British boxer Ricky Hatton dies at 46

LONDON: British boxer Ricky Hatton passed away at 46 after being found dead at home in Manchester on Sunday.

Former world champion at light-welterweight and welterweight, Hatton retired in 2012 and was scheduled to make a comeback for an event in Dubai in December.

He announced his return to the ring in July for a professional fight, marking his first competitive bout in 13 years.

The 46-year-old British boxing legend, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year, was scheduled to face the United Arab Emirates’ Eisa Al Dah in a middleweight contest.

According to Greater Manchester Police, a body was found on Sunday morning at an address in Hyde in the northern English city, and the death is not being treated as suspicious.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious," the police spokesperson said.

Hatton won 45 fights out of 48 bouts in his career. But after hanging his gloves, he said he had made several suicide attempts and openly discussed his struggle with depression, drink and drugs.

"I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train," he told BBC radio in 2016.

Hatton peaked in 2005 when he secured a knockout victory against Australia’s Kostya Tszyu to add the IBF light-welterweight title to the already existing WBU belt.

Hatton dominated the boxing world with a perfect 43-0 record until he was stopped by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again.

The British boxer tried to make a professional comeback in 2012, but failed as he was defeated by Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester. He fought Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition in 2022 in a no-winner contest.