Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular fighters in the sport, has died. He was 46.<\/p>\n
Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester, Britain’s Press Association reported Sunday.<\/p>\n
Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.<\/p>\n
“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. “There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”<\/p>\n
Tributes pour in<\/p>\n
Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Today we lost not only one of Britain\u2019s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton. \u2014@amirkingkhan<\/a><\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.<\/p>\n He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.<\/p>\n Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and at the height of his career shared the ring with with the best boxers of his generation including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.<\/p>\n “He was not only a great fighter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good fight, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”<\/p>\n I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ricky Hatton. He was not only a great fighter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life. We shared unforgettable moments in boxing history and I will always honor the respect and sportsmanship he showed. Ricky fought\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014@MannyPacquiao<\/a><\/p>\n Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans that followed him to America for his biggest fights.<\/p>\n His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight between fights, endeared him to fans across the world.<\/p>\n “Devastated. A legend, a warrior, and a great person,” said former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney onn X.<\/p>\n Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.<\/p>\n “As fighters, we tell ourselves we’re strong \u2014 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.”<\/p>\n All-action style<\/p>\n 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 (light welterweight) title in 2005.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Ring Magazine super-lightweight champion, Ricky Hatton.
As fighters, we tell ourselves we\u2019re strong \u2014 we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind. Mental health\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/JwSaYJe6XE<\/a><\/p>\n
Our deepest sympathies are with Ricky\u2019s friends and family at this time. pic.twitter.com\/0HDq7stltO<\/a><\/p>\n