"It was like a death in the family" - Ricky Hatton revisits severe struggle with mental health; hopes to help son deal with the dark side of fame

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton recently shared intimate details about his struggle with mental health. While Hatton held five world titles in his decorated career, 'The Hitman' considers himself a failure due to issues with addiction and depression.

Hatton had never been stopped in his life before a tenth-round TKO loss to Floyd Mayweather in a fight for the WBC welterweight title in December 2007. The loss had a significant impact on Hatton, marking the beginning of his mental health struggles. The 44-year-old said in a recent interview with Daily Mail:

"‘I thought I was going to beat [Floyd Mayweather]. When I didn’t, after telling all those fans that went over I would, it put my head away. After the fight, I couldn’t walk down the street I was so embarrassed.I didn’t want to show my face. It’s a shame really but was the start of my mental health struggles."

Ricky Hatton was completely outclassed by another great, Manny Pacquaio, two years later which further worsened things. For someone who thrives in the glory of victory, the atmosphere in the dressing room was unbearable for Hatton after getting brutally KO'd by 'Pacman'. 'The Hitman' further said:

It was like a death in the family when we went back to the changing rooms. You don’t see many more brutal knockouts than that."

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Ricky Hatton hopes to help his son deal with the mental side of the sport

Ricky Hatton's struggles with mental health eventually reached a point where he was suicidal. The former world champ believes the sport of boxing needs to do more for its athletes like there's the PFA for football players in the Premier League.

Hatton also hopes to help his son, Campbell, avoid making the same mistakes that he did by establishing better communication. 'The Hitman' further told the Daily Mail:

"There’s a possibility Campbell could experience the same mental health problems as me. I have said to Campbell if there is anything on your mind, come to me. I nearly wasn’t here to enjoy the things that I am loving today. Spending time with my grandfather and seeing Campbell turn professional. Seeing my girls turning into the young ladies they are today. I nearly wasn’t here to experience that as I was suicidal. So I will hammer him every day asking if he's okay."

Watch Ricky Hatton's son put in some bag work below: