Ricky Hatton’s cause of death confirmed days after funeral | Boxing | Sport
Ricky Hatton died by ‘hanging’, an inquest heard on Thursday morning (October 16). The two-weight boxing champion was found dead at his home in Hyde by manager and long-time friend Paul Speak last month.
A funeral for the Englishman then took place last week, as thousands of mourners lined the streets of the city to pay tribute to Hatton as his cortege made its way to Manchester Cathedral. And on Thursday morning, an inquest into Hatton’s passing was opened, with coroner Alison Mutch sharing his cause of death. The court was told Ricky was found ‘unresponsive’ at his home.
A provisional cause of death was given as ‘hanging’, and a full inquest will be held on March 20 next year.
Last weekend, thousands of mourners lined the streets of Manchester as his cortege made its way to Manchester Cathedral.
Hatton’s coffin stopped off at a number of places close to him on the way to the ceremony, including the Cheshire Cheese Pub, the Betta Bodies Gym and the AO Arena. In attendance at the service itself were a number of Hatton’s close friends, including Tyson Fury, Liam Gallagher, Tony Bellew and Frank Bruno.
Wayne Rooney, Andrew Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness were also among the mourners who attended the service, while Sky Sports’ Adam Smith delivered a heart-breaking eulogy from inside the cathedral. After the service, Hatton’s cortege stopped off at the Etihad Stadium – the home of his beloved Manchester City.
It then moved on to a private committal, attended by the closest members of Hatton’s inner circle, including his family. Hatton will be remembered as one of the world’s greatest-ever boxers, retiring from the sport in November 2012 with a record of 45 wins and just three losses – but it was his down-to-earth demeanour that landed him in the hearts of fans accross the globe.
He was also a tireless ambassador for mental health charities, as well as Barnabus – a Manchester-based cause which supports the homeless and the vulnerable. In his retirement, Hatton took part in a none-scored exhibition bout with Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2022 which lasted eight rounds.
He was also set to return to the ring this December to face Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in a professional setting.
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