Boxing Legends Pay Tribute to Ricky Hatton at Emotional Funeral
In a moving ceremony, former boxing world champions gathered to say goodbye to Ricky Hatton, known as the “people’s champion”, at his funeral held in Manchester on Friday.
Prominent figures from sports and celebrities gathered to honor the memory of a local hero who, despite achieving fame and fortune, always remained down-to-earth.
He was a fantastic fighter, one of the best there has been. Obviously, he inspired many fighters like us.
Amir Khan
Amir Khan, former two-division world champion, highlighted the inspiration Hatton represented for many boxers. “He will be remembered as one of the greatest in Great Britain. He was very cheerful, funny, a very respected and pleasant person. He was always the people’s champion,” added Khan.
The boxing community came together to show their respect, with hundreds of people in the streets, demonstrating Hatton’s popularity.Amir Khan estuvo presente en la ceremonia en Manchester.Among those in attendance were former heavyweight world champions Tyson Fury and Frank Bruno, as well as former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan.
McGuigan recalled Hatton’s leadership, from his time as a promising amateur to becoming a world champion, attracting thousands of followers to Las Vegas for epic fights. He highlighted the large influx of fans, many dressed in the light blue of Manchester City, the team loved by Hatton. “It’s amazing, but it doesn’t surprise me because he was a star, a great human being. He’s an incredible guy and he was a phenomenal fighter, simply incredible. He united people,” said McGuigan.El excampeón de peso pesado Tyson Fury estuvo en Manchester para presentar sus respetos a Ricky Hatton.Tony Bellew, former cruiserweight world champion, revealed how Hatton inspired him to climb the rankings and achieve his dream. “For someone who reached the levels of Ricky Hatton and remained a normal person, it’s incredible,” Bellew stated.
Bellew shared his best memory: “Seeing him train for the first time. He was an amateur boxer at the time, he had just won the ABA title. I saw him train. I have seen thousands of fighters train over the years, hundreds of thousands, but after seeing him, he is the only fighter for whom I have felt admiration and thought: ‘that is the standard’. An incredible person, an incredible father, always a laugh. Usually, he was the worst dressed, but still found a way to make you laugh.”
