Ricky Hatton, the British boxer and former world champion, has died, the World Boxing Association said on Sunday. He was 46.
The police in Manchester, England, said that the body of a 46-year-old man was found on Sunday morning.
A member of the public called the police at 6:45 a.m., according to the statement, which did not identify the individual, according to police rules.
“There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances,” the statement said.
Hatton retired in 2012, after a 15-year professional career that included World Boxing Association light-welterweight titles and welterweight world championships. He finished 45-3 in 48 bouts, with 32 knockouts.
“A true champion, an indomitable spirit and a legend of the sport,” the W.B.A. said on Instagram.
Hatton had a perfect 43-0 record until he was defeated by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, and his second loss came in 2009, when Manny Pacquiao knocked him out.
After his second defeat he retired, and in 2011, he said that he had slipped into a depression. In his autobiography, “War and Peace: My Story,” he wrote that he had attempted suicide several times.
“For someone in my position, taking drugs once is nothing short of disgraceful,” Hatton told the BBC. “The reason behind my actions and the way I was behaving wasn’t a drink or drugs thing, it was depression.”
He made a comeback in 2012, which resulted in a nine-round loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko.
“I don’t want to make any hasty decisions,” he said after that loss, as tears welled in his eyes. “But I’m heartbroken. I’m just booted. I can’t.”
He retired again, but he announced in July that he would make a second comeback in December in Dubai.
“I think it’ll be a sensational evening,” he said in an announcement for the fight.
Richard Hatton was born on Oct. 6, 1978, in Stockport, England, outside of Manchester, and grew up in the Greater Manchester area.
His father, Ray Hatton, played football for Manchester City and had several pubs, and his mother, Carol Hatton, worked in a clothes shop in Hyde, England.
He wrote in his autobiography that he was first drawn to boxing after watching the martial artist Bruce Lee on television. He starting kickboxing, and his coach suggested that he switch to boxing.
“Boxing is one of those sports where you get whacked on the nose and you either like it or you think, ‘It’s not for me, this game,’” he wrote. “I was hooked.”
In 2007, Hatton was named a member of the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to sports.
Information on his survivors was not immediately available.
Adeel Hassan, a New York-based reporter for The Times, covers breaking news and other topics.
Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news and other topics.
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