The inquest of former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton has concluded at South Manchester Coroner’s Court in Stockport, with senior coroner Alison Mutch returning a narrative verdict after ruling she could not be satisfied the boxer intended to take his own life.
The hearing confirmed the medical cause of death as hanging but left the question of intent formally unresolved. The court established how Hatton died, but stopped short of recording a conclusion of suicide.
Hatton, 46, was found unresponsive at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on 14 September 2025 by his manager and longtime friend Paul Speak. Speak had gone to collect Hatton for a flight to Dubai, where the former light-welterweight and welterweight world champion was due to prepare for a planned comeback fight against Eisa Al Dah in December.
What the Coroner Found
Mutch’s narrative conclusion, as reported by the Manchester Evening News, was summarised as: “Richard John Hatton died having suspended himself from a ligature. (His) intention remains unclear as he was under the influence of alcohol and a neurological post-mortem found evidence of CTE.”
The court heard there was no note. Hatton was found fully dressed in an upstairs games room, with an empty bottle of wine and a half-full glass on the bar nearby, the lights off and music playing from a television. Police and ambulance crews attended but could not determine exactly when he had died. The property was secure and there were no signs of disturbance.
Microscopic evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative condition associated with repeated head injuries, was found during post-mortem examination. No significant abnormalities were visible to the naked eye in Hatton’s brain, according to The Mirror. Cannabis and evidence of previous cocaine use were also noted.
Family Evidence and Future Plans
The hearing included testimony from Hatton’s family. His son Campbell told the court he believed his father’s death “wasn’t premeditated,” per the Manchester Evening News. Campbell said Hatton had experienced a decline in short-term memory over the previous two to three years, with repeated conversations and a growing reliance on notes to remember things.
A statement read on behalf of Hatton’s mother Carol said she last saw her son two days before he died. They had spoken about his plans to return to the ring and sell his house. She said his “eyes were sad” and that “the last hug he gave me almost broke my ribs.”
The family’s position was that Hatton had been “the best he had been for years” at the time of his death. Mutch said he was “clearly a man who was looking forwards and making plans,” describing him as “a family man at heart” who “clearly loved his family very much.”
“Richard John Hatton died having suspended himself from a ligature. (His) intention remains unclear as he was under the influence of alcohol and a neurological post-mortem found evidence of CTE.”
The coroner said the family had “lost a much-loved family member and are still grieving.”
A Legal Process Concluded
The ruling follows the provisional cause of death given at an opening hearing in October 2025, which was adjourned so a full inquest could take place. That earlier hearing established the basic circumstances. Thursday’s conclusion brought the case to its legal end.
Hatton had been open in life about his mental health struggles and became an ambassador for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) in 2023. “If a boxer can come out and say they’re struggling and crying every day, it’s going to make a huge difference,” he said in 2020.
His funeral procession drew fans into the streets of Manchester, with Tyson Fury, Amir Khan, Wayne Rooney and Liam Gallagher among those who attended the service.
The narrative verdict closes the legal process surrounding the death of one of British boxing’s most popular figures, confirming the medical cause while leaving intent formally unclear.
