Oasis star Liam Gallagher and heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury were among those mourning at the funeral of British former world champion Ricky Hatton, as Manchester came to a halt to honour the “Hitman” on Friday.
Hatton, a well-loved and larger-than-life figure who held titles in two weight classes, was found dead at his home last month.
Greater Manchester Police stated there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the 46-year-old.
Family, friends, and celebrities from the sports and entertainment industries gathered at Manchester Cathedral for Hatton’s funeral.
Gallagher, who took a break from his tour to attend the service, was a long-time friend of Hatton, having walked him to the ring for his 2008 fight against Paulie Malignaggi.
Former British world heavyweight champions Fury and Frank Bruno also attended the service, along with ex-Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff.
Hatton’s son Campbell, who followed in his father’s footsteps into boxing before retiring this year, gave a heartfelt tribute to his father.
“I can’t explain how much I’m going to miss you, dad, and that we won’t be making any new memories — but the ones we did I will cherish forever,” he said.
Reverend Canon Grace Thomas, addressing the congregation, referred to Hatton as “the people’s champion.”
Earlier, a funeral procession began at Hatton’s local pub, the Cheshire Cheese, with thousands of mourners lining the streets of Manchester.
A truck carrying Hatton’s yellow three-wheeler car led the procession, with “Ricky” spelled out in flowers.
The route included stops at Hatton’s boxing gym and the AO Arena, where he had some of his most memorable fights.
After the service, the cortege proceeded to the Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton’s beloved Manchester City.
Fury paid tribute to Hatton on social media, saying: “I’m not going to be alone when I say this, but Ricky inspired me as a young boy to go on and do great things in boxing. I wanted to be just like him. The ring walks, the flashy shorts, the fans, the chanting.”
Another British former world champion, Amir Khan, who flew in from Dubai for the funeral, said Hatton had left a “massive legacy.”
Hatton won world titles in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.
His aggressive style made him one of the most popular British boxers of his era, winning 45 of his 48 professional fights after his debut in 1997.
He secured notable world title victories against Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo before losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton was open about the mental health issues he faced after retiring from boxing for the second time following an unsuccessful comeback against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.
In a 2016 BBC interview, he detailed his struggles with alcohol and drugs and revealed he had attempted suicide several times.
He was a dedicated ambassador for mental health charities.
Having participated in a no-scoring exhibition against Mexico’s Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, Hatton announced in July that he would return to the ring in a professional bout in Dubai in December.
