Ricky Hatton dies aged 46: Tyson Fury, Amir Khan lead tributes to former world champion boxer

Joe Wright

Ricky Hatton dies aged 46: Tyson Fury, Amir Khan lead tributes to former world champion boxer image

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Former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46.

Hatton was reportedly found at his home in Manchester, England on September 14, 2025. A police statement said: "Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 a.m. today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man.

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

Described as "one of Britain's greatest boxers", Hatton won 45 of 48 professional bouts, becoming unified light-welterweight world champion in 2005 soon after a famous victory over Kostya Tszyu. He retired in 2012 but was due to fight Eisa Al Dah in Dubai on December 2 this year, having fought Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition bout two years ago.

Hatton also became a trainer after retirement, working with the likes of Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight star Tyson Fury. His son, Campbell Hatton, had a 16-fight pro career before retiring at the age of 24 in March 2025.

Hatton spoke of mental-health struggles during and following his career, particularly after defeats to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Ricky Hatton dies aged 46

According to reports, Hatton was found dead at his home in Manchester, England on September 14, 2025. Police confirmed the body of a man had been found at that there were no apparent suspicious circumstances.

No cause of death has yet been confirmed.

Tyson Fury leads tributes to Ricky Hatton

The world of boxing and wider sport paid tribute to Hatton and his legacy following the news.

Tyson Fury posted on Instagram to say "can't believe this" and described Hatton as a "legend".

British boxing great Amir Khan posted a lengthy tribute on his X account in which he described Hatton as "a friend, a mentor, a warrior".

Chris Eubank Jr. posted to say "Rest in peace, Mr Hatton", and "we salute you", while promoter Frank Warren described Hatton as a "superbly talented fighter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before".

Hatton, who was a Manchester City fan, was described by the club as one of their most "loved and revered supporters". They confirmed that a tribute would take place prior to the home game against Manchester United on the day of Hatton's death.

Speaking on Sky Sports, former City defender Micah Richards said Hatton was "a man of the people" and "the nicest guy ever".

He recalled: "I remember going down to one of his gyms. I was a bit nervous because I didn't really know about boxing. He said, just do this, he took his time.

"This was before the takeover — Man City weren't what they are now — and for him to take the time and effort, multiple times with beers, with him just talking about football and life... he was a deep person. Very deep. He overthought a lot of things, and the news is just devastating.

"He'd be here today celebrating. He's had a box here many times. To get this news now feels surreal. For someone so young, for it to happen now, it's devastating."

City star Phil Foden said prior to the match: "Obviously, to hear the news before a big game is devastating, and I'm sure he would've been here supporting us.

"Today is for him and we're going to try to get the win and do the best we can for him. We've got to use it as motivation."

Joe Wright

Joe Wright is a Senior Editor at Sporting News, overseeing global soccer and multisport. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform news service, covering major global sports news, data analytics, features and video content. Joe has extensive experience covering some of the biggest events in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup, which included the final in Moscow.