Farewell to ‘the people’s champion’: Manchester says emotional goodbye to boxer Ricky Hatton

Tens of thousands lined the streets of Manchester on Friday to pay tribute to Ricky Hatton, the former world champion boxer who died last month aged 46.

Hatton was one of the most respected and adored sportsmen of his generation, able to tempt thousands of fans across the Atlantic to America for his fights against the likes of legendary boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. His death at home on 14 September was mourned throughout the world, with a minute’s silence held during the Manchester football derby that was played later that day.

Hatton’s funeral cortege wound its way through Manchester, with a sea of mourners clapping loudly at every stop and turn on its two-hour route. The procession began at the Cheshire Cheese in Hyde, his favourite pub where he was a regular and a stone’s throw away from his home, before continuing through the area towards Manchester Cathedral. Along the way it also stopped at sites such as the Harehill Tavern, another favourite of Hatton’s, as well as Hatton’s gym.

Once the procession reached Manchester Cathedral, Hatton’s coffin was led into the building carried by family and friends, including his brother, Matthew Hatton, and son, Campbell Hatton, both also boxers, and Paul Speak, who managed the Hitman throughout his career.

One of Manchester’s favourite sons, many famous faces associated with the city attended the service, including the Oasis frontman and fellow Manchester City supporter, Liam Gallagher, who, along with brother Noel, had carried Hatton’s championship belts into the ring during his 2008 clash with Paulie Malignaggi.

Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays also paid their respects at the service, along with Manchester United great Wayne Rooney and some of the biggest names in British and world boxing, including fellow former world champions Tyson Fury, Amir Khan and Anthony Crolla.

Giving an emotional speech during the service, Campbell called his father “the people’s champion” and said he looked up to him in “every aspect” of his life.

“I can’t explain how much I’m going to miss you, Dad, and that we won’t be making any new memories,” he said. “But the ones we did I will cherish for ever.

“Growing up I looked up to my dad in every aspect of life whether it be following in a career in boxing like he did or the way he carried himself out of the ring. But all of that was fuelled by the love I had and always will have for him.”

From the cathedral, his coffin was driven to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium for a private service. Hatton’s coffin was painted the same shade of light blue as his beloved City, the team he had supported his entire life and at whose stadium he defeated Juan Lazcano in 2008 in front of a then postwar British record 55,000 capacity crowd. The cortege carrying his coffin was led by the famous yellow Reliant Regal three-wheeler van from Only Fools and Horses, with Hatton, a fan of the comedy show, having bought the original van.

Outside the Cheshire Cheese pub Mike Lunney and Martin Taylor, two friends who had followed Hatton across the Atlantic to Vegas in 2007 paid their respects to a “boy from Manchester who became a hero” to many.

“Look around you,” Lunney said. “There’s as many people here as there were in Vegas. Who else can do that? That many people following you over there at your best, and this many people paying their respects once you’re gone?”

Taylor added that Hatton, who was known to people in the area on a personal level and loved being in the company of others, was a “humble and kind” person who was loved by everyone he met.

“This is just a normal working-class place and he resonated with people because of who he was. He talk to people, buy them a drink and talked to people like he was a nobody, but he was so much more than a nobody to so many people,” he said.

“They say people only get their flowers when they can’t smell them,” Lunney added. “I hope he knew what he meant to people. Not just to the city or to his fans but to people he met. He was the people’s champion for a reason, he was the best person you could meet, he’d buy everyone a round and chat to you all night. He was the Hitman but he was also Ricky, and he’ll be missed.”

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