Ricky Hatton, former world champion known as 'The Hitman', found dead aged 46

Ricky Hatton, the former world champion who captured the imagination of British boxing fans with his relentless, crowd-pleasing style, has been found dead at his home in Manchester. He was 46. Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Hatton was discovered at about 6:45 a.m. on Sunday after he failed to turn up at a gym session and a fight he was due to attend over the weekend, according to reports. The fighter had announced plans to return to the ring for an exhibition bout in Dubai in December and had shared recent training footage as he prepared for the comeback.

The Manchester-born boxer, nicknamed "The Hitman," rose from amateur ranks to global prominence between 1997 and 2012, winning titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and compiling 45 wins in 48 professional fights. His career included landmark victories over Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo and headline fights against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He was knocked out in the second round by Pacquiao in 2009 and later said that defeat, together with the loss to Mayweather, contributed to a prolonged period of mental-health struggles.

Hatton spoke openly in later years about depression, alcoholism and drug use. In an interview with the BBC in 2022 he said he had reached "rock bottom" after the Pacquiao defeat and that he had been suicidal. "I was suicidal. I tried killing myself several times," he told the broadcaster, adding that at one point he thought he would "drink and drug myself to death." He had entered rehabilitation in 2010 and, in later years, acted as an advocate for mental-health awareness, discussing his experience in a 2023 documentary.

Friends, former opponents and public figures paid tribute after news of his death. Manny Pacquiao said he was "deeply saddened" and described Hatton as "a brave and kind man in life." Tyson Fury wrote on social media that he was in disbelief and offered his condolences. Former England forward Wayne Rooney recalled carrying Hatton's belt into the ring in Las Vegas and said Hatton "captured the nation." Former world champion Amir Khan described him as "a friend, a mentor, a warrior." Public figures and Manchester football clubs observed tributes at Saturday's derby, with players and supporters taking a minute's applause.

Boxing pundit Steve Bunce said Hatton changed the face of British boxing by turning Manchester's MEN Arena into his home arena and by carrying tens of thousands of fans to title fights abroad. Hatton's popularity, Bunce added, lay in his accessibility: a fighter who had come from a council estate and remained closely identified with his hometown.

Hatton's decline from the peak of his career into periods of addiction and estrangement from family was widely reported. After becoming a household name by leading large travelling contingents to Las Vegas and headlining high-profile bouts, he admitted to struggling with shame and embarrassment following defeats that helped trigger heavy drinking and drug use. He entered treatment at a rehabilitation facility in 2010 and later had his professional boxer's licence withdrawn. He announced and reversed retirements several times before leaving the ring for good after a comeback defeat in 2012.

He is survived by his son, Campbell, and daughters Millie and Fearne. Police said they were working with Hatton's family and that no suspicious circumstances were suspected at the time of their statement. A number of those close to Hatton and colleagues from boxing said they were grieving and remembering both his achievements in the ring and his efforts to speak publicly about mental-health struggles.

Hatton's life and career map a rapid ascent from local champion to international draw, punctuated by high-profile wins, celebrity following and headline-making defeats. He won the IBF light-welterweight title in 2005 by beating Tszyu, added the WBA belt later that year, and was named the Ring Magazine "Fighter of the Year". He moved up to welterweight, took further titles and was awarded an MBE. His 2007 fight with Mayweather and the 2009 loss to Pacquiao marked turning points that, by his own account, precipitated years of personal battles.

In recent months Hatton had publicly discussed his preparation for an exhibition bout scheduled for December 2 in Dubai and posted video of training sessions. Broadcasters and boxing figures noted that he had appeared focused on rebuilding his fitness and that the gym had been an important support. Tributes have continued to arrive across social media and from the sporting community, which has highlighted both his achievements and his candour about mental-health issues.

Authorities have not released further details while they liaise with Hatton's family. Funeral and tribute arrangements were expected to be confirmed in the coming days.