Ricky Hatton's cause of death confirmed as inquest into boxing legend's passing opens

Ricky Hatton was found dead at his home in Manchester last month

Boxing legend Ricky Hatton tragically took his own life, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Hatton, a world champion in two weight categories, was discovered dead at his Manchester residence by his manager and long-time mate Paul Speak last month. He was laid to rest last week with fans lining the city streets before a service at Manchester Cathedral.

On Thursday morning, an inquest into his death was opened, with coroner Alison Mutch revealing the cause of death. She informed the court that Hatton was found unresponsive in his bedroom by Mr Speak, who was due to accompany the boxer to Dubai for a press conference to officially announce his comeback fight. The provisional cause of death was given as 'hanging'.

Last Friday, thousands of mourners lined the streets to honour Hatton, with a private memorial service held at the city's cathedral. Among those present was Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher, a long-time friend of Hatton who accompanied him on his ring walk against Paulie Malignaggi in 2008.

The great and good of British boxing also turned out, including Fury, Tony Bellew and Frank Bruno, as well as former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff and ex-Manchester United star Rooney, all arriving at the cathedral. Also among the mourners was Hatton's former trainer Billy Graham, with whom he was virtually inseparable from his journey from the amateur ranks to the pinnacle of the boxing world, reports the Mirror.

After the service, where Hatton's three children delivered eulogies, a memorial march proceeded to the Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton's cherished Manchester City. The news of Hatton's passing was revealed just hours before the Manchester derby at Eastlands, with players and supporters from both City and United observing a minute's applause prior to kick-off.

Hatton's dynamic fighting style resulted in 45 victories and three losses out of 48 bouts, but it was his down-to-earth personality that particularly endeared him to fellow professionals and fans worldwide.

This was demonstrated by tens of thousands of fans travelling to Las Vegas to watch him fight against the two greatest fighters of his time, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Stories of UK fans chanting 'there's only one Ricky Hatton' and drinking Sin City dry have become part of boxing legend.

Hatton experienced his first professional loss when Mayweather defeated him in 2007, while a brutal second-round knockout by Pacquiao two years later marked his decline from top-tier boxing. A misguided comeback attempt against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012 was the first public acknowledgement of Hatton's struggles in retirement.

He tirelessly championed mental health charities and the Manchester-based Barnabus, which aids homeless and vulnerable individuals. He also became a successful trainer in an effort to fill the void.

After taking part in a non-scoring exhibition match against Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, Hatton revealed in July that he would be making a professional comeback in a Dubai ring in December.

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