Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
It felt like a miserable illusion: as if it were morning ricky hattonAs the funeral began, raindrops fell like a steady patter on the footpaths and parks in and around Manchester. It was a relentless bombardment. Hatton himself would have been proudLess than a month after one of Britain’s greatest boxers died suddenly at the age of 46, the time had come for a collective tribute.
The tribute began in Hyde, Greater Manchester, where Hatton lived; They finished – although, in reality, they may never really have finished – in Manchester Cathedral. It felt as if a staggering percentage of the population of the city and its suburbs turned out to mourn Hatton’s death and celebrate his life.
In fact, “look at the impact, how many people are missing work, school, just to watch the car go by,” Independent Danny Atkinson told. The local man, who trained boxing under Hatton’s brother Matthew, hailed Ricky as “one of my first heroes” while speaking outside the former world champion’s local pub – the Cheshire Cheese.
It was here that the funeral procession began shortly before 10 a.m., right in front of Hatton’s home. Outside, police and security ensured peace for the fighter’s family.
As a boxer, the “Hitman” was “elite, tenacious”, Atkinson said in recalling Hatton’s greatest night: His world-title win over Kostya Tszyu in 2005. “If someone got shot in the ribs, he would fall to the floor,” friend Michael Maher said later in the day.
And what about the Hatton man? Repeatedly, the term “down to earth” was used to describe Hatton, who would talk to anyone at the local pub, where he could drink as well as box, so to speak. He was a uniquely funny man, despite his mental struggles, about which he was so open.
“I got married in June, went to Tenerife and was there with him,” recalled Maher in tears as a Manchester United fan wore a Man City shirt in honor of his friend’s beloved football club. “He tried to take my wife away from me!” Maher joked. “He told my father-in-law, ‘I’m your new son-in-law.'”
Maher, despite his natural allegiance to football, was one of thousands wearing Man City shirts, while many held flags or carried white and blue balloons. The entire route from Hyde to Manchester was packed with fans and loved ones.
The most poignant moments, that day when they rose up and were filled with tears, came at the beginning of the procession and at its end, in Manchester Cathedral.
Enjoy 185+ fights per year on DAZN, the global home of boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. View on your device anytime, anywhere.
Advertisement. If you sign up for this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism at The Independent.
Enjoy 185+ fights per year on DAZN, the global home of boxing
Never miss a fight from the top promoters. View on your device anytime, anywhere.
Advertisement. If you sign up for this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism at The Independent.
When the procession first passed outside Hatton’s local pub, loved ones waved flags on both sides of the road, many failing to hold back tears while they could barely lift their faces to look at the convoy ahead of them. That convoy was led by a yellow three-wheeler only Fools and HorsesOne of Hatton’s favorite comedies, and a vehicle he owned. There was also a floral wreath framing a giant glass of Guinness – one of Hatton’s favorite drinks.
Soon, as the hearse stopped, applause and cheers started. “there is only one ricky hatton,” rang out – a melody that echoes Manchester and Las Vegas’ famous nights of seismic battles with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Later, as the main ceremony began in the cathedral, the Mayor of Manchester andy burnhamoasis frontman Liam Gallagherfootball icon Wayne Rooney, tyson fury And innumerable stars of the boxing world gathered. Speeches by Hatton’s mother and son brought more tears.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ll miss you, Dad,” said Hatton’s 24-year-old son Campbell, who himself was a professional boxer until this year. “I will do my best to make you proud, I love you so much,” he said, sobbing between words, thinking of how his own daughter Lyla “idealized” her grandfather.
This was followed by a speech written by Hatton’s mother, Carol, although read aloud by another voice. He recalled that other mothers in the ward where Hatton was born had assured him that the delivery was “not so bad”, only that Hatton weighed almost twice as much as their babies. A condition meant that newborn Hatton had bruises around his eyes; “Everyone said he was a little bruised. He looked like a boxer.”
That was the very beginning; It was unimaginable that the life of one of Britain’s most remarkable athletes would end so soon. Yet what Friday showed above all was this: Hatton was valued more as a person than as a boxer. Perhaps this is the most important thing.