Ricky Hatton’s brother says boxing legend was ‘best he’s been by a long way’ before death

Ricky Hatton’s brother Matthew says his older sibling was ‘the best he has been by a long way’ before his death – and he never expected the champion boxer to take his own life.

Hatton, one of the most beloved fighters in British boxing history, was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester last month, aged just 46.

A subsequent inquest concluded that Hatton, whose mental health struggles were well documented both before and after retirement, was found hanged in his bedroom by his manager Paul Speak.

The tragic news has shaken boxing to its core, with countless fans and high-profile sporting figures flooding social media with personal tributes to the former world champion in the intervening weeks.

At the peak of his powers, Hatton was revered across the globe, gaining a reputation for his ferocious body punching which he mastered under the tutelage of long-time coach Billy Graham.

But Hatton’s character and personality was perhaps what cemented him a place in hearts of so many, with 30,000 spectators making the trip to Las Vegas to watch their hero face off against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007.

The outpouring of love has highlighted just what Hatton meant to the British boxing fraternity – and beyond – and Manchester City paid their respects with a minute’s silence before their recent win over local rivals Manchester United.

A banner emblazoned with the words, ‘The People’s Champion’, was proudly held aloft by City fans during the 3-0 victory, with Hatton’s son, Campbell, brought to tears at the Etihad.

A fortnight later, thousands more mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes – and both Campbell and Hatton’s young brother, Matthew, were pictured bravely carrying their loved one’s coffin into Manchester Cathedral.

Asked if he had begun to process the death of his brother, who he knew as ‘Richard’, Matthew Hatton told ITV News: ‘In reality, no.

‘When it first happened, I was absolutely and totally shocked. For the first couple of weeks, I went to see my mum and dad, I went to see Campbell.

‘I just couldn’t answer my phone, I couldn’t speak to people. It felt almost like a bad dream.

‘Has it hit me yet fully? I don’t know. Probably not.’

Though Matthew ‘always worried’ about his brother’s mental health battles, he says the devastating news of his passing came as a complete ‘shock’.

‘I don’t think we ever did [think Hatton would take his own life],’ he explained.

‘I’ll be honest, I’ve always worried. I spoke with my partner Jenna all the time and we did worry a lot about Richard.

‘Obviously, he did a lot of interviews and stuff like that. I’d listen and I was never really convinced sometimes by what he was saying.

‘A lot of the time he was speaking about things that happened years ago and he didn’t really seem to have a purpose now or a vision for the future. That always worried me.

‘But genuinely, this year, it was the best he has ever been by a long, long way because he’s had his problems since he stopped boxing, he’s had his issues, they’ve been well documented, but this year was undoubtedly the best I’ve ever seen him.

‘It really was a shock and we didn’t expect that at all.’

Asked if Ricky would ever reach out to him over his mental health struggles, Matthew replied: ‘No, not really.

‘He was always so busy. He was here, there and everywhere so, no, he didn’t.

‘I know he was speaking to people, professionals, on a regular basis and that made me a little bit easier about the whole thing and my thoughts with that.

‘But no he didn’t [reach out].’

Matthew was overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief and support during Hatton’s funeral procession and ‘can’t thank people enough’ for the love they have shown him and the family.

‘I thought it was amazing. Gee Cross, where we lived, and Hattersley, where we grew up, I knew they were going to be busy and people coming out in their droves,’ he added.

‘But we stopped at lots of different places and it was pretty much all the way to the cathedral. There was people on the streets everywhere and you could see the pain on their faces, how much he meant to them and the inspiration he gave to the people.

‘For the family, it was such a great turnout and I can’t thank people enough.’

The Ricky Hatton Foundation was formed in Hatton’s name this month, aimed at raising funds and awareness for mental health services, community programmes and educational campaigns.

Matthew is ready to help the organisation ‘every step of the way’ and believes it could go on to be his sibling’s greatest legacy.

‘It’s going to be driven by Paul [Speak], his manager, and Campbell and they’ve got some great ideas,’ he continued.

‘I think they’re going to be reaching out to some sportspeople that have retired from sport and have been struggling.

‘I’ve told them both that I’m there to help them every step of the way.

‘That’s certainly something I can help with because people do struggle when they stop professional sports, as I did myself, but I’ve transitioned quite well.

‘They have some great ideas and Richard had legacy. It’s great that it will be pushed forwards.’

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