Ricky Hatton 'had no one there to help him', Kellie Maloney heartbreakingly reveals

Kellie Maloney says that Ricky Hatton "had no one there" to support him at the end of his life, following the tragic news that the boxer has died aged 46. Ricky's body was found in his Manchester home today, Sunday 14 September, by police, who said the death is "not being treated as suspicious".

Ricky previously battled with mental health struggles, alcohol and drug addictions, something Kellie tells Mirror she saw the impact of during their last interaction. "I knew about his struggles and noticed it towards the end of his career, I promoted his 2008 fight against Juan Lazcano at the Etihad Stadium, which he was so happy to do because he always wanted to fight at his favourite football ground.

"He won the fight, but he wasn’t the Ricky of time past, I could tell there was something different. It’s really, really sad that he was such a great icon to the British boxing community and to the British public, yet when he needed help, there didn't seem to be anyone there to help him," continued Kellie.

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Promoter Kellie, who is famed for managing the likes of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2014, and says Ricky was one of the few to reach out to her and show his support.

"I haven't seen Ricky for ages, I’ve taken myself away from the boxing world and haven’t stayed in touch with many people, but Ricky was always one of the genuine ones.

"He sent me a nice message when my story broke and I always had a lot of respect for him," she explains. Tributes have been flooding in for Ricky following the news of his death, which was confirmed by Greater Manchester Police.

A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we have found a body at an address on Bowlacre Road in Gee Cross at 6.45am today, Sunday, September 14. The death is not being treated as suspicious."

The fighter famously struggled with his mental health and was estranged from his parents following a bitter row over money in 2009 which led to a fight with his dad Ray in a car park.

He reconciled with his parents in 2019 only for their relationship to hit the rocks again two years ago following the release of a documentary about the fighter's life.

However, Kellie says that despite their ups and downs, Ricky's family will be "devastated" over the sad loss. "I spent 10 days in the lead up to a fight with Ricky and his dad – it was great, they stuck to every word and were lovely to work with.

"This will be devastating for his family, even though they argued over the years and, like all families, they had their ups and downs.

"They were really close at times as well as the arguments. It’s a big loss for the boxing world and he’s gone but will really never be forgotten," said Kellie.

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