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Ricky Hatton funeral: Thousands mourn boxer in Manchester

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Manchester will finally say goodbye to one of its most beloved sporting heroes when two-division world champion Ricky Hatton is laid to rest on Friday.

Hatton, a popular larger-than-life figure who unified the welterweight division and also won the world welterweight title, was found dead at the age of 46 at his home in Hyde on September 14.

The funeral procession will start at 9.45am BST from the Cheshire Cheese Pub – Hatton’s venue – and make its way to Manchester Cathedral, with thousands of people lining the streets to reflect on his life and times.

The procession includes stops at Hatton’s boxing gym and the AO Arena, where he had some of his best nights, with the highlight undoubtedly being his victory over the celebrated Kostya Tszyu on a raucous evening 20 years ago to win his first world title.

After a private memorial service at noon, a memorial march will head to the Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton’s beloved Manchester City.

The news of Hatton’s death was announced just hours before the Manchester derby at Eastlands Stadium, and just before kick-off, City and United players and fans reacted with a minute’s applause.

It was just one of countless tributes paid to “Hitman”, including from former world heavyweight champions Frank Bruno, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, fellow Briton Amir Khan, venerable foe Manny Pacquiao and Hatton’s hero Roberto Duran.

Hatton’s action-packed style earned him 45 wins and three losses in 48 contests, but it was his down-to-earth demeanor that particularly endeared him to fellow professionals and fans around the world.

Proof of this was the tens of thousands who followed him to Las Vegas, where he fought two of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his era, Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao, and stories of British fans chanting “there’s only one Ricky Hatton” and drinking Sin City became boxing folklore.

Hatton suffered his first professional defeat when he was stopped by Mayweather in 2007, and a brutal second-round knockout by Pacquiao two years later hastened his decline from top-level boxing.

A failed comeback attempt against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012 was the first public admission that Hatton was struggling to cope in retirement.

He was a tireless ambassador for mental health charities, as well as Manchester-based Barnabus, which supports homeless and vulnerable people, and in a bid to fill the void, he became a successful trainer.

After participating in a scoreless match against Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, Hatton announced in July that he would return to the ring in a professional fight in Dubai in December.

He returned to training and his family said he was “in a good place” and “excited about the future” before his death, in what Greater Manchester Police said were no suspicious circumstances.

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Erik Morales Gives Fair Verdict on Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2: “Who Will Win”

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Erik Morales delivers honest verdict on Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2: “That’s who will win”

Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales, who is the same age as Floyd Mayweather, presented his version of the 49-year-old’s expected rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

The two pound-for-pound icons will face off in a professional competition on September 19, headlining the Netflix event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

However, their second meeting seemed to be in jeopardy after Mayweather stated last month that it would be an exhibition match.

Pacquiao and his team have since stated that it will be a fully sanctioned fight, but we are still waiting for an official announcement.

Their first meeting took place in 2015 and earned Mayweather a unanimous decision victory in an event that quickly became known as the most lucrative boxing event of all time.

Shortly thereafter Pacquiao claimed he entered the welterweight fight with a shoulder injurybut he never had the opportunity to exact his revenge.

But now the 47-year-old hopes to break Mayweather’s 50-0 record after ending his nearly four-year hiatus from professional boxing last July.

But while the Filipino drew with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, many suggested he and Mayweather shouldn’t be entering the ring at this stage of their lives.

One of them is Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times, winning the first meeting but losing the next two. He told Fight Hub TV that the rematch would be won by the Hall of Famer who turned down the fight the least.

“We’re not at the age to get into fights. But hey, it’ll be intriguing. Whoever arrives the least injured and a little faster, [will win]”

Ahead of any rematch with Pacquiao, Mayweather confirmed he would fight Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis on June 27.

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Deontay Wilder Manager: Joshua’s fight ‘never was’

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Image: Deontay Wilder Manager: Joshua Fight ‘Never Was’

“You can’t be disappointed with something that never happened,” Finkel told Sky Sports. “Eddie never contacted us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder. Same venerable story, just novel date.”

The comments question Eddie Hearn’s recent suggestions that Anthony Joshua could face Wilder ahead of his planned clash with Tyson Fury in slow 2026.

Joshua is instead scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyad, ending any immediate speculation about the long-discussed clash with Wilder.

Just a few weeks ago, Eddie Hearn was here calling Wilder a warm-up fight for Joshua’s scheduled fight with Tyson Fury. This is a solemn marketing move. This keeps the fans engaged and gives the impression that AJ is willing to take on the most risky puncher in the league just to keep himself busy.

However, Shelly Finkel’s answer is fascinating. He firmly stated that there was “no reason” to be frustrated because no real approach was ever taken. If Hearn was solemn, the first step would have been to email or call Finkel. According to Wilder’s camp, such a thing never happened.

Instead of Wilder, Joshua is now officially scheduled to face the little-known Prenga. This move serves two purposes for Joshua’s camp: It is a much safer fight as Joshua rehabs from his car accident earlier this year. It also opens the door to a massive fight with Fury in slow 2026 without the risk of Wilder ruining a payday with one right hand.

This has been a pattern for years. We saw this in 2019 when uncontested talks failed, and again in 2023 when both were on the “Day of Reckoning” card but never actually paired up.

Wilder, who recently returned to the ring after a victory over Derek Chisora, also mentioned his interest in a future fight with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Finkel’s comments suggest that Joshua’s fight remains in familiar territory, being discussed publicly but never formally pursued behind the scenes.

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Hall of Fame champion claims he would be the one to beat Terence Crawford: ‘I’m going to win’

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Hall of Fame champion says he would have been the man to beat Terence Crawford: “I’m going to win”

The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.

Many consider “Bud” to be one of the greatest welterweight champions of all time, considering his size undisputed triumph over Errol Spence Jr in 2023

He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.

Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.

After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.

However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.

Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.

Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.

It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.

“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”

While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.

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