The Japan Times - Former boxing world champion Hatton dies at 46

Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, northwest England. Greater Manchester Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

"Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 am (0545 GMT) today (Sunday) where they found the body of a 46-year-old man," said a police spokesman.

"There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances."

Hatton, nicknamed "The Hitman", won multiple world titles in the light-welterweight division and one at welterweight.

His aggressive style made him one of the most popular British boxers of his generation.

The British boxer, who won 45 of his 48 professional bouts, who made his debut in 1997.

He earned notable world title wins over Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo before defeats by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio.

Hatton struggled with retirement, returning briefly, in 2012, for an ill-advised loss to Ukraine's Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester after three years out of the ring.

He overcame a fallout with his family and a court case with his former trainer Billy Graham to become a successful trainer, coaching Zhanat Zhakiyanov to a world bantamweight title win in 2017.

Hatton also fought a non-scoring exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.

He was frank about the mental health problems he suffered following his retirement from the ring.

In July, he announced he would make a return to boxing in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in December.

- Mental health issues -

Hatton's former promoter Frank Warren described the boxer as a "modern great".

"I am extremely saddened to learn of the passing of British boxing legend Ricky Hatton," he said on X.

"A superbly talented fighter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before due to both his personality and the entertainment he provided in the ring."

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury paid tribute to his fellow British boxer.

"Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton, may he rip," Fury posted on Instagram.

"There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. Can't believe this so young."

Another former world champion, Amir Khan, described Hatton as a "mentor, warrior and one of Britain's greatest boxers".

Khan also referred to Hatton's struggles with mental health.

"As fighters, we tell ourselves we're strong -- we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up," he said. "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."

Hatton was a fan of Manchester City and the club said they were devastated by his death, calling him one of the club's "most loved and revered supporters".

City confirmed there would be a minute's appreciation for Hatton ahead of Sunday's derby against Manchester United.

Organisers of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool said they would pay tribute to Hatton.

S.Fujimoto--JT