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'Our little champion': Thousands salute beloved boxer
AP • October 11th, 2025 10:00 am
Oasis front man Liam Gallagher was among thousands of mourners at boxer Ricky Hatton's funeral. Photo Credit: AP Photo
Thousands have turned out in Manchester to give an emotional farewell to beloved British boxing great Ricky Hatton.
Ricky Hatton's son Campbell has joined thousands in Manchester in paying an emotional tribute to the much loved British two-weight world champion boxer at his funeral, saying: "I can't explain how much I'm going to miss you, dad."
Hatton, a popular, larger-than-life character who unified the light-welterweight division and also won a world welterweight title, was found dead aged 46 at his home in Hyde on September 14.
Campbell Hatton, who followed his father into boxing and won 14 of his 16 professional fights before retiring this year, said at the memorial service on Friday: "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 for ever."
A funeral procession started at 9.45am at the Cheshire Cheese pub - Hatton's local - and was led by the famous Reliant Robin van from Only Fools and Horses.
Hatton had been a huge fan of the show and once bought one of the original three-wheelers for £4000 (NZ$9300).
The cortege included stops at Hatton's boxing gym and the AO Arena, where he enjoyed some of his finest moments, the highlight indisputably being his win over Australian boxing great Kostya Tszyu on a raucous night 20 years ago to capture his first world title.
Thousands of mourners lined the streets in Manchester to pay tribute to Hatton, before a private memorial service at the city's cathedral starting at midday.
In attendance was Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, a long-time friend of Hatton who accompanied him on his ring walk alongside brother Noel against Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas in 2008.
The great and good of British sport also turned out to pay respects at the cathedral, with boxers Tyson Fury, Tony Bellew and Frank Bruno, as well as former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff and former Manchester United and England soccer star Wayne Rooney, arriving at the cathedral.
Also among the mourners was Hatton's former trainer Billy Graham, from whom he was virtually inseparable on his journey from the amateur ranks to the top of the boxing world.
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."
Following the service, the commemorative march headed to the Etihad Stadium, the home of Hatton's beloved Manchester City, where the cortege paused as hundreds of fans sang the club's anthem 'Blue Moon' and 'There's Only One Ricky Hatton'.
Hatton's all-action style brought him 45 wins and three defeats from 48 contests, but it was his down-to-earth demeanour that especially endeared him to fellow professionals and fans around the world.
That was evidenced by tens of thousands following him to Las Vegas, where he fought the two pound-for-pound greatest fighters of his era in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, with stories of UK fans singing 'there's only one Ricky Hatton' and drinking Sin City dry going down in boxing folklore.
