Campbell Hatton says it has been a “whirlwind” few weeks since his dad Ricky’s death as he spoke live on TV shortly before a first inquest hearing on Thursday. The legendary Manchester boxer was found dead at his home in Gee Cross, Hyde on September 14. Greater Manchester Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. Hatton’s family said that “to all our knowledge, despite his well-documented struggles, Richard was in a good place”.
An inquest opening was held this morning at South Manchester Coroner’s Court in Stockport. It was revealed that Ricky’s provisional cause of death was ‘hanging’. A full inquest will now be held on March 20 next year. Huge crowds gathered last week (Friday, October 10) for Hatton’s funeral as a cortege made a 15-mile journey from Gee Cross into the city centre for a service at Manchester Cathedral. Some of Manchester’s other most successful sons, including Wayne Rooney and Tyson Fury, were among those who mourned the loss of ‘The Hitman’.
And Ricky’s 24-year-old son Campbell, who helped carry the coffin in heartbreaking scenes, has now spoken publicly about his father’s death live on Good Morning Britain.
When asked by GMB host Kate Garraway how he’s coping, Hatton Jr replied: “Yeah, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind the last few weeks. 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. 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.”
Hatton’s body was found by friend and long-time manager Paul Speak. “We are all in shock at the events that unfolded over the weekend,” read a statement, posted to Ricky’s Instagram account. “Richard was not alone in life or in the days before the weekend.”
Hatton was due to fight Eisa Al Dah on December 2 in Dubai having last fought professionally back in 2012. It was expected to be a professional bout.
The family added: “His bag was packed ready to go to Dubai to promote a comeback fight and he was planning a celebration in Dubai, which his beloved girls Millie and Fearne were to be the centre of.
“He was excited that they would see him fight for the first time in person. He was a doting grandfather and loved spending time with Campbell and Lydia.”
They added that Hatton was a “true friend to many” and “remained the same down-to-earth Richard who never forgot where he came from”.