If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support are available through Samaritans at 116 123 or Mind at 0300 123 3393.
An inquest has heard that former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton took his own life.
The hearing at Stockport Coroner’s Court on Thursday (October 16) confirmed the 46-year-old died by hanging after being found unresponsive at his home in Tameside, Greater Manchester, on September 14, Sky News reports.
Police said at the time that there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding his death.
The inquest was formally opened by Senior Coroner Alison Mutch, who told the court that a provisional cause of death had been recorded as hanging. A full inquest is scheduled to take place on March 20, 2026.
“He Was Found Unresponsive”
The court heard that Hatton was discovered by his long-time friend and manager, Paul Speak, who arrived at the property to collect him for a flight to Dubai, per MEN.
Speak told the court he had been due to take Hatton to Manchester Airport that morning. When he arrived, the house was dark.
“The lights weren’t on, which I thought was strange. I thought he’d overslept, but it’s not unusual. People do oversleep,” he later told Boxing News magazine, via WalesOnline. “So, I went inside — I have a key — shouting, ‘Rick, Rick, wake up!’ I heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs… I took a look at him… I had to take some time to process it.”
“I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance. But I firmly believe he didn’t intend to do it. It’s for the coroner to determine, but he had it all to live for.”
The court was told that Hatton had last been seen by family members two days earlier, on Friday, September 12, and had appeared to be “well”. He was due to attend an event the following day but did not show up.
“He Had It All To Live For”
Speak, who was present at the inquest, said Hatton had been “in a really good place” in the days before his death.
“He’d arranged to take his daughters to see Oasis next week. He was planning to go to Thailand for the WBC convention and a holiday after his fight. He’d just booked a flight to Tenerife for Christmas,” Speak said.
“There’s been a lot of rubbish written about Ricky and his parents, but he’d seen his mum just last week; gave her a big hug and some love. He was going to see his dad after getting back from Dubai. His daughters had never seen him box, so he was excited for that. So many things for him to live for — he was in a really good place.”
A Champion Inside And Outside The Ring
Hatton, nicknamed “The Hitman,” was one of Britain’s most successful and beloved fighters. Between 1997 and 2012, he became a two-weight world champion, winning titles in both the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.
Earlier this year, Hatton had announced plans to return to the ring — confirming in July that he was coming out of retirement to fight Eisa Al Dah in Dubai on December 2, 13 years after his last professional bout.
In 2023, Sky released a documentary exploring his career highs, his struggles with mental health, and his turbulent personal life.
Family And Fans Line The Streets For Final Farewell
Hatton was laid to rest on Friday, October 12, with thousands lining the streets of Manchester to pay their respects as his funeral procession passed through the city.
The cortege began at the Cheshire Cheese pub in Hyde, stopping at Harehill Tavern, The New Inn, and Hatton’s Gym, before passing Hyde Town Hall, Betta Bodies Gym, and the AO Arena, eventually arriving at Manchester Cathedral for the funeral service.
His three children all paid emotional tributes during the ceremony, which was followed by a private memorial at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Hatton’s son Campbell, 24, said the family had been overwhelmed by the support they’d received.
“Yeah, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind the last few weeks,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve been leading up to the funeral, which was unbelievable to see the amount of love everyone had for my dad. There were thousands in the streets, and there was a lot of comfort to take from that.”
“It has been very up and down, really, but just as a family, we’re trying to take each day at a time, really.”
He described the scenes along the funeral route as “surreal”.
“To actually see everyone in the streets, it was a very long route that we went down, and there was never a point where the streets weren’t full,” Campbell said.
Earlier this month, Campbell also shared how “heartbroken” the family had been by his father’s sudden death.
“We are absolutely heartbroken — it was so unexpected,” he told ITV.
Ricky Hatton’s full inquest will be held in March next year, when coroner Alison Mutch will determine the final cause and circumstances of his death.
For now, the boxing world continues to mourn one of its most charismatic and influential figures — a man who gave everything to his sport and remained, to his fans, the People’s Champion of Manchester.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support are available through Samaritans at 116 123 or Mind at 0300 123 3393.
Featured image credit: nstagram/RickyHattonMBE/YouTube/DAZNBoxing
