A perfect send off for Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton

Anyone involved in the sport of boxing knew that the funeral of Ricky Hatton would be an incredibly emotional and well attended affair. As was fully expected, it proved to be just that for the thousands of mourners who turned up to pay their final respects to the former world champion at Manchester Cathedral on Friday.

Ricky Hatton’s funeral – October 10 at Manchester Cathedral

Hatton’s struggles in life and the way he found purpose in the ring have been well documented over the years, but it was known that he was actually working and training towards a boxing comeback event when news of his sad passing was released.

The 46-year-old’s heart, passion, personality, and fighting skills drew huge crowds during his career and made him a much-loved character, even for those who would not have naturally called themselves huge boxing fans and might have been more likely to be betting on champions league football for their entertainment.

It was therefore a day that many had been waiting for in order for them to pay their respects to a much-loved man following the discovery of his passing at home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, back on September 14. But it was a day that few had anticipated, given his known comeback attempt and the fact that at 46, he really was of no age at all.

His son Campbell, who has also followed him into the boxing ring, paid an excellent tribute to his world champion father at the service, saying that he would always cherish the memories that they had created together throughout the years, and he knew that the People’s Champion would continue to be remembered by his army of fans up and down the country.

Many pay their respects to ‘The Hitman’

With his fans lining the streets for the long procession that took place around the city prior to his final service, there were also plenty of well-known faces in attendance from the world of boxing and wider sport in general. Frazer Clarke and Natasha Jones were there to pay their respects, as well as former boxers Amir Khan, Scott Welch, Frank Bruno, Barry McGuigan, and Anthony Crolla, and his former trainer, Billy Graham, was also joined by former Manchester City footballer Mike Summerbee and Chris Kamara.

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher also attended the service along with former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen, as well as boxers Tyson and Tommy Fury. The names did not stop there as they were joined by Happy Mondays’ duo Shaun Ryder and Mark ‘Bez’ Berry, Calum Best, comedian Paddy McGuinness, former cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, and actor Dean Gaffney.

With it well known that Hatton was a huge fan of Del Boy and Rodney from the ever-lovable Only Fools And Horses, his funeral cortege was led by the famous Reliant van from the programme, and Hatton actually bought one of the original three-wheelers for £4000 and used to drive it around his home city. The cortege also stopped off at his local, the Cheshire Cheese Pub in Hyde, where it was met by applause from mourners, took a pause at Hatton Gym before making a final stop at the home of Manchester City.

It was the perfect send-off for ‘The People’s Champion’ and he will certainly be missed. There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton.