Ricky Hatton’s close friend and manager, Paul Speak, has spoken about the heartbreaking moment he found the former boxer dead at his home.
Former two-weight world champion Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on Sunday, September 14, by his close friend and manager Speak.
The popular ex-fighter known as the ‘Hitman’ had a huge fanbase during his heyday, with over 30,000 British fans travelling to Las Vegas for his bout against American Floyd Mayweather in 2007.
Hatton won his next two fights - against Juan Lazcano at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in 2008 and Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand - before sustaining a knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2009.
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After the Pacquiao loss, he struggled with depression and later opened up about his use of drugs and alcohol during this period.
Hatton made an unsuccessful comeback in 2012 when he lost to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester.
And boxing was what Hatton was known for, but he was more than just a sportsperson. Thousands of fans have unique stories of times they bumped into the ‘Hitman’ and shared a moment or conversation with him.
His close friend and manager, Speak, will, no doubt, look back on the special times he and Hatton spent together but he recently opened up about the moment he found the former boxer dead at his home.
In an emotional interview with Boxing News magazine, Speak detailed the moment he arrived at Hatton’s house before realising the “lights weren’t on” which he admitted was “strange”.
However, at that point, Speak, thought the 46-year-old had just overslept.
Speak said: “So, I went inside – I have a key – shouting, ‘Rick, Rick, wake up!’ I heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs… I took a look at him… I had to take some time to process it.
“I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance.
“But I firmly believe he didn’t intend to do it. It’s for the coroner to determine, but he had it all to live for.”
Earlier this month, Greater Manchester Police said Hatton’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
Later in the interview, Speak claimed that Hatton was in a good place and was looking forward to taking his daughters to see Oasis.
The Stockport-born fighter also had a comeback fight against Eisa Al Dah, organised for December 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Speak added: “I want to get the truth out; otherwise, people will just speculate. There’s been a lot of rubbish written about Ricky and his parents, but he’d seen his mum just last week, gave her a big hug and some love.”
Topics: Ricky Hatton, Boxing
Luke Davies