty” for randomly bringing up Gascoigne’s battles with addiction.      

When asked more seriously about whether the row had upset him, Gascoigne replied: “When I came out of treatment years ago I supported everyone and wished them well.

“For him to attack someone like myself, with the trouble I’ve put myself through, for him to do that is bang out of order.

“I was upset at the time, but I try to look at the funny side of it, but there wasn’t much of a funny side to that,” he added.

Snoop is yet to respond to the boxing call-out, although fans of Gascoigne will have at least been reassured at seeing him looking relaxed and in good spirits.