Former boxing world champion Hatton dies at 46

Former satellite boxing champion Ricky Hatton, whose all-action benignant made him 1 of the astir fashionable fighters of the 2000s, has died. He was 46.

The World Boxing Association and Hatton's erstwhile manager Frank Warren were among those to mourn Hatton connected societal media Sunday.

"With heavy sadness, the WBA mourns the passing of Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton," the WBA wrote. "A existent champion, an indomitable spirit, and a fable of the sport. Your bequest volition unrecorded connected successful each combat and successful the hearts of boxing fans astir the world."

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that officers recovered the assemblage of an unidentified 46-year-old antheral astatine a location successful Hyde, England, and that "There are not presently believed to beryllium immoderate suspicious circumstances."

Police would not uncover the individuality of the antheral but said they were moving with his household to supply a connection for media.

Hatton won satellite titles astatine airy welterweight and welterweight. He roseate done the amateur and home levels to look immoderate of the champion boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton's down-to-earth demeanor besides endeared him to fans crossed the world, and helium was unfastened astir the intelligence wellness issues helium endured upon his status from the ring.

He overcame a fallout with his household and a tribunal lawsuit with erstwhile trainer Billy Graham to go a palmy trainer, coaching Zhanat Zhakiyanov to a satellite bantamweight rubric triumph successful 2017.

Hatton announced successful July that helium would marque a instrumentality to boxing successful December successful a nonrecreational bout against Eisa Al Dah successful Dubai.

"Rip to the fable Ricky Hatton whitethorn helium rip," boxing champion Tyson Fury wrote connected Instagram, with photos of the brace together. "There volition lone ever beryllium 1 Ricky Hatton. can't judge this truthful young."

After a little but awesome amateur career, Hatton began his travel to becoming 1 of the astir fashionable British boxers successful past with a triumph implicit Colin McAuley successful 1997.

After 21 consecutive wins, Hatton stepped up to bushed Jon Thaxton for the British airy welterweight rubric successful 2000 and proceeded to marque Manchester's then-MEN Arena his ain with a bid of sellout defenses.

Hatton's large breakthrough came successful June 2005, erstwhile helium forced defending champion Tszyu to discontinue connected his stool astatine the extremity of their IBF rubric combat successful Manchester. Hatton would aboriginal picture it arsenic his top win

His American debut came the pursuing twelvemonth with a points triumph implicit Luis Collazo successful Boston, but bigger sights had already been acceptable and his triumph implicit Mexican large Jose Luis Castillo successful Las Vegas successful June 2007 stamped his summons to greatness.

Increasingly loved by audiences for his warring benignant and the hordes of boisterous fans who followed successful his wake, Hatton landed a lucrative clash with Mayweather aboriginal that twelvemonth and fought bravely earlier succumbing to his archetypal nonrecreational defeat.

A consequent gathering with Pacquiao proved a measurement excessively far, and Hatton announced his status aft a brutal second-round loss.

Hatton made a singular comeback 3 years aboriginal aft piling connected value and enduring issues with slump and drinking arsenic good arsenic allegations of cause use. While helium mislaid to Vyacheslav Senchenko, the precise information helium managed to instrumentality to the ringing was seen arsenic a idiosyncratic triumph.

In a post connected X, Warren described Hatton arsenic a "superbly talented combatant who inspired a procreation of young boxers and fans successful a mode precise fewer had done before," adding helium volition "rightly spell down arsenic 1 of the modern greats of this sport."

The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.