Ricky Hatton funeral: Thousands set to gather in Manchester to say goodbye to boxing legend

Thousands of mourners will gather to say goodbye to Ricky Hatton as the British boxing legend is laid to rest in Manchester today.

Former world champion Hatton, one of the country’s most beloved sport personalities, was found dead at his home in Hyde on 14 September.

From the early hours of Friday morning, tributes were hung outside Hatton’s gym with members of the public beginning to gather and pay their final respects shortly after.

A funeral procession began at 9:45am at Hatton’s local pub the Cheshire Cheese on Stockport Road with The New Inn on Mottram New Road – a pub that Hatton’s parents used to own – also among the stops.

Hatton’s Gym where he trained young fighters is also on the 18-mile memorial route which concludes at Manchester Cathedral for the invitation-only funeral service.

Following the funeral service, the cortege will then make its way to the Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton’s beloved Manchester City, for a final chance to say goodbye.

Boxing stars past and present are expected to be present on a day to say goodbye and celebrate the extraordinary life of ‘The Hitman’.

Hatton was a blistering presence in the boxing ring, winning 45 of his 48 professional fights, claiming world titles in two weight classes.

But it was his humble personality and local lad backstory that made him such an enamouring force in British sport.

Tens of thousands of fans flocked to Las Vegas to watch his fights against Floyd Mayweather, Paulie Malignaggi and Manny Pacquaio on some of the most famous nights in British boxing history.  

He struggled deeply with depression and addiction as his career inside the ring came to an end but found a new calling helping the new generation as a trainer.

In 2022, he returned to the ring to fight Mexican legend Marco Antonio Berrera in an entertaining exhibition bout and has planned to fight in a professional bout in Dubai in December.