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Ricky Hatton, a former boxing world champion in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions, has died. He was 46.
Hatton was found dead in his home in Manchester, according to the Press Association. Police said they were not treating his death as suspicious.
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Ricky Hatton, left, of England, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango, of Colombia, in the fourth round of their IBF Jr. welterweight title boxing match in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007. (AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong, File)
“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.”
Police didn’t reveal the identity of the man but said they were working with his family to release a statement. However, several promotions and fighters from the combat sports world began to release tributes for Hatton on social media.
“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” boxer Amir Khan wrote on X. “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. 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.
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Boxer Ricky Hatton stands by the pitch before Manchester City’s English Premier League soccer match against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, Sunday Sept. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
“Ricky, thank you for everything. For your fights, your moments of glory, your grit. Thank you for pushing us, showing us what’s possible. To everyone reading this: if you’re hurting or struggling, you are not alone. Talk. Reach out. Because we need more light, more compassion, more understanding.”
Tyson Fury posted a picture of himself and Hatton together on Instagram.
“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” Fury wrote in the caption. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.”
Hatton was planning for a comeback bout in Dubai in December.
He won multiple world titles during his career and was named Fighter of the Year in 2005 by Ring Magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America and ESPN. He was 45-3 in his career with 32 knockouts.
Hatton’s last professional fight occurred in Manchester against Vyacheslav Senchenko in November 2012. He lost via knockout.
Frank Warren, Hatton’s former manager, remembered the boxer as a “superbly talented fighter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, punches Ricky Hatton, of Great Britain, during their WBC welterweight boxing title fight at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
“From making his debut (in) Widnes in 1997 to then go on to win one of the most historic fights in British boxing history against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester, Ricky will rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport,” he added.
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“My deepest condolences go out to his family at this awful time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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