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Ricky Hatton, the former world boxing champion who rose to become one of the most popular fighters in the sport, has died. He was 46.
Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester, CBS News partner BBC News and Britain’s Press Association reported Sunday.
The World Boxing Association mourned Hatton’s death on social media Sunday.
“With deep sadness, the WBA mourns the passing of Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton,” the WBA wrote. “A true champion, an indomitable spirit, and a legend of the sport. Your legacy will live on in every fight and in the hearts of boxing fans around the world.”
Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.
“Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement to BBC News. “There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
Police would not reveal the identity of the man, but said they were working with his family to provide a statement for the media.
Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.
Jon Super / AP
“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.
“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.”
News of Hatton’s death comes two months after he announced he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.
Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight.
He rose through amateur and domestic levels and at the height of his career shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Junior Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo 
Hatton’s down-to-earth demeanour also endeared him to fans across the world, and he was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.
“As fighters, we tell ourselves we’re strong – we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”
Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight title in 2005.
Pound for pound, great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester.
Hatton later described it as his greatest win but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge fights.
In a post on X, his former manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented fighter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”
Hatton lost for the first time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.
After a sold-out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds.
Hatton retired after that defeat, but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.
While he lost to Vyacheslav Senchenko, the very fact that he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.
Speaking to the BBC in 2022, Ricky Hatton discussed his struggles with his mental health over the years. After his knockout in 2009 he knew his career was over, despite a short-lived comeback in 2012.
“I had no boxing. My career was over. I’d fallen out with my parents. I’d fallen out with my trainer Billy Graham. That’s when it got to rock bottom,” he said. “I just went out on the warpath. It was horrible for people to see.”
He became an ambassador for the mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably in 2023, according to the BBC.
“If a boxer can come out and say they’re struggling and crying every day, it’s going to make a huge difference,” he explained to the BBC in 2020.
“Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health.”
Outside of the ring, Hatton was a lifelong fan of Manchester City.
The club said there would be a minute of appreciation for Hatton at Sunday’s derby against Manchester United.
“Ricky was one of City’s most loved and revered supporters, who will always be remembered for a glittering boxing career that saw him win world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight,” City said in a statement. “Everyone at the Club would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.”
The announcement of Hatton’s return to the ring later this year came after he had enjoyed success as a trainer, coaching Zhanat Zhakiyanov to a world bantamweight title win in 2017.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
