The full inquest into the death of Ricky Hatton, the former two-weight world boxing champion and one of Britain’s most popular boxers, is being heard today at Stockport Coroner’s Court, six months after he was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, at the age of 46.
A pre-inquest hearing in October established the basic timeline. The court heard that Hatton (45-3, 32 KOs) was last seen by family members on 12 September and appeared “well,” according to BBC Sport. He did not attend an event the following day. On the morning of 14 September, his manager and long-time friend Paul Speak went to Hatton’s home to take him to Manchester Airport for a flight to Dubai, where Hatton was due to promote a planned comeback fight. Speak found him unresponsive.
Greater Manchester Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The earlier hearing was brief, with a provisional cause of death given before the coroner adjourned proceedings to today’s full inquest. Today’s hearing is expected to review the evidence more comprehensively and deliver a formal conclusion.
A city’s farewell
The scale of public grief after Hatton’s death was made visible at his funeral in October, when thousands lined the streets of Hyde, Denton and Manchester as the cortege made its way to Manchester Cathedral for a private memorial service.
The procession was led by the Reliant van from Only Fools and Horses, a nod to Hatton’s love of the sitcom and the original three-wheeler he once bought and drove around Manchester. Mourners chanted “there’s only one Ricky Hatton” at stops along the route, which passed Hatton’s Gym, Hyde Town Hall and the AO Arena before reaching the cathedral. Manchester City flags were waved throughout, Sky Sports reported.
Inside the cathedral, Tyson Fury, Frank Bruno, Amir Khan, Liam Gallagher, Wayne Rooney and Andrew Flintoff were among those in attendance. The mourners included boxers, footballers, musicians, and politicians, reflecting a reach that extended beyond the sport.
His son Campbell gave a tribute. “I can’t explain how much I’m going to miss you, dad,” he said. “We won’t be making any new memories, but the ones we did I will cherish for ever.”
The People’s Champion
Hatton turned professional in 1997 and built his reputation on relentless pressure fighting and volume punching. The defining night came in June 2005, when he stopped Kostya Tszyu to win the IBF light-welterweight title in Manchester, a victory that made him a national sporting figure. He later won a world title at welterweight and recorded 12 sell-outs at the Manchester Arena.
He drew more than 30,000 fans to Las Vegas for his 2007 fight against Floyd Mayweather and took similarly enormous support for his bout with Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing both by stoppage. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024.
Today’s inquest is expected to bring a formal conclusion to the legal process surrounding the death of the fighter who remained a fixture in his home city.
