As the boxing world continued to celebrate Terence “Bud” Crawford’s astonishing victory over the figure who had been deemed “the face of boxing, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the fight community received grim news Sunday morning about one of its own who unexpectedly passed away sometime before the historic fight â which he had been planing to watch later that night.
Perhaps the most beloved British boxer of this century, or perhaps ever, Richard John “Ricky” Hatton, was found dead in his home in Hyde â a suburb of Manchester, England â at age 46.
No Cause of Death Revealed as of Sunday
No cause of death had been made public as of Sunday afternoon in the United Kingdom, but authorities said that Hatton’s death was not being treated as suspicious. According to a report by the New York Post, Hatton â who went by the nickname “The Hitman” in his boxing days â had been planning a comeback in the ring for sometime later this year.
“Hatton has been very open in retirement about battles with depression, mental-health issues, alcohol and drugs, but he had been in training for a scheduled comeback bout as a middleweight against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in December,” the Post reported.
Whether his acknowledged mental health or substance abuse issues played any role in his death is not yet known.
Brawling Style Endeared Hatton to British Fans
Hatton, who fought almost exclusively in the super-lightweight â sometimes called junior welterweight â division, was also known to struggle with his weight, even in the prime of his fighting career, often ballooning between fights to well above the 140-pound limit for his weight class, then going on crash diets to make the required weight.
Closely identified with the city of Manchester, Hatton would walk to the ring to the tune of “Blue Moon,” best known is the area as the fight song of his favorite hometown professional soccer team, Manchester City.
While Hatton was far from the most technically gifted boxer of his era, his head-down, brawling style â and everyman personality combined with a salty sense of humor â saw him rarely taking steps backward and even willing to use borderline tactics such as leading with his head against opponents.
Those factors endeared him to British boxing aficionados.
Hatton Gains Fame With Stoppage of Tszyu
Despite compiling an undefeated record of 38-0 starting with his debut in September 1997, Hatton did not grab the imagination of American fight fans until his 39th fight, on June 5, 2005, when he got his first shot at a major title facing IBF super-lightweight champ Kostya Tszyu â a Russian-born Australian who also brought an undefeated record to their bout.
Hatton mauled and battered Tszyu over 10 rounds until stopping the reigning champion in the 11th â setting himself up for higher-profile, higher-paying matches in the coming years.
Stopped by Mayweather, Pacquiao
He finally got his shot at a top-level opponent on December 8, 2007, when he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
But Mayweather was easily the most proficient boxer of his generation, and had no trouble controlling an overmatched Hatton before knocking him out in the 10th with a devastating left hook as Hatton recklessly charged in at him.
Three fights later, on May 2, 2009, Hatton attempted to reclaim his super-lightweight championship against Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao. But Pacquiao knocked Hatton out cold with one punch, a massive left hook, with nine seconds remaining in the second round.
“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 honor the respect and sportsmanship he showed,” Pacquiao wrote on Sunday, in a tribute to Hatton.
“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,” Pacquiao wrote.
Hatton came back to the ring in 2012 to take on Ukranian Vyacheslav Senchenko, only to be stopped in the ninth round and retire from boxing for what turned out to be the final time.
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