Media playback is not supported on this device Former boxer Ricky Hatton tells Radio 4's Today about his suicide attempts and subsequent recovery

Ex-world champion Ricky Hatton says he tried to kill himself on several occasions in a battle with depression.

The Briton also talked about the need for boxers to get more help after retiring, when he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today show, guest edited by Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams.

"I tried to kill myself several times," said Hatton, 38, who retired in 2012.

"I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically."

Manchester's Hatton, who previously spoke to the BBC in 2011 about attempted suicide and depression, won the world light-welterweight and welterweight titles.

Hatton was stripped of his licence to box in 2010 after admitting using cocaine and retired the next year before fighting once more. He is now a promoter and trainer.

He continued: "There were times when I hadn't had a drink for days and I'd still come home and if something went through my mind I'd start pondering something. It was the same outcome whether I was having a drink or wasn't having a drink.

"But in the end I thought I'll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable.

"I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train."

'More should be done to help boxers'

Ricky Hatton's career Born Stockport, 6 Oct 1978

Turns pro in 1997

21 fights unbeaten and becomes British light-welterweight champion in 2000

Wins WBU light-welterweight title in 2001

Stops IBF light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in 2005

Points victory over Luis Collazo in 2006 sees him become WBA welterweight champion

Awarded an MBE but loses first fight, knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007

Beats Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi in 2008 but knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in May 2009

Retires in July 2011

Fights once more - against Vyacheslav Senchenko - in November 2012 but loses and retires again

Former world champion Barry McGuigan told BBC Radio 5 live in October that boxing authorities should fund a new foundation to help fighters with mental health issues.

And Hatton feels "more should be done for boxers" with depression, with ex-world champions Tyson Fury and Frank Bruno among other Britons to have suffered with the illness.

"Footballers have an agent who looks out for them and a football club that gets behind them. The Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) can also be there," added Hatton.

"Whereas boxers, it's like once your time has gone it's 'on your way' and move on to the next champion coming through.

"The thing is with boxers, we don't come from Cambridge and places like that, we come from council estates. So in boxing it's very, very hard. If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place.

"It seems to be happening more with boxers. It's an individual sport so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own."

His call was echoed by former British, Commonwealth and European light-middleweight champion Herol 'Bomber' Graham, who suffered from depression and contemplated suicide after his boxing career.

"When retirement comes around, boxers go into panic mode. The next thing you know, people are taking their life over a situation which could have been sorted for them, by a union or something like that," he told 5 live.

'What Fury said was heartbreaking'

Fury vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles in October to deal with his "medical treatment and recovery".

The Briton, 28, admitted taking cocaine to deal with depression and has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

Hatton said he contacted Fury to see if he was all right but said he never got a reply.

"Tyson is a very complex person. When he said what he said it was heartbreaking," added Hatton.

"To think Tyson had become the heavyweight champion of the world and should kick on with his life and his career and for it to go pear-shaped was a real crying shame.

"Having said that, he doesn't help himself in some interviews. If he is in a bad place and is depressed, I hope he's speaking to the right people in order to sort it out.

"As boxers we don't do that. We think, 'I'm Ricky Hatton or I'm Tyson Fury, I can take on the world'. You can take on the world in the ring but this problem called depression, you can't take it on.

"We're out of our comfort zones with depression. I certainly was and whenever I have bad days now I speak to someone to get it off my chest. I have no shame telling that and that's why I'm here today."</s>Former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton has revealed he tried to kill himself several times during his battle with depression.

Hatton admitted there was a huge gap in his life after retiring from a boxing career that saw him take on the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in front of his army of supporters in Las Vegas.

"I tried to kill myself several times," Hatton said in an interview aired on BBC Radio 4.

"I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically.

"There were times when I hadn't had a drink for days and I'd still come home and if something went through my mind I'd start pondering something. It was the same outcome whether I was having a drink or wasn't having a drink.

"But in the end I thought I'll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable.</s>Former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton has revealed he tried to kill himself several times during his battle with depression.

Hatton admitted there was a huge gap in his life after retiring from a boxing career that saw him take on the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in front of his army of supporters in Las Vegas.

“I tried to kill myself several times,” Hatton said in an interview aired on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically. There were times when I hadn’t had a drink for days and I’d still come home and if something went through my mind I’d start pondering something. It was the same outcome whether I was having a drink or wasn’t having a drink.

“But in the end I thought I’ll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable. I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train.”

In October, ex-world champion Tyson Fury opened up about his battle with depression while Frank Bruno is among the former boxers to have suffered from the illness.

“I think more should be done for boxers,” said Hatton. “Footballers have an agent that looks out for them and a football club that gets behind them, the FA and the players’ football association (PFA) can also be there.

“Whereas boxers it’s like once your time has gone it’s ’on your way’ and move on to the next champion coming through. The thing is with boxers we don’t come from Cambridge and places like that, we come from council estates.

“So in boxing it’s very, very hard. If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place. It seems to be happening more with boxers. It’s an individual sport so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own.”

On Fury, Hatton added: “I contacted him to see if he was all right and I never got a reply. Tyson is a very complex person. When he said what he said it was heartbreaking.

“To think Tyson had become the heavyweight champion of the world and should kick on with his life and his career and for it to go pear-shaped was a real crying shame. Having said that, he doesn’t help himself in some interviews.

“From my point of view, having not spoken to him, I don’t know how poorly or how bad he is. He might just be Tyson being Tyson. But if he is in a bad place and is depressed, I hope he’s speaking to the right people in order to sort it out.

“As boxers we don’t do that. We think, ’I’m Ricky Hatton or I’m Tyson Fury, I can take on the world’. You can take on the world in the ring but this problem called depression, you can’t take it on.

“We’re out of our comfort zones with depression. I certainly was and whenever I have bad days now I speak to someone to get it off my chest. I have no shame telling that and that’s why I’m here today.”
• In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Helplines in other countries can be found here.</s>“I tried to kill myself several times”: Former Boxing Champion Ricky Hatton Calls for Support System for Retired Fighters

Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton tried to kill himself when he suffered from depression after quitting the ring, the Briton said on Thursday. Hatton, who won titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, retired in 2012 but had already been struggling with depression, drink and drugs. “I tried to kill myself several times,” the 38-year-old said. […]

This post was syndicated from BellaNaija. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook</s>Former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton has revealed he tried to kill himself several times during his battle with depression. Hatton admitted there was a huge gap in his life after retiring from a boxing career that saw him take on the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in front of his army of supporters in Las Vegas.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Witney Gazette.</s>Ricky Hatton has revealed the extent of his battle with depression that led his attempts to take his own life.

Former world champion Hatton says that he did not know how to cope when his illustrious career in the ring came to a crashing end.

Hatton has battled depression for his whole life, but the problem intensified when he suffered the first loss of his career against Floyd Mayweather in 2007.

He revealed that it felt almost like the changing of the guard, as he was being shepherded out to make way for the sport's next exciting talent.

Hatton has admitted that he did not know how to cope without boxing in his life.

"I tried to kill myself several times," Hatton said on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"I used to go to the pub, come back and sit in the dark, crying hysterically.

"There is nothing that will ever replace getting in the ring. 60,000 people at the City of Manchester Stadium cheering your name, the new light heavyweight champion of the world.

"It will be hard to ever replace it I think.

"It's like once your time is gone it's like, 'Alright, on your way,' and we move onto the next superstar coming through or the next champion coming through and you're left a little bit on your own.

"The thing is with boxers, we don't come from Cambridge, we don't come from places like that.

"We come from council estates, so generally, boxing is all we knew."

Hatton has also revealed the true extents of his battle with depression and admits that his relationship with his parents has completely broken down.

His mother Carol and father Ray attended most of the Stockport fighter's bouts between the UK and Las Vegas.

But despite the setbacks, Hatton believes that he is "stronger" after surviving.

"My boxing career is over and I have accepted it, but you know when you've look at death in the face and you've come out the other end, I am stronger for it.

"But I've come to accept that I'm never going to speak to my parents again.

"I've come to accept that boxing is never going to come back and I should look at boxing with the good times and not the bad times and I deal with things a lot better.

"But every now and again I do have a little bit of a wobble and I just have to speak to someone and get if off my chest.

"As boxers, we don't do that, we thinl 'I'm Ricky Hatton, I'm Tyson Fury, I can take on the world'.

"And to be honest with you, you can take on the world in the ring, but this problem called depression, we can't take it on. We're out of our comfort zone with depression.

"I certainly was and when I have bad days now, I speak to someone and get it off my chest and I have no shame in telling that and that is probably why I am still here today."</s>Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton tried to kill himself when he suffered from depression after quitting the ring, the Briton said on Thursday. Hatton, who won titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, retired in 2012 but had already been struggling with depression, drink and drugs. “I tried to kill myself several times,” the 38-year-old said. […]

The post Why I tried to kill myself- ex-world boxing champion appeared first on Nigerian Pilot: Nigerian Newspaper.</s>Former light welterweight and welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton revealed in a radio interview with the BBC that he was crippled by depression after retiring from the sport and that he attempted to take his own life multiple times.

Hatton won his first 43 professional fights, but was handed his first loss by Floyd Mayweather in 2007. He would enter the ring just four more times before eventually retiring with a record of 45-3 in 2012.

In the final years of his career, though, Hatton’s life began to unravel away from the ring. He entered rehab in 2010 and was stripped of his boxing license after he was caught on video using cocaine.

“I tried to kill myself several times. I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically.

There were times when I hadn’t had a drink for days and I’d still come home and if something went through my mind I’d start pondering something. It was the same outcome whether I was having a drink or wasn’t having a drink. But in the end I thought I’ll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable.”

Hatton said he believes that boxers don’t have the same type of support systems as other professional athletes, and many of them are too proud to ask for help.

“As boxers we don’t do that. We think, ‘I’m Ricky Hatton or I’m Tyson Fury, I can take on the world’. You can take on the world in the ring but this problem called depression, you can’t take it on. We’re out of our comfort zones with depression. I certainly was and whenever I have bad days now I speak to someone to get it off my chest. I have no shame telling that and that’s why I’m here today.”</s>LONDON – Former world champion Ricky Hatton says more needs to be done to help boxers who struggle to adapt to life outside the ring at the end of their careers.

Hatton, 38, was one of Britain’s most popular boxers, becoming world champion at light-welterweight and welterweight.

But he plunged into depression after a brutal loss to Manny Pacquiao in May 2009 and says he made attempts to take his own life “several times”.

“More should be done for boxers,” Hatton told BBC Radio 4 Thursday.

“Footballers have an agent who looks out for them and a football club that gets behind them. Whereas boxers, it’s like once your time has gone it’s ‘On your way’ and move on to the next champion coming through.

“The thing is with boxers, we don’t come from Cambridge (University) and places like that. We come from council estates. So in boxing it’s very, very hard.

“If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place.

“It seems to be happening more with boxers. It’s an individual sport, so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own.”

Hatton’s compatriot Tyson Fury vacated his two world heavyweight titles in October after admitting he took cocaine to deal with depression.

British former world champion Frank Bruno has also struggled with depression.

Hatton said he had tried to make contact with the outspoken Fury – who hails, like Hatton, from Manchester – but had not received a reply.

“Tyson is a very complex person,” Hatton said. “When he said what he said, it was heartbreaking.

“Having said that, he doesn’t help himself in some interviews. If he is in a bad place and is depressed, I hope he’s speaking to the right people in order to sort it out.”

Hatton was stripped of his boxing license in 2010 after admitting to using cocaine and retired in 2011.

He made a brief comeback in 2012 before retiring again and is now a promoter and trainer.

“I tried to kill myself several times,” said Hatton. “I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark, crying hysterically.” – AFP</s>Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton tried to kill himself when he suffered from depression after quitting the ring, the Briton said on Thursday.

Hatton, who won titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, retired in 2012 but had already been struggling with depression, drink and drugs.

“I tried to kill myself several times,” the 38-year-old told BBC radio. “I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically.

“In the end I thought I’ll end up drinking myself to death because I was so miserable.”

Hatton, who registered 45 wins in 48 bouts, said that even if he did not always drink he still could not cope with depression and that led to cocaine use.

“I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train,” he explained.

Hatton, who now works as a trainer and agent, said fighters needed a support system like footballers, especially after retirement when many found life tough outside sport.

He added that the poverty from which most boxers emerge does not prepare them for life after boxing.

 “The thing is with boxers … we come from council estates so it’s very, very hard,” said Hatton.

“It’s an individual sport so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own.”

Hatton’s best performance came in 2005 when he stopped Australian Kostya Tszyu to add the IBF light-welterweight title to the WBU belt he already held.

He had a perfect 43-0 record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again.
Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton speaks on British radio about depression and gives an account of past suicide attempts.