Among the star-studded mourners who descended on Manchester Cathedral to pay their final farewells to Ricky Hatton yesterday, there was one man who – quite literally – stood out above everyone else.
For the 6ft 9in Tyson Fury arrived at the funeral of his late friend with an extraordinary colourful suit made up entirely of images of himself.
The Gypsy King, towering above all the grievers which included Liam Gallagher and Wayne Rooney, clutched a McDonald’s coffee cup as he arrived at the funeral in the eye-catching two-piece.
It featured artwork of Fury sitting on a throne while wearing a crown, as well as images of him marrying his wife Paris.
Most of the suit, which he which he paired with a black shirt, tie and waistcoat, also contained displays of religious iconography which showed Fury in front of stained glass windows.
The choice of outfit sparked some backlash towards the two-time heavyweight world champion for his decision to wear it during the sombre occasion which saw thousands flock to the streets to say their goodbyes to Hatton, who died aged 46 last month.
But it has now emerged that he may have donned the outfit as a heartwarming nod to his friendship with the late boxer.
Because while Fury was presenting then-BT Sports’ coverage of Daniel Dubois’ victory over Ricardo Snijders in 2020, Fury wore a similar suit featuring dozens of images of boxers through the ages – which Hatton hilariously mocked him for at the time.
Recording from the pub in a clip he shared on social media at the time, Hatton said: ‘Tyson, what are you doing with that suit on? I remember when David Haye used to wear s*** suits, but now you’ve overtook him you d*****, oh my god!’
Fury, who is known for his striking outfits, also paid a more serious tribute to Hatton while on his morning run before the funeral.
In a video he shared online, Fury said: ‘Today is the day of Ricky Hatton’s funeral. And I’m not going to be alone here when I say this, but Ricky inspired me as a young boy to go on and do great things in boxing.
‘I wanted to be just like him: the ring walks, the flashy shorts, the fans, the chanting.
‘When I was a little kid, he was fighting for his world title in Manchester and I was there, along with a lot of kids, to watch a world title fight by Ricky.
‘So without Ricky Hatton, Manchester wouldn’t have had, the north west wouldn’t have had, the UK wouldn’t have had so many boxing world champions inspired by the great Hitman Hatton.
‘Rest in peace, Rick. See you soon, buddy.’
The Gypsy King was seen speaking to former boxer Tony Bellew, as well as Oasis frontman Gallagher – a long-term friend of Hatton who joined him on his ring walk once in 2008 – and Manchester United legend Rooney at the service.
He led the great and good of British boxing with Amir Khan, Tony Bellew, Frank Bruno, Scott Welch, Derek Chisora and Frazer Clarke arriving as well as former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff.
Also among the mourners were Hatton’s emotional parents Carol and Ray who led the rest of his family into the service; as well as former trainer Billy Graham, from whom he was inseparable on his journey from an amateur to the top of the boxing world.
Other celebrities included Rooney’s wife Coleen, Hatton’s ex-girlfriend Claire Sweeney, comedian Paddy McGuinness, darts legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, Coronation Street actor Bruce Jones, TV personality Calum Best, ex-Manchester City footballer Paul Dickov, sports presenter Chris Kamara and EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney.
As mourners arrived at the cathedral, a brass band played Winter Wonderland, synonymous with his fans’ chant ‘There’s Only One Ricky Hatton’, which rang round the many stadiums he fought in.
Hundreds of people outside broke into applause as the cortege arrived. Several shouts of ‘go on Ricky’ were heard and people sang ‘There’s Only One Ricky Hatton’.
The service was played to the crowds outside the cathedral and Hatton’s son Campbell, who followed his father into the boxing ring, paid an emotional tribute, saying: ‘I can’t explain how much I’m going to miss you, dad, and that we won’t be making any new memories – but the ones we did I will cherish forever.’
He added: ‘Growing up I looked up to my dad in every aspect of life whether it be following in a career in boxing like he did or the way he carried himself out of the ring. But all of that was fuelled by the love I had and always will have for him.
‘I am so proud of my dad that it’s hard to put into words. Not just his boxing career, the one-of-a-kind fanbase and the things that made him the People’s Champion but because of how happy we all were when we were all together.’
Hatton’s daughter Fearne, 12, said: ‘Over the 12 years I have had with you, we have made so many memories. The memories I have loved the most was when we were at your house watching Grown Ups or being in the games room playing darts.’
And his daughter Millie, 13, said: ‘I cherish all the memories we had – singing Oasis in the car, in particular Live Forever… just seeing your face in general.
‘Although you were the greatest boxer and I am forever proud of all you achieved in the ring, my favourite times with you were when we were just in the house singing Oasis and watching Grown Ups. I miss you unconditionally, daddy.’
Hatton’s mother Carol said in a statement read on her behalf: ”The Hitman’ was adored by his army of fans – the People’s Champion, and he would say that’s how he would want to be remembered. Long before this accolade he was our little champion from the day he was born.’
Scores of Mancunians also lined the streets to watch Hatton’s procession and to pay their respect to one of the city’s favourite sons.
The funeral cortege departed from the Cheshire Cheese pub – Hatton’s local – on Stockport Road in Hyde and travelled to the Harehill Tavern, with doves being released his honour honour at The New Inn.
In a nod to Hatton’s love of classic TV comedy Only Fools and Horses, his yellow Reliant Robin van formed part of the cortege, transported on a low-loader trailer.
