'Ricky was so much more than a world champion': Ricky Hatton's parents pay tribute to 'the man who had a heart as big as his smile' after he died aged 46

Ricky Hatton 'had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him', his parents said today.

Tributes have poured in for the 46-year-old boxing star after Greater Manchester Police revealed yesterday that he had been found dead at his home in Hyde.

A family statement was issued by police this morning which read: 'It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son Richard.

'Richard was so much more than a world champion. To us he was simply 'Richard', our son. A loving father, grandfather, and brother, and a true friend to many.

'He had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.'

The family added that Hatton would be remembered to the wider world as 'one of boxing's greatest champions - a man who gave everything inside the ring and wore his heart on his sleeve outside of it'.

The statement continued: 'He inspired generations with his fighting spirit, his humility, and his love for the sport. But beyond the titles, the nights to remember, and the roar of the crowd, he remained the same down-to-earth Richard who never forgot where he came from.

'As a family, our loss is immeasurable, and words cannot truly capture the pain we feel. Yet in the midst of our grief, we have been deeply moved by the overwhelming outpouring of love and support.

'It has been a source of great comfort to see just how many lives Richard touched, and how widely he was admired and respected.

'At this time, we kindly ask for privacy as we come to terms with life without him. In the days and weeks ahead, we will take strength from one another and from the knowledge that Richard's legacy - both in boxing and as a man - will continue to live on.

'Richard's memory will forever remain in our hearts, in the hearts of his fans, and in the sport he loved so dearly.'

Hatton had a troubled relationship with his mother Carol and father Ray. 

They had a long rift over money which even saw him fight with his father in a car park in 2012.

The boxer did not speak to his parents for seven years after the brawl, before eventually deciding to end the feud by meeting them for dinner in 2019.

But their relationship again broke down in 2023 after a documentary about his life was released, which saw Hatton’s former trainer Billy Graham accuse his father of short-changing him over fight purses.

Hatton rose from a carpet shop in Manchester to win world titles at two different weights and captivate the boxing world.

His all-action style and down-to-earth demeanour made him one of the most popular fighters on both side of the Atlantic in the first decade of the new century.

He announced in July that he would return to the ring in a professional bout in Dubai in December.

Fellow fighters and boxing figures have also mourned his loss, with fellow former world champion Amir Khan describing him as 'a mentor, warrior and one of Britain's greatest boxers'.

Heavyweight Tyson Fury described Hatton as a 'legend', while his former promoter Frank Warren said he was 'deeply saddened' by the news of his death, describing the man he steered to world title glory over Kostya Tszyu in June 2005 as a 'modern great'.

Hatton was candid about the mental health issues he faced after he retired from the ring for a second time following an ill-advised comeback attempt against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

In an interview on BBC Radio Four's Today programme in 2016, he described his struggles with drinking and drugs and revealed he had tried to take his own life several times.

Hatton overcame a fallout with his family and a court case with his former trainer Billy Graham to become a successful trainer, coaching Zhanat Zhakiyanov to a world bantamweight title win in 2017.

Yet it is for his irresistible boxing career that Hatton will be best remembered, with few British fighters past or present able to match his talent or popularity.

After a brief but impressive stint as an amateur, Hatton began his journey to becoming one of the most popular British boxers in history with a victory over Colin McAuley in Widnes in 1997.

After 21 straight wins he stepped up to beat Jon Thaxton for the British light-welterweight title at Wembley Conference Centre in 2000 and proceeded to make Manchester's then MEN Arena his own with a series of sell-out defences of his WBU light-welterweight crown.

Hatton's big breakthrough came in June 2005 when he forced defending champion Tszyu to retire on his stool at the end of their IBF title fight at his home city arena.

His American debut came the following year with a points win over Luis Collazo in Boston, but bigger sights had already been set and the manner of his victory over Mexican great Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas in June 2007 stamped his ticket to greatness.

Increasingly loved by audiences for his fighting style and the hordes of boisterous fans who followed in his wake, Hatton landed a lucrative clash with Floyd Mayweather later that same year and fought bravely before succumbing to his first professional defeat.

Hatton lost little else due to the manner of his loss and further big fights awaited him, but a subsequent meeting with Manny Pacquiao proved a step too far and he announced his retirement after a brutal second-round loss.

His return three years later to fight and lose to Senchenko, an opponent he would have had few issues with in his prime, was the first public admission that he was struggling to cope without the sport.

He took part in a no-scoring exhibition with Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022 and had started training for his bout in Dubai in December.