The boxing world is in mourning Sunday following the death of former world champion Ricky Hatton at 46.

The British boxing icon was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester early Sunday. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

The news sent a shockwave across the sporting landscape, so beloved was The Hitman by his adoring fans, who famously travelled in their thousands to watch him fight.

And it was a career that will stand the test of time as one of his country’s best ever. Hatton officially retired during a tearful press conference at Manchester Arena in the early hours of November 25, 2012, following his stoppage defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko which took his final record to 45-3, 32 KOs.

Born in Stockport, England, on October 6, 1978, Hatton grew up in a pub in Hattersley but it was not long before he tried his hand at boxing. Although he had a short amateur career, it was one that generated a lot of fanfare given the way in which young Richard Hatton was knocking people out in the unpaid ranks. Hatton turned professional at 18 under Frank Warren and the pair enjoyed a tremendous rise which culminated in one of the finest victories in British boxing history.

After reaching 38-0, Hatton took on the legendary Russia-born Australian Kostya Tszyu at M.E.N. Arena, Manchester on June 4, 2005. Tszyu was still considered by many the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport but Hatton broke his heart and forced him to retire on his stool between the 11th and 12th rounds. It was his greatest night.

At his peak, Hatton was a monster of the 140-pound division and was renowned for his vicious body punching, honed under his long-time coach and friend Billy Graham, which put paid to a number of opponents.

After beating Tszyu to win The Ring and IBF titles, he became unified champion in the very next fight, stopping Carlos Maussa inside nine rounds eight months later at Sheffield Arena. It was a victory that paved the way for a move to welterweight which opened the doors to super fights with the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

First he beat Luis Collazo at TD Garden in Boston before the first of his five legendary Las Vegas nights. On January 20, 2007 he beat Juan Urango at Paris Hotel in his Sin City debut before stopping the great Jose Luis Castillo in the fourth round of their clash at Thomas & Mack Center.

The support back home had reached a fever pitch and by the time he faced Mayweather at MGM Grand Garden Arena, no fewer than 30,000 British made the trip over to support him. During a recession no less.

He lost that night, stopped in 10 but not disgraced by one of history’s great welterweights, but it was the level of his support which etched his name into British sporting folklore. You could have selected any one of those 30,000 fans and all of them would have had their own very personal story about Ricky Hatton. He was one of us, and that never changed.

He struggled to come to terms with defeat against Mayweather but returned with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi before he faced Pacquiao back at MGM. He was down twice in the first and knocked out with a second remaining in the second round in a defeat which took a huge emotional toll on him.

More than three years later, he would return to Manchester for that night against Senchenko, which he insisted helped to exorcise the demons left by Pacquiao. It had been going well for Hatton, who was leading on all three cards as the ninth round neared its end. Then Senchenko found a left hook to the body, the same shot that Hatton had trademarked, to end the fight.

In that press conference that followed in the bowels of the arena, he had bid an emotional farewell to the sport, thanking each of the journalists present for their work across his 15-year professional career. There were tears and laughter. It was pure Hatton.

He leaves behind three children, son Campbell and daughters Fearne and Millie. Our deepest condolences go out to them and all his family and friends. British boxing will never be the same again.