How fight fans fell in love with the people's champion

Ricky Hatton was adored by the public, writes Steve Bunce, and despite his passing, their affection for him will endure

- Steve Bunce

They filled the arenas and pubs and streets every time Ricky Hatton fought, and they sang “there’s only one Ricky Hatton” until dawn.

Ricky Hatton, who was found dead at his home on Sunday at the age of 46, was the council estate boy who grew up in a pub and took about 60,000 fans to Las Vegas when he was one of boxing's top attractions. He was British boxing's most popular fighter, and that title feels like it will be his crown for a long, long time.

He won world title fights at 3am against the odds in his beloved Manchester, and he went down in glory in massive fights on other unforgettable nights in Las Vegas; each time the fans sang their endless chorus of devotion. And it was true; there was only one Ricky Hatton.

Hatton turned professional one night in 1997 at a leisure centre in Widnes and won, obviously. His name was not even on the poster, he was never the chosen one, the golden boy, the poster boy. He was just a kid from Manchester with a bit of amateur pedigree and a style that fans liked.