Ricky Hatton, British boxing icon known as 'The Hitman,' dies aged 46

Ricky Hatton, one of Britain’s most popular boxers who rose from the Hattersley estate near Manchester to headline in Las Vegas, has died at the age of 46. Police said the former world champion was found at his home in Greater Manchester on Sunday morning; a cordon was in place outside the property and his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Hatton, nicknamed "The Hitman," won fans with an aggressive, pressure-fighting style and a string of high-profile fights, including challenges against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He retired with a professional record of 45 wins, 32 by knockout, and three defeats. In recent years he had been open about struggles with mental health, alcohol and drug addiction, and had worked as an ambassador for mental health causes.

Hatton captured world attention in 2005 when he shocked Kostya Tszyu in Manchester to win the IBF light-welterweight title and later added the WBA crown. He became the first British fighter to receive Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year award in 2005 and was awarded an MBE. He moved up to welterweight, challenged Mayweather in Las Vegas in December 2007 and suffered the first defeat of his professional career when Mayweather stopped him in the 10th round. Eighteen months later Pacquiao knocked Hatton out in the second round at the MGM Grand.

Those defeats marked a turning point in Hatton’s life. He publicly described a decline into heavy drinking and drug use and said he had contemplated suicide. After a 2010 photo of him using cocaine appeared on a tabloid front page, Hatton checked into the Priory rehabilitation clinic. He later spoke candidly about depression, telling the Daily Mail in 2023 that the losses to Mayweather and Pacquiao, and subsequent personal problems, left him ashamed and isolated.

Hatton retired in 2011 more than two years after the Pacquiao defeat, briefly returned in 2012 and was stopped by Vyacheslav Senchenko in the ninth round before hanging up his gloves for good. Beyond the ring, he remained a public figure in Britain: he appeared on television shows, took part in Dancing On Ice in 2024 and was the subject of a 2023 documentary that chronicled his life and career.

In recent months Hatton had indicated a desire to return to competitive boxing, telling fans he felt capable of a scheduled December bout in Dubai against Eisa Aldah. He shared footage of training days before his death and said he kept a psychologist on call during his recovery. Friends and fans had expressed concern when his comeback was announced, and Hatton publicly said he understood the risks and felt prepared.

Reactions to his death poured in across social media and from figures in the boxing community. The sport’s governing bodies and former opponents have paid tribute to his achievements and to his openness about mental health issues, which many said helped reduce stigma for athletes.

Hatton’s career began as an amateur standout, winning a bronze medal at the 1996 World Amateur Championships, and he made his professional debut in 1997. He won a series of domestic titles before capturing world honours and became known for his workmanlike fighting style and the rapport he built with working-class supporters. Friends and family told police they would work with officers on tribute arrangements; police said they were liaising with the family.

Hatton is survived by his relatives and a wide following in Britain and abroad who admired both his boxing achievements and his candour about recovery. Further details, including funeral arrangements, were expected to be issued in consultation with his family and the police.