GONE TOO SOON

Boxing Legend and World Champion Dies at Age 46

British boxing champion Ricky Hatton was slated to come out of retirement for a match later this year.

British boxing icon Ricky Hatton died Sunday morning at age 46, according to reports. The cause of death has not been determined. According to a police statement obtained by the BBC, the Greater Manchester Police confirmed a body was discovered after a neighbor reported the incident. Authorities said “the death is not being treated as suspicious.” Hatton, a retired boxing champion, leaves behind a 15-year legacy with world titles in two weight classes: light-welterweight and welterweight. Hatton, who was nicknamed “The Hitman,” won 45 of his 48 professional matches while he was active from 1997 to 2012. The boxing legend had initially retired in 2011, but announced a comeback in 2012. After his loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko, he announced his final retirement. Nearly 13 years later, Hatton announced a comeback match that was scheduled this year for Dec. 2 against Eisa Al Dah. Since his death, tributes from the sports community have poured in to mourn the legend. Ryan Burnett, an Irish boxing champion Hatton had trained and promoted, shared a tribute on Instagram. “My friend, you’ll be so sorely missed. Love ya mate,” he wrote.