Manchester City and Manchester United came together on Sunday to pay tribute to British boxing great Ricky Hatton, who has aged 46.
Hatton was found dead at his home in Manchester on the morning of the game. The former two-weight world champion was famously a devout City fan.
Unforgettable sporting nights such as his seismic victory over long-reigning champion Kostya Tszyu in June 2005 and his excursions to Las Vegas meant Hatton was a much-loved figure on both sides of the city’s footballing divide.
Before kickoff at the 197th Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, both teams and the capacity crowd inside the ground took part in a moment of appreciation for Hatton, breaking into his famous fan anthem “There’s Only One Ricky Hatton”.
There’s only one Ricky Hatton :blue_heart: pic.twitter.com/kN8eNg4R6F
— Dom Farrell (@DomFarrell1986) September 14, 2025
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Ricky Hatton tribute at Manchester City
Both teams and sets of fans took part in what was described as “a minute’s appreciation” at the Etihad, where Hatton actually fought at the height of his career.
In May 2008, he took part in a homecoming fight against Juan Lazcano. Hatton scored a unanimous decision win, bouncing back from a maiden career loss to all-time great Floyd Mayweather Jr. and paving the way for a final world-title success against Paulie Malignaggi later that year.
Speaking before the game, Manchester-born attacking midfielder and fellow City fan Phil Foden told Sky Sports: “My heart goes out to his family at this time. Obviously, to hear the news before a big game is devastating and I’m sure he would’ve been here supporting us.
“Today is for him and we’re going to try to get the win and do the best we can for him. We’ve got to use it as motivation.”
