'People's champion who fought with every part of his soul'

Ricky Hatton was remembered as a "warrior" who became the "people's champion" as boxing legends and sporting greats paid tribute following the fighter's death at the age of 46.

Former world champion Hatton's body was found at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester on Sunday and police said there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.

Stockport-born Hatton - nicknamed 'the Hitman' - was high on the list of Britain's most popular and recognisable boxers having won world titles in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.

Amir Khan remembered "one of Britain's greatest boxers" and Tyson Fury said Hatton was a "legend", while Wayne Rooney said he was "devastated" by the news.

Boxing journalist Steve Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We used the cliche 'people's champion', but nobody had come close to what Ricky was before and nobody has come close to what Ricky was since.

"He fought with every part of his soul and fibre. If he won there was nothing left, and if he lost there was nothing left. He gave everything in victory and defeat.

"He should never have been as good as he was. He should never have had the fame and accolades and glory he had, but that was down to pure determination and desire."

Hatton's parents made a small gym in the basement of their pub when he was 12, and it was there that he honed his skills on a punching bag.

He rose through amateur and domestic levels to pit his wits against elite boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton achieved a staggering 43-0 record before his first loss came at the hands of Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

Much of Hatton's appeal lay in the salt-of-the-earth roots which he never lost touch with - doing much of his training in a ramshackle gym above a carpet factory in Hyde.

Indeed, when he walked to the ring to face Mayweather in Las Vegas he did so wearing a robe which carried an advert for his father's carpet shop where he had worked until he turned professional.

"He was very approachable, very down to earth, which goes a long way to tell you what the man is all about," said former WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall.

"He reached the very top in his sport, but you could approach him and have a cup of tea with him – that's what made him appealing to people."

Mancunian Hatton's all-action style made him one of the most popular fighters in the first decade of the 21st Century.

Hatton's former promoter Frank Warren described, in a post on X, a "superbly talented fighter" who "inspired a generation of young boxers".

Warren wrote: "From making his debut in Widnes in 1997 to then go on to win one of the most historic fights in British boxing history against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester, Ricky will rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport."

Fellow promoter Eddie Hearn added: "Everybody loved Ricky. May he rest in eternal peace."

Britain's former light-welterweight world champion Khan said Hatton was "a friend, a mentor, a warrior".

"Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip," said former heavyweight world champion Fury on Instagram. "There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can't believe this so young."

Hatton had rare popularity, being a figure who managed to transcend his sport.

During his peak he hung out with fellow Manchester City fans Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.

Bunce said that Hatton "lived life fully" but was always willing "to take the mickey out of himself".

Darts legend Phil Taylor and ex-England cricketer Andrew Flintoff were among those from other sports to pay tribute on social media.

Former England and Manchester United footballer Rooney, who carried Hatton's belts into the ring before a fight with Jose Luis Castillo in 2007, said on X he was "devastated" and Hatton was a "a legend, a warrior and a great person".

Defeats to Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2007 and 2009 left Hatton deeply depressed and led to the darkest times of his life.

After retirement he was candid about his struggles with drinking and mental health as he tried to fill a void in his life.

"Those of us in the business have lived with Ricky's ups and downs over the last 15 years," Bunce said.

"The highs and the lows, the great nights in Las Vegas and the great nights in Manchester. Some of those that were closer to him witnessed the dark holes, the depression and the dark thoughts.

"He has had some troubles. He talked about his mental health problems. He has talked about his addictions. He addressed them and faced them and attacked them."

Hatton, who won 45 of his 48 professional bouts across a 15-year career, last fought professionally in 2012, suffering defeat by Ukraine's Vyacheslav Senchenko during a brief comeback.

He later found some success as a trainer, proved to be an especially sought after after-dinner speaker, and beamed with pride at the rise to the professional ranks of his son, Campbell.

Hatton fought an exhibition bout against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022 and was scheduled to have another fight in Dubai in December.

"He was a man of the people and a spectacular fighter," former WBA featherweight champion Barry McGuigan wrote on X.

"A great man inside the ring and a wonderful man outside of it. RIP Ricky, my thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time."