Ricky Hatton dead at 46, after booze and mental health struggles

Former world champion Ricky Hatton has passed away at the age of 46.

Known to fans as 'the Hitman', he captured world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and was regarded as one of Britain’s most beloved boxers.

He was discovered at his home in Manchester on Sunday.

A police spokesperson from Greater Manchester confirmed: "Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man.

"There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances."

Across a decorated 15-year career, Hatton won 45 of his 48 professional fights, with his final bout taking place in 2012.

His career highlights included world title victories over Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, although he later suffered defeats at the hands of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton’s success in the ring earned him a loyal fanbase.

When he faced Mayweather in Las Vegas in 2007, more than 30,000 supporters travelled to back him, and chants of "there's only one Ricky Hatton" rang out at the MGM Grand even after his loss.

Those same chants were heard once again when he had his last professional fight in Manchester five years later.

This past July, Hatton revealed plans to make a return to boxing. He was scheduled to take on Eisa Al Dah at middleweight on 2 December in Dubai.

Although organisers promoted the match as a professional contest, there was uncertainty over whether it would be fully sanctioned.

Hatton had previously attempted a comeback in 2012, which ended in defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester, and he later faced Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition match in 2022.

When he agreed to fight Barrera, a former rival who became a close friend, Hatton opened up about his struggles with depression.

In 2023, his life and battles with mental health were explored in a documentary titled Hatton.