The boxing world was left devastated on Sunday morning (September 14) when news broke that former fighter Ricky Hatton had sadly passed away.
Fighters past and present have been paying tribute to 'The Hit-Man' in the days since his unfortunate passing, with Tyson Fury, Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao among those to have reacted to the sudden news.
Hatton, who was a big Manchester City supporter, was remembered through a minute's applause before the start of the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.
City midfielder Phil Foden dedicated his performance and goal from the match to Hatton, writing "That was for you Ricky", in a social media post.
Conor Benn speaks on Hatton's passing
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Conor Benn was the latest to pay tribute to Hatton on Wednesday (September 17), while he was promoting his upcoming rematch with Chris Eubank Jr.
"Lost for words. It’s a hard one to swallow because he meant a lot to me. He took me in and made me feel like one of his own," the 28-year-old told Sky Sports.
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"He gave me a home when I needed it, that’s boxing aside. He’s always had time for me," Benn added.
"He’s always been a role model to me. He is my hero."
In addition to speaking fondly of the British boxing legend, Benn wore an old City home kit to the news conference as another way of honouring his idol.
Hatton often represented the badge and colours of his beloved football team during his boxing career and would walk out to 'Blue Moon', which is regularly heard at City home matches.
Benn will be hoping he can resemble Hatton's renown strong mentality and spirit when he faces off against Eubank Jr. again on November 15 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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