Ricky Hatton: A Working Class Champion Who Never Left Home

Ricky Hatton, the former two-division world champion from Hyde, has died at 46. His body was found at his home in Greater Manchester and police say the death is not being treated as suspicious. 

Hatton rose from a local boxing club to world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight. He built a career that drove large crowds to arenas and carried the voice of his community into the sport’s biggest moments. 

Hatton turned professional in 1997. He won the IBF light-welterweight title and later the WBU and WBA belts. He beat Kostya Tszyu in 2005 in what many view as the defining win of his career. He fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao and ran his record to 45 wins in 48 bouts before retiring. 

He kept strong ties to Hyde and Hattersley, places where he learned to box and where his fan base began. He often returned to local gyms, local pubs and local events, and he spoke openly about where he came from. Fans treated him like one of their own, and he carried that identity into the ring and into public life. 

After he stepped away from full-time competition, Hatton worked as a trainer, ran gyms and spoke about his struggles. He told reporters and fans that he battled depression and substance problems, and he used his experience to raise awareness about mental health in sport. He also announced a surprise comeback this year and was due to fight in December. 

Tributes appeared across sport and social media within hours. Fighters, managers and clubs paid respects. Manchester City said it would honour Hatton with a minute of appreciation ahead of its next match, and the boxing community, including governing bodies and promoters, issued statements of mourning. 

Ricky Hatton’s record will sit in the sport’s history, but his place in the stands and the local gyms will matter just as much. He rose from the same streets as many of his supporters and he kept those streets in view. In death, as in life, many remember him as a man who fought for titles and for the people who watched him win.

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— Sources: Reuters, AP, The Guardian, Manchester City, ESPN.