The Hitman had become powerful advocate for mental health awareness after surviving darkest periods following defeat to Manny Pacquiao
The tragic death of Ricky Hatton at just 46 has cast a spotlight on the former world champion’s courageous battle with mental health issues that he fought more fiercely than any opponent in the ring.
The Manchester boxing legend, found dead at his Hyde home on Saturday morning, had transformed himself from a man who attempted suicide multiple times into one of British sport’s most powerful voices for mental health awareness. His journey from the depths of despair to becoming an ambassador for mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) offers both heartbreak and hope in equal measure.
Hatton’s struggles began after his crushing defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007, where he was knocked out in the tenth round in front of 35,000 travelling British fans. But it was the devastating two-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in 2009 that sent him spiralling into his darkest period.
Rock Bottom After Pacquiao
Speaking with remarkable candour to the BBC in 2022, Hatton revealed how the Pacquiao defeat marked the effective end of his career and triggered a mental health crisis. “My problems happened when I got beat by Manny Pacquiao in two rounds, which ultimately meant ‘Ricky, you need to retire now’,” he said.
The defeat coincided with other personal crises that compounded his despair. I had no boxing. My career was over. I’d fallen out with my parents. I’d fallen out with my trainer Billy Graham. That’s when it got to rock bottom. I just went out on the warpath. It was horrible for people to see.”
In a 2016 BBC radio interview, Hatton made the devastating admission: “I tried to kill myself several times. I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically.”
The former champion revealed that when he couldn’t go through with ending his life directly, he turned to alcohol and drugs as an alternative path to self-destruction. His addiction issues became public in 2010 when he was photographed using cocaine, leading to his boxing licence being stripped and a stint in rehab at The Priory.
Family Rift Added to Despair
Hatton’s mental health struggles were exacerbated by a decade-long estrangement from his parents, Carol and Ray, following a dispute over money in 2012. The rift, which reportedly involved a physical altercation with his father in a car park, left the fighter feeling utterly isolated.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News in 2019 after reconciling with his parents, Hatton said: “Ultimately when I fell out with my parents, I hit rock bottom. I didn’t care whether I lived or died to be honest with you.”
The reconciliation came after Hatton attended funerals of friends’ parents and realised the importance of family. “A few of my school friends are the same age as me, their parents were having heart attacks and I was going to their funerals. And I thought to myself ‘I’m 40 now, I’m at an age where our parents might not be here much longer.'”
However, the relationship appeared to strain again in 2023 following a documentary about his life, with his mother Carol telling the Daily Mail she hadn’t heard from her son in six months despite living just five minutes away.
Becoming a Mental Health Champion
Despite his struggles, or perhaps because of them, Hatton became a powerful advocate for mental health awareness. In 2023, he was appointed an ambassador for CALM, using his platform to encourage others to seek help.
“I’ve been there and got the t-shirt – it’s well documented what happened to me. I almost wasn’t here and I want to help people who are in the same boat,” he said upon taking the role. The thing with mental health is nobody wants to admit they’re struggling, but it can feel as bad as any disease out there. Get it off your chest and don’t be too proud to admit it. Talking will be the best thing you’ve ever done.”
Earlier this year, Hatton opened a new mental health unit at North Manchester General Hospital, telling attendees: “The main thing about mental health is people don’t speak about it.
His advocacy work held particular significance within boxing, where the transition from the spotlight to retirement can be devastating. If a boxer can come out and say they’re struggling and crying every day, it’s going to make a huge difference,” he told BBC Sport in 2020. Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health.”
Final Comeback Plans
In a cruel twist, Hatton appeared to be in positive spirits in his final months. In July, the 46-year-old announced plans for a professional comeback fight against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai scheduled for December, ending a 13-year hiatus from the ring.
Just three days before his death, he posted videos on Instagram showing him training on a treadmill, flashing his familiar smile and raising his fist in triumph. Speaking to The Sun about his planned return, he said: “I’m in such a good place mentally, from where I was a few years back, and physically.
Sporting World Pays Tribute
The news of Hatton’s death prompted an outpouring of grief from the sporting world. Fellow boxer and former rival Manny Pacquiao wrote on Instagram: “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ricky Hatton. He was not only a great fighter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life.”
“We shared unforgettable moments in boxing history and I will always honour the respect and sportsmanship he showed. Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good fight, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”
Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who had worked closely with Hatton during his own comeback, posted: “RIP to the legend Ricky Hatton. There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this. So young.”
Manchester City, the club Hatton supported passionately throughout his life, held a minute’s applause before Sunday’s derby against Manchester United. The club described him as “one of City’s most loved and revered supporters, who will always be remembered for a glittering boxing career that saw him win world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight.”
A Complex Legacy
Hatton’s professional record of 45 wins from 48 bouts tells only part of his story. His victory over Kostya Tszyu in 2005 to claim the IBF light-welterweight title remains one of British boxing’s greatest nights, while his battles with Mayweather and Pacquiao, though ending in defeat, showcased his warrior spirit against the sport’s elite.
But perhaps his greatest fight was the one he waged outside the ring – against depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. That he survived as long as he did, and used his experiences to help others, speaks to a different kind of courage than the one he displayed between the ropes.
His death at 46 leaves behind three children – Campbell, 24, who recently retired from boxing himself, and daughters Millie, 13, and Fearne, 12 – as well as a granddaughter, Lyla. It also leaves a void in British boxing and in the mental health advocacy community where his voice had become so important.
As investigations into his death continue, with police stating there are no suspicious circumstances, the boxing world mourns not just a champion but a man who showed that even heroes struggle, and that seeking help is not weakness but strength.
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Image Credit:
Ricky Hatton, 2013 — photo by Aeropixels Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0.
