Campbell Hatton has paid tribute to his late father Ricky and provided an update on how his family are coping in the aftermath of his tragic passing.
Hatton passed away at the age of 46 last month after being discovered at his home. He was found having failed to turn up at the gym and at a fight he was expected to watch. His death, which has rocked the sporting world, is not being treated as suspicious.
Thousands turned up to say farewell to the boxing icon last Friday when his funeral was held at Manchester Cathedral and an inquest into his death begins today.
And, speaking to Good Morning Britain, Ricky’s son Campbell reflected on recent events.
‘Yeah it’s been a bit of a whirlwind the last few weeks,’ he said. ‘Obviously, we’ve been leading up to the funeral, which was unbelievable to see the amount of love everyone had for my dad.
‘There were thousands in the streets, and there was a lot of comfort to take from that.
Campbell Hatton, son of Ricky, has spoken out ahead of the inquest into his death
‘It has been very up and down, really, but just as a family, we’re trying to take each day at a time, really.’
‘He always said he was more proud of his fanbase than all the belts and his titles.
‘Surprised is probably the wrong word because it was obvious how much he was loved by the amount of people that followed him all over the world to watch him box.
‘To actually see everyone in the streets, it was a very long route that we went down, and there was never a point where the streets weren’t full. To actually see it in terms of the amount of people, it was surreal really.’
Speaking earlier this month ahead of his father’s funeral, Campbell had paid tribute to his father.
‘We are absolutely heartbroken – it was so unexpected,’ Campbell told ITV.
‘We had so many plans coming up, so it has knocked us for six, but obviously, we are trying to be there for each other. The outpouring of support from absolutely everyone has been amazing, so that’s helping us through a lot – but yes, absolutely heartbroken.’
Campbell added: ‘He used to call me his little Mini-Me. We were identical in so many ways, and I think it’s shown through how close we were and the banter we had with each other.
‘To so many, he was Ricky Hatton the boxer, but to me, he was just my dad, and to the family, it was Richard. We just can’t get our heads round it at the minute.’
Last month, Hatton was found when his manager Paul Speak went to check on him the following morning, which is when the boxer’s lifeless body was discovered.
Reflecting on the horrifying incident, Speak told Boxing News Magazine: ‘The lights weren’t on, which I thought was strange. I thought he’d overslept, but it’s not unusual. People do oversleep.
‘I heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs… I took a look at him… I had to take some time to process it.
‘I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance. But I firmly believe he didn’t intend to do it. It’s for the coroner to determine, but he had it all to live for.
‘If this was 10 years ago, it wouldn’t have been as big a shock as it was. I’ve been with Ricky to the very highest mountains in boxing to the lowest chasm in life.’
At Thursday’s inquest, which begins at South Manchester Coroners’ Court in Stockport at 9am, some circumstances of the death alongside the medical cause of death may be confirmed if known.
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