Former World Boxing Champion Ricky Hatton MBE was reported to have died by suicide, according to Sky News, which cited a South Manchester coroner’s court hearing that revealed Hatton’s initial cause of death on Thursday (October 16), one month after his passing.
Hatton, 46, was reportedly found hanged at his home when he was discovered “unresponsive” by his manager, Paul Speak, on September 14. The boxer’s family had previously issued a statement claiming they were shocked by news of his death as they believed he was in a “good place.”
“We are all distraught at the events of recent days. To all our knowledge, despite his well-documented struggles, Richard was in a good place,” a statement shared on behalf of the Hatton family and team reads.
Manchester Police had previously stated that Hatton’s death wasn’t believed to be due to “any suspicious circumstances.” The English boxer, who held two world championships in the light-welterweight division and one in the welterweight and was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America and ESPN in 2005, was training to come out of retirement for a middleweight bout with Eisa Al Dah of the United Arab Emirates in December.
“He was excited for the future; his bag was packed ready to go to Dubai of which his beloved girls Millie and Fearne were to be the centre of,” the family said. “He was excited that they would see him fight for the first time in person. He was a doting grandfather and loved spending time with Campbell and Lyla. Richard planned to spend more time in Tenerife.”
Hatton had a 45-3 career recording with 32 wins by KO in 48 fights, having gone 43-0 before his first loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in 2007 and retirement in 2012. The 46-year-old was vocal about his struggles in recent years and became ambassador for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably in 2023.
“If a boxer can come out and say they’re struggling and crying every day, it’s going to make a huge difference,” he told the BBC in 2020. “Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health.”
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Recent Comments