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The family of former World Boxing Champion Ricky Hatton MBE was reportedly shocked about news of his death, believing he was in a "good place" prior to his passing on Sunday (September 14).
"We are all distraught at the events of recent days. To all our knowledge, despite his well-documented struggles, Richard was in a good place," a statement shared on behalf of the Hatton family and team reads.
Hatton, 46, was found dead at his home in Manchester, with police stating that his death wasn't believed to be due to "any suspicious circumstances." The English boxer, who held two world championships in the light-welterweight division and one in the welterweight and was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America and ESPN in 2005, was training to come out of retirement for a middleweight bout with Eisa Al Dah of the United Arab Emirates in December.
"He was excited for the future; his bag was packed ready to go to Dubai of which his beloved girls Millie and Fearne were to be the centre of," the family said. "He was excited that they would see him fight for the first time in person. He was a doting grandfather and loved spending time with Campbell and Lyla. Richard planned to spend more time in Tenerife."
Hatton had a 45-3 career recording with 32 wins by KO in 48 fights, having gone 43-0 before his first loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in 2007 and retirement in 2012. The 46-year-old was vocal about his struggles in recent years and became ambassador for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably in 2023.
"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 the BBC in 2020. "Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health."