British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46 after his body was found in his home in Greater Manchester, England on Sunday morning.
Hatton had spoken candidly about his mental health struggles and battle with addiction. Police found his body at his home at 6:45am on Sunday morning. Greater Manchester Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Known as “The Hitman,” he competed from 1997 to 2012, achieving a record of 45 wins (32 by knockout) and 3 losses. Hatton held world titles in the light-welterweight division, including the WBA (Super), WBO, and IBF belts, and was a two-weight world champion, also capturing the WBA welterweight title. Renowned for his aggressive, fan-friendly style, he was a major draw in the UK, particularly in Manchester, where he enjoyed strong support.
His notable fights include defeating Kostya Tszyu in 2005 to win the IBF and WBA light-welterweight titles, a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, and a knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2009. After retiring in 2012 following a loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko, Hatton faced mental health struggles, including depression and substance abuse, but later became a boxing trainer and promoter.
He’s also known for his charismatic personality, love for Manchester City FC, and appearances in exhibitions, like his 2022 bout against Marco Antonio Barrera.
