British boxer Ricky Hatton died at 46, before his planned return to the ring, leaving his fans stunned. The announcement of his death caused a huge impact in the sport.
BBC London reported that Greater Manchester Police confirmed the event through a statement. Authorities said they had found the former lightweight champion’s body in a house in Hyde.
According to the New York Post, “the death is not being treated as suspicious.” A neighbor had called police on Sunday to check on the former boxer known as “The Hitman.”
A successful career and a constant inner battle
Hatton competed professionally from 1997 to 2012, building a record of 45-3 that included titles in the light welterweight and welterweight divisions. He only lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, and Vyacheslav Senchenko.
If this ever needed saying again..
If you’re struggling. Fucking speak to someone. #RickyHatton pic.twitter.com/7bHSV8bEmu— Ryan (@ChappsRyan2000) September 14, 2025
After retiring, Hatton openly discussed his struggles with depression, alcohol, and drugs. He eventually overcame those challenges and was preparing for his comeback in December, in a fight scheduled against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.
“I was going off the rails with my drinking and that led me to drugs. It was like a train out of control,” he admitted in a 2016 BBC radio interview.
Following the news, British boxers Tyson Fury and Amir Khan paid tribute on social media. Fury wrote on Instagram: “RIP legend Ricky Hatton. There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this, so young.”
Khan posted on X: “Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior. As fighters we tell ourselves we’re strong: we train, sweat, take punches, get back up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind. Mental health is not weakness. We must talk about it, reach out, and support each other.”
