
Manchester, England — The cause of death has been confirmed for the former two-division boxing champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton died by suicide, a coroner confirmed Thursday during a brief hearing in Manchester. The 46-year-old British star was found unresponsive at his home on Sept. 14 after failing to appear at a scheduled event.
Senior coroner Alison Mutch stated the provisional cause of death as hanging during a 10-minute hearing. Authorities said family members last saw Hatton on Sept. 12 and he was reportedly “well.” When Hatton missed an appearance and a planned airport pickup for a flight to Dubai, his longtime manager Paul Speak went to his home, where he was discovered.
At the time of his death, Hatton was said to be preparing for a December comeback fight, which would have marked his first bout since officially retiring in 2012. Loved ones described him as being “in a good place,” spending time with his children and grandchildren while training.
My brother John took his life by hanging; so did my friend Ricky. They were two of the most kind, caring, and empathetic people I've known. How they died means little next to how they lived. Ricky's suicide isn''t clickbait. It's a call to action. No one needs to fight alone. We… https://t.co/AzSnlbtGLQ
— Lou DiBella
(@loudibella) October 16, 2025
Hatton forged one of the most passionate fan bases in modern boxing with his relentless, body-punching style and everyman charm. He won world titles at 140 pounds and also held a welterweight belt, opening his career 43-0 before a first loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2007. Rebounding with wins including a stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi before a devastating defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2009 and a final setback to Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012. He retired with a record of 45-3 (32 KOs).
The scale of public grief underscored Hatton’s cultural footprint. Thousands lined Manchester’s streets for his October funeral, where Liam Gallagher, Tyson Fury, and Wayne Rooney were among those in attendance to pay tribute to the hometown hero.
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