‘A source of comfort to see how many lives he touched’
Ricky Hatton’s family in a statement have described their immense grief at the loss and how moved they’ve been by the outpouring of love and respect for him.
The family said:
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son Richard.
Richard was so much more than a world champion. To us he was simply ‘Richard’, our son. A loving father, grandfather, and brother, and a true friend to many.
He had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.
To the wider world, Richard will always be remembered as one of boxing’s greatest champions — a man who gave everything inside the ring and wore his heart on his sleeve outside of it.
He inspired generations with his fighting spirit, his humility, and his love for the sport. But beyond the titles, the nights to remember, and the roar of the crowd, he remained the same down-to-earth Richard who never forgot where he came from.
As a family, our loss is immeasurable, and words cannot truly capture the pain we feel. Yet in the midst of our grief, we have been deeply moved by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support.
It has been a source of great comfort to see just how many lives Richard touched, and how widely he was admired and respected.
At this time, we kindly ask for privacy as we come to terms with life without him. In the days and weeks ahead, we will take strength from one another and from the knowledge that Richard’s legacy — both in boxing and as a man — will continue to live on.
Richard’s memory will forever remain in our hearts, in the hearts of his fans, and in the sport he loved so dearly.
With love and gratitude,
The Hatton Family
‘The people’s champion and that’s one title you cannot win’
25 years ago Hatton won the British title, with a tough, exciting win over Jon Thaxton.
“After the final bell went we were good friends and the respect has always been there,” Thaxton told Sky Sports News. “Ricky is a great person. A genuine person and one that I went 12 good hard rounds with. People still talk about that fight now. I’m very proud of that.
“During the fight one of the first punches I landed split his eye. I’ve got to be honest, I thought I’d won the lottery. Second round I had my victory speech worked out, third round the mortgage was paid. But you know what, he went on and he won on points.
“It was my favourite fight and it was fight that actually made me. Even now people stop me in the street and ask me about it.”
Thaxton added: “He was a genuine guy and he was the people’s champion and that’s one title you cannot win.
“He was just genuine. He would fight, he would train and then he would just be a normal guy. Had time for everyone.
“When he was in prime he only ever got beat by the best pound-for-pound in the world.”
‘No one could do it quite like Hatton’
Jamie Moore, a friend and stablemate of Hatton’s, and now a trainer himself, said the great champion’s “superpower was being able to do extraordinary things while still keeping your feet firmly on the ground”:
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Manchester will look to honour Hatton
The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said the city will look to honour Hatton.
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Hatton’s brother Matthew pays tribute
Ricky Hatton’s younger brother Matthew posted this touching gallery of images of them both.
Matthew, a former European welterweight champion, had regularly fought on the same boxing shows as Ricky.
Our thoughts are with him, and all of the Hatton family tonight.
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‘He lived life to the fullest’
He had a connection to his fans, maybe more so than anyone before or since. He really embraced it all. He never forgot his roots, he was very much a man of the people, says Sky Sports‘ Matthew Macklin:
Only one Ricky Hatton – the legacy of a British boxing legend
‘There’s only one Ricky Hatton’ was the chant that echoed throughout the Manchester legend’s boxing career. There was only one Ricky Hatton, and perhaps there could ever only be one.
No one before had injected the same kind of vibrant excitement into British boxing as Hatton did:
Carragher: The most popular British fighter I can ever remember
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White pays tribute to ‘legend and top man’
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