Claire Sweeney’s heartfelt message to Ricky Hatton now carries a heartbreaking weight, following the tragic news that the boxer was found dead in his home.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the sad news, stating that Hatton had been discovered deceased at his Bowlacre Road residence in Hyde on Sunday morning.
A spokesperson for GMP shared: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
Despite officially retiring from boxing in November 2012 with an impressive record of 45-3, having only been defeated by Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao and Vyacheslav Senchenko, Hatton had announced his return to the ring in June.
The Englishman was scheduled to go head-to-head with UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah at middleweight on December 2 in Dubai. However, after sustaining an eye injury at an Oasis reunion concert in Cardiff, Hatton was unable to fly out for the press conference announcing the bout.
Despite his physical absence, he made an appearance via video call, expressing his excitement about the upcoming match: “I’m very much looking forward to it myself, to be honest with you. What you’re trying to do there for boxing in Dubai is fantastic.”
In a show of solidarity, the Coronation Street actress took to Instagram to share a video of the announcement, captioning it with the words: “This is brilliant.”
Hatton and Sweeney’s romance blossomed during their Dancing on Ice stint last year, despite having known each other on and off for two decades. The pair were spotted enjoying holidays together, but their relationship ended in December.
Despite their split, Claire told MailOnline last winter: “I’m great – we’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good.”
The sporting community mourned on Sunday, with numerous peers paying tribute on social media. Tyson Fury posted: “RIP to the legend @rickyhatton, may he RIP. There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this, so young.”
Chris Eubank Jr also shared: “Rest in Peace Mr Ricky Hatton. We salute you,” whilst Michael Owen penned: “RIP Ricky Hatton. What a guy. And what a fighter. Incredibly sad news.”
The Ring Magazine posted on X: “The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Ring Magazine super-lightweight champion, Ricky Hatton. Our deepest sympathies are with Ricky’s friends and family at this time.”