Famous boxer Ricky Hatton tragically has died just weeks after announcing a bombshell return to the ring.
The Manchester icon, 46, was discovered on Sunday morning with his death not being treated as suspicious.
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“We can confirm that we have found a body at an address on Bowlacre Road in Gee Cross at 6.45am today, Sunday, September 14. The death is not being treated as suspicious,” Greater Manchester Police said.
Hatton, who held an MBE, had worked as a boxing promoter and trainer since hanging up his gloves.
He also appeared on the TV show Dancing on Ice last year.
The boxer – who was an Oasis fan – famously had Noel and Liam Gallagher walk him into the ring for his 2008 fight, and later attended their reunion concerts.
It’s been reported that he saw the pair’s comeback as an inspiration.
Hatton’s career spanned from 1997 to 2012, in which he held multiple world championships.
The grandad recently announced he was going to lace up his gloves again on December 2 for a Dubai dust-up with Eisa Aldah – thirteen years after his ill-fated comeback against Vyacheslav Senchenko.
After his retirement he struggled with alcohol abuse and depression, but got himself back on the straight and narrow three years ago for an exhibition bout with Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera.
“It inspired a lot of people, you know, for me to get in shape again at the age I’m at,” he said recently to SunSport.
“Especially bearing in mind all my problems I’ve had personally with mental health and stuff like that.
“It was nice for so many people to come up to me and go, ‘Oh, I’ve always struggled with my weight and to see you get it off at your age.’
“I’ve always struggled with my mental health and I’ve had my problems.
“And to see where you were a few years ago to what you’re doing now, it’s inspirational.”
Former fan favourite Hatton, known as The Hitman, traded blows with some of history’s greatest fighters.
But Hatton — like many old ring legends — struggled to match the brutal intensity and adrenaline rush of professional boxing after hanging up his gloves in 2012.
He told The Sun recently about his planned comeback: “I think I know what fights I’m capable of doing and I know which fights are beyond me. And this one is one I’m capable of doing. Don’t worry about me.”
He added: “It makes me feel so proud that I was so loved and that people get worried when they hear of me making a comeback. But I’m not as daft as I look.
“I know what fights are beyond me, I know which fights are silly for me, I know which fights I’m capable of and which ones are sensible for me.
“And this is one of them, so I’ll do you proud again.
“The party can’t last forever,” he admitted. “Sooner or later, you’ve got to slow down. And I think I’ve reached that stage.
“But I’m in such a good place mentally, from where I was a few years back, and physically.
“I haven’t got a six pack these days, but, you know, Ricky Hatton’s belly’s gone.
“So things are all good and it’s nice from how bad it was to what it is now.
“Most people most weeks, say, ‘From where you were, Rick, to what you’re doing now, it’s so inspiring. And that’s half the reason why I do it as well.”
Brought up on a council estate, Ricky left school to work with dad Ray as a £150-a-week carpet fitter before turning pro.
It’s been a rocky road for the boxing champ. Hatton suffered with mental health and addiction problems, especially in retirement when the buzz and adulation of professional boxing was taken away.
The beloved Brit produced a career-defining display to defeat Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005, becoming lineal light-welterweight champion in the process.
But two years later he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr, considered one of history’s best pound-for-pound fighters, in Las Vegas – and this went on to define his career.
Part of Hatton’s enduring appeal to British fight fans was that he appeared a man of the people, having the same fun-loving personality as many of his supporters.
Sir David Beckham visited him in his dressing room and Sir Tom Jones belted out God Save The Queen before the fight.
Hatton entered the ring to Blue Moon, the signature tune of his beloved Manchester City.
A measure of Hatton’s stature in that era was when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt consoled him in his dressing room afterwards. It was Ricky’s first loss in 43 professional fights.
The unrelenting physical destruction at the hands of all-time boxing great Mayweather was something Hatton would struggle to emerge from.
However, in November 2008 he was back in Vegas at the MGM Grand to fight Italian-American Paulie Malignaggi.
He asked fellow Mancunians Liam and Noel Gallagher to carry his world title belts into the ring with him.
Hatton wisely called time on his professional career in 2009 with a record of 45 wins and two losses.
Yet, he was plagued by depression over his two ring beatings and tried to self-medicate with booze and cocaine, which left him on the brink of suicide.
In 2010, he checked into The Priory clinic, in Cheshire.
In November 2012, he sought solace in his beloved boxing ring. A comeback against Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko, who knocked Ricky out in the ninth.
He once again announced his retirement.
In 2016 he split with Jennifer, the mother of his daughters Millie and Fearne, after 11 years together.
His 24-year-old son Campbell, from a previous relationship, is a professional boxer.
In 2024, he and old friend Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney appeared on Dancing On Ice together and began dating.
It wasn’t to last with Claire saying: “We’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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