Ricky Hatton’s son Campbell paid an emotional tribute to his late father at his funeral in Manchester, saying “I can’t explain how much I’m going to miss you, dad.”
Thousands of mourners lined the streets during the procession, which started at Hatton’s local pub – the Cheshire Cheese in Hyde – at 9.45am on Friday ahead of a private memorial service from midday.
Former world champion Hatton was found dead at his home on September 14. Greater Manchester Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
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Hatton’s funeral procession route across Greater Manchester
Campbell Hatton, who won 14 of his 16 fights before retiring from boxing last year, said of Ricky at the service: “We won’t be making any new memories – but the ones we did I will cherish for ever.”
The cortege included stops at Hatton’s boxing gym as well as the AO Arena, the venue where he secured his first world title with victory over Kosta Tszyu in June 2005.
Those in attendance included Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, Hatton’s fellow boxers Tyson Fury, Frank Bruno and Tony Bellew, ex-England, Manchester United and Everton footballer Wayne Rooney and former England cricket captain Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.
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Stars from across the sporting and entertainment worlds arrived at Manchester Cathedral for Hatton’s funeral
‘He was our little champion from the day he was born’
Hatton’s mother, Carol, said in a statement read on her behalf at the service: “‘The Hitman’ was adored by his army of fans – the People’s Champion, and he would say that’s how he would want to be remembered.
“Long before this accolade he was our little champion from the day he was born.”
Hatton won 45 of his 48 fights and earned legions of fans, not only due to his boxing ability but also his down-to-earth demeanour, with tens of thousands of supporters travelling to see him take on Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
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Former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla pays tribute to ‘childhood hero’ Hatton.
Mayweather and Pacquiao inflicted two of Hatton’s three defeats, with the third of those coming in his final bout, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester in May 2012.
Hatton – an ambassador for mental health charities and the Manchester-based Barnbaus, which supports homeless and vulnerable people – became a trainer after retiring before participating in an exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.
He was scheduled to return to the ring in a professional bout in December of this year.
