World Champion boxer Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton has been found dead at the age of 46, police have confirmed.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed, per The Sun: "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."
Hatton, who held an MBE, was scheduled to return to the ring on December 2 to face Eisa Aldah in Dubai.
Hatton had been a fan-favorite throughout his career, which spanned from 1997 to 2012, and had held multiple world championships.
Following his retirement, Hatton had struggled with alcohol abuse and depression, but had turned his life around for an exhibition bout with Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera three years ago.
Since retiring, Hatton had worked as a boxing promoter and trainer and had appeared on the TV show Dancing On Ice last year.
Hatton, who was born in Stockport and was an Oasis fan, recently revealed that their comeback had inspired his own, telling SunSport: "It inspired a lot of people, you know, for me to get in shape again at the age I'm at.
"Especially bearing in mind all my problems I've had personally with mental health and stuff like that.
"It was nice for so many people to come up to me and go, 'Oh, I've always struggled with my weight and to see you get it off at your age.'
"I've always struggled with my mental health and I've had my problems, and to see where you were a few years ago to what you're doing now, it's inspirational."
He added of his planned comeback: "It makes me feel so proud that I was so loved and that people get worried when they hear of me making a comeback. But I'm not as daft as I look.
"I know what fights are beyond me, I know which fights are silly for me, I know which fights I'm capable of and which ones are sensible for me, and this is one of them, so I'll do you proud again."
Hatton told the outlet: "The party can't last forever. Sooner or later, you've got to slow down. And I think I've reached that stage.
"But I'm in such a good place mentally, from where I was a few years back, and physically.
"I haven't got a six pack these days, but, you know, Ricky Hatton's belly's gone. So things are all good and it's nice from how bad it was to what it is now."
Hatton put on a career-defining display to defeat Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005, becoming lineal light-welterweight champion.
Two years later, he faced off against Floyd Mayweather Jr, considered one of history’s best pound-for-pound fighters, in Las Vegas, losing in a TKO.
In his stellar career, he retired with 45 wins and just three losses.
The former two-weight world champion has a 24-year-old son, Campbell Hatton, who has also followed in his footsteps as a boxer, as well as two daughters, Fearne and Millie.
Our thoughts remain with his family, friends, and fans at this devastating time.