Hatton, who was 46-years-old and hailed from Stockport, was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester on Sunday 14 September. A cause of death has not yet been announced.
Following the sad news, the Cheshire Cheese pub in Gee Cross, Hyde, where the welterweight boxer was a regular, penned a heartfelt tribute, shared to its social media.
Describing Hatton as a “friend”, the post said: “To many in the world he was a legend, a hero, a world champion, a celebrity, to us he was Rick, the guy that after Dancing On Ice [which he appeared on in 2024] did his press commitments then turned up in roller boots and skated around the pub.
Devastating news
“He was Rick who spent his nights telling awful dad jokes, he was Rick who brought the quietest soul in the pub into the circle so they could walk away saying ‘I had a drink with Ricky Hatton tonight’.”
Posted by licensee Tony Cooper, who said he had known Hatton for fifteen years, the statement added the whole team at the Cheshire Cheese were “devastated” by the news.
The post continued: “Our friend, we will miss your dad jokes, we will miss the ‘one more Guinness for the road but make it a baby one’, we will miss you doing the worm and we most of all will miss you.
“Queen Elizabeth once said ‘the price we pay for love is grief’. Today and all of the tomorrows we grieve because we loved you.”
World titles
The pub said while it had been "inundated” with requests for comment, the social media post would be the only statement it would make.
Known by nicknames such as ‘the Hitman’ and ‘the People’s Champion’, Hatton competed between 1997 and 2012, winning two world titles, and later worked as a boxing promoter and trainer.
Hatton also received an MBE for his services to sport in the 2007 New Years Honours. He is survived by his three children.
