Ricky Hatton: Manchester’s Hero, The Hitman’s Final Journey

The Thursday after Ricky Hatton’s passing feels strangely ordinary in Hyde. At the Cheshire Cheese pub in Gee Cross — one of Hatton’s locals — regulars sip their pints and chat away, just as the Hitman himself would have wanted. Life goes on, but the shadow of loss lingers.

Just around the corner sits The Heartbreak, Hatton’s gated home named after Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. It’s now a shrine. Flowers, Manchester City shirts, boxing gloves, Guinness cans, and even Only Fools and Horses memorabilia — a nod to Hatton’s love for the sitcom and his iconic three-wheeled van — lie at the gates.

The Saint Of Manchester

Among the mourners are Trev and his wife, Sue. Trev, who moved to the area during Hatton’s prime, remembers how Hatton raised money for a cancer charity that once supported Sue’s late son.

“I wasn’t from here, but he showed me what it takes to be a Mancunian,” Trev says. “He should be known as the saint of Manchester.”

Hatton’s generosity off the canvas was as legendary as his ferocity inside the ring. He stayed close to his roots, never straying far from the Hattersley council estate where he grew up, and that grounded humility made him loved far beyond Manchester.

Manchester’s Greatest Fighter

At just 46, Hatton’s passing feels cruelly early. But in those years, he became more than a boxer. The two-weight world champion put Manchester on the global boxing map, becoming a figurehead for Hyde, Tameside, and beyond.

For many, he wasn’t just Manchester’s greatest fighter — he was its beating heart.

A Final Farewell

On Friday, thousands will line the streets of Greater Manchester to say goodbye. From the Cheshire Cheese pub to Manchester Cathedral, the route of Hatton’s final journey will be packed with fans of Ricky Hatton the fighter, and Ricky Hatton the man.

Banners will wave, chants will rise, and tears will fall. But above all, the city will celebrate the life of Richard John Hatton — an icon, a champion, and forever, a Mancunian hero.

At Sports Market International, we honour sporting legends who transcend their craft. Ricky Hatton wasn’t just a boxer. He was Manchester’s Hitman, and he’ll never be forgotten.