Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46, just two months after announcing a comeback fight following a 13-year absence from the ring.
Hatton, known as “The Hitman,” was found dead at his home in Hyde, northwest England. Greater Manchester Police confirmed they were not treating the death as suspicious.
“Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man,” a police spokesman said. “There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
Hatton, one of Britain’s most popular fighters, won multiple world titles in the light-welterweight division and one at welterweight. He began his professional career in 1997, securing 45 victories in 48 bouts. His biggest wins came against Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo before high-profile defeats to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
He briefly came out of retirement in 2012 for a loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester. Despite challenges outside the ring, including family disputes and legal battles with his former trainer Billy Graham, Hatton went on to build a career as a trainer, guiding Zhanat Zhakiyanov to a world bantamweight title in 2017.
Hatton was also open about his mental health struggles. In July, he announced plans to fight Eisa Al Dah in Dubai this December. He last appeared in a non-scoring exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.
Tributes poured in following his death. Promoter Frank Warren called him a “modern great” who inspired a generation of fighters and fans. Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury wrote: “Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton, may he rip. There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton.”
Former world champion Amir Khan described Hatton as “a mentor, warrior and one of Britain’s greatest boxers,” highlighting his openness about mental health struggles.
Manchester City, the club Hatton passionately supported, said they were devastated by his passing and announced a minute’s appreciation ahead of their derby against Manchester United. Organisers of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool also confirmed they would pay tribute to him.
