Ricky Hatton was battling injury and grief after a friend killed himself without warning in the days before the champion boxer was himself found dead, the Daily Mail can reveal today.
The Hitman, 46, had been due to fly out to Dubai yesterday to sign a contract for a money-spinning exhibition fight in December but had not been seen since last Thursday.
He told a fellow boxer at his gym that he had a ‘problem with his elbow’ and then joked about his age, but had seemed himself.
Ricky had just attended the funeral of his friend David Leigh, who died suddenly in August after taking his own life, the Mail can also reveal.
In an emotional Instagram post Ricky, who spoke openly about his battle with mental health problems and addiction, had said: ‘I wish you could have reached out to us mate. See you shortly’.
Worried loved-ones raised the alarm and his long-serving manager Paul Speak found his body at his home in Hyde on Sunday morning after the sporting legend failed to show to watch a boxing event in Manchester the night before.
Police have said they are not treating his death as suspicious. The South Manchester coroner has not revealed the preliminary cause of death.
Ricky was booked on to a flight to Dubai on Monday – but was found dead 24 hours before he was due to take off from Manchester Airport. He was due to fight in December against UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah.
Ricky Hatton with his friend David Leigh, who tragically died suddenly last month and had his funeral a week ago
The Hitman wrote after Dave was given a ‘top send off’ that he had wished his friend had reached out
Ricky was due to fly out to Dubai to sign a deal to fight in an exhibition in December. He had been looking healthy in recent video but had confided in a friend that he had an injured elbow
Former boxer Stacey Copeland, a close friend of Ricky’s, may be the last person to have seen Mr Hatton.
He revealed their final conversation at his gym on Thursday, where they had a laugh abut Hatton’s age.
Mr Copeland spoke to a BBC Five Live special, ‘Remembering Ricky Hatton’, which was broadcast last night.
“He was saying he had a problem with his elbow. It was starting to hurt. We just had a bit of a joke, saying “you are knocking on now Rick”. That was it. To say it was a shock is a massive understatement’, he said.
Days earlier Ricky had attended the funeral of his friend David Leigh, which friends told the Mail had hit him very hard.
He had shared a picture of them together and said: ‘There was so many there for you. Give you a top send off today’.
Mr Leigh had been found dead on August 6 after friends became concerned for his wellbeing.
One friend had taken to Facebook urging people to check on him.
He said: ‘Has anyone spoke or heard from Dave Leigh?? Worried about him message me asap if you have any info’.
Dave was found dead later that day.
The Hitman was in Tenerife at the time but said on Instagram: ‘Just in absolute shock, speechless, gutted. There are literally no words. Just wish you could have reached out to one of us. There was so many there for you my friend the queue was miles long. Ricky’.
An inquest into Dave’s death was opened on August 21 and the provisional cause of death was given as hanging.
One friend said afterwards: ‘His smile lit up the room, his energy lifted everyone around him, and his laughter will echo in our memories for years to come’.
Another loved-one wrote: ‘You never know what is going on in someone’s mind’.
Ricky Hatton’s body was discovered by his long-serving manager, Paul Speak (left)
Speak lays flowers outside the boxing legend’s home following his death
The long-serving manager of Ricky Hatton found the body of the sporting legend at his home in Hyde on Sunday morning, boxing pundit Steve Bunce has revealed.
BBC commentator Bunce, a close friend of the former world champion, told how Hatton’s manager, Paul Speak, went to the 46-year-old’s home in Manchester after he failed to attend a boxing show on Saturday night.
Bunce told 5Live: ‘He filled me in on a few details about the Friday night and the Saturday night. On the Saturday night, Ricky hadn’t gone to a boxing show.
‘Speaky had found out Sunday morning. Speaky went round and let himself into the house. In fact it was Paul Speak who found his great friend and the people’s champion Ricky Hatton.
‘Speaky deserves a little bit of love. You can’t even begin to imagine. It’s a 25-year relationship they’ve had as his commercial and business manager, but more than that it’s his close friend. It’s his confidant.
‘I can’t think of another relationship like it in sport to be perfectly honest. So Speaky was the one that found him.’
Bunce added that nobody knew Hatton better than Speak, who had been by the boxer’s side for much of his illustrious fighting career.
Ricky Hatton repeatedly spoke of wanting to ‘drink and drug himself to death’ and made multiple attempts to end his life in the years before he died.
The Hitman said in a recent interview that he had hit ‘rock bottom’ following a devastating two-round defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2009.
It sparked years of mental health problems, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts as well as an addiction to cocaine.
The champion boxer, who was found dead in Manchester on Sunday morning aged just 46, told the BBC in 2022: ‘I just went on the war path. I was suicidal. I tried killing myself several times, couldn’t do it. So then I thought to myself I will drink and drug myself to death.’
His bereft parents Carol and Ray gave an emotional tribute to their son yesterday
‘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’, they said in a statement.
Mr and Mrs Hatton did not reveal the cause of his death but added: ‘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’.
Ricky Hatton of Britain goes down in a TKO in the second round during his fight with Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. The Hitman said the defeat left him suicidal
Flowers outside the Hitman’s home where he was found dead yesterday
Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher walked Ricky Hatton into the ring holding his belts in 2008. Here, they celebrate with him after he defeated Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas
British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has died aged 46. He is pictured here at the PFA Awards 2025 at Manchester Opera House on August 19
The British boxing icon celebrates after winning the WBA light-welterweight title when he defeated Carlos Maussa
Ricky was due for a dramatic return to the sport with a fight planned in Dubai in December – but had often spoke of his struggles with mental health issues, drug addiction and suicidal thoughts.
In an interview with the BBC in 2022, he opened up about ‘hitting rock bottom’ after a crushing defeat to boxing great Manny Pacquiao, where he was knocked out in the second round at the peak of his own powers.
He said: ‘My problems happened when I got beat by Manny Pacquiao in two rounds, which ultimately meant “Ricky, you need to retire now”.
‘I had fell out with my parents, I’d fell out with my trainer Billy Graham, so that is when it went rock bottom’.
Known as ‘The Hitman’, he became loved by Brits for his action-packed fights with his signature relentless pressure and attacking style.
But without a doubt, the biggest battles of Ricky’s life were his own demons.
He had long struggled with his mental health, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, but in these battles, too, his approach also won him an army of fans.
After being pictured snorting a substance on the front page of the News of the World in 2010, Ricky sought help and admitted himself to a rehab facility, The Priory.
After his fall from grace be became an ambassador for mental health and trying to help other boxers from making the same mistakes that he did.
He said: ‘When I got beaten by Mayweather I was devastated. I told everyone I was going to win. I got my best pay day and I am fighting the best pound for pound fighter in the world but I didn’t go there just for that though.
‘I thought I was going to beat him. When I didn’t, after telling all those fans that went over I would, it put my head away.
‘After the fight, I couldn’t walk down the street I was so embarrassed. I didn’t want to show my face. I know that seems a bit strong but that’s what was in my mind.
‘I thought everyone was looking at me saying he told us he was going to beat Mayweather and he didn’t. It’s a shame really but it was the start of my mental health struggles.’
He added the defeat made him feel like he had ‘let down’ the 40,000 fans who travelled to Las Vegas to support him and fuelled feelings of depression, which was later made worse by a falling out with his parents in a row over money in 2013.
Speaking on an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women in 2017, he said: ‘After the [Floyd] Mayweather fight I started drinking a lot more heavily and ultimately I fell out with my parents and that was difficult for me and I did not care if I lived or died.
‘I contemplated suicide many, many times. I started thinking of different ways to get through it and I thought I could drink myself to death.
‘So consequently I got more depressed and I ended up taking drugs to enable me to drink more and it was a vicious circle.’
Ricky Hatton won himself an army of fans both inside and outside the ring for his bravery in dealing with his demons
The boxing world has expressed its grief at Ricky’s death today
Ricky Hatton celebrates defeating Jose Luis Castillo with friend Wayne Rooney in 2007
He said: ‘It was my first taste of defeat as a pro after 35 fights. Even though it was Floyd Mayweather, I turned up thinking I was going to beat him.
‘I became so used to success and then all of a sudden it was like “I’m not used to this”.’
Hatton was undefeated for 43 matches, winning titles at light-welterweight and welterweight in his career before facing Floyd Mayweather in 2007.
Ahead of the fight, he had been struggling with his fitness, veering from 10 to 13st. The Hitman had a new nickname: Fatty Hatton.
An astonishing 35,000 Brits followed him to Vegas for the Mayweather match, David Beckham among them. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were among the US contingent. Tom Jones sang the UK national anthem.
The Hitman was floored twice by Mayweather’s punches. The second barrage left him unable to rise but bravely begging, ‘Get me up,’ to his corner.
Hatton lost all self-confidence after that defeat. ‘Me head fell off after the Mayweather fight,’ he said.
Two years later he had his second career defeat to Mayweather, his penultimate career bout and the one that ultimately led to his retirement.
Wayne Rooney led tributes to the Manchester boxer this morning as the ex-footballer spoke about carrying his belt into the ring in Las Vegas.
Rooney said: ‘To hear that news is just devastating.
