Dave Allen has revealed the incredible gesture that Ricky Hatton once made for him - a moment that showed the influence that Hatton had on many boxers.
Hatton's funeral took place at midday on Friday, with friends, family and fans gathering to pay their respects to one of Britain's most loved sportsmen.
The service, held in Manchester, was attended by several of boxing's biggest names, including Conor Benn, Amir Khan and Tony Bellew.
Hatton's son Campbell delivered an emotional tribute to his father saying : "Never has a father and son had so much in common."
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Hatton was a hugely popular figure within the boxing world and is widely credited for inspiring the next generation of British boxers. One of the most iconic moments of his career came in 2007, when 30,000 British fans travelled to Las Vegas to watch him fight Floyd Mayweather.
Among those inspired by Hatton's career was British boxer Allen, who shared his own tribute to Hatton.
He said: "I've always told the same story about Ricky.
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"When I watched Mayweather-Ricky Hatton as a 15 year old, I didn't have a clue about boxing before I watched this, I didn't really know who either of them were.
"I think about 11 or 12 years later, I'm on the bus ride... reading the Metro.
"Ricky Hatton used to write a column in the Metro and it said: 'my mate Dave Allen is fighting.' and I was so f*****g proud."
The Doncaster-born boxer continued: "I couldn't believe it, Ricky Hatton said I was his mate in the paper.
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"I honestly was buzzing, because he was a genuine legend of British boxing, but he was bigger than boxing as well."
Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester on September 14.
He had been preparing for a comeback fight in December against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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The news of his death shocked the boxing world and tributes have poured in over the past month from some of the sport's biggest names.
Ahead of the funeral, former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury took to Instagram to issue a tribute to Hatton.
Fury said: "Today is the day of Ricky Hatton's funeral and I'm not going to be alone here when I say this, but Ricky inspired me as a young boy to go on and do great things in boxing.
"I wanted to be just like him: the ring walks, the flashy shorts, the fans, the chanting."
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Fury also posted a short video of himself running to Bobby Vinton's Blue Moon, a song closely associated to Hatton's beloved Manchester City.
Topics: Ricky Hatton, Boxing, Tyson Fury, Boxing News
James Taylor