Why Ricky Hatton’s son Campbell quit boxing at 24, months before his father passed away

Campbell Hatton, the son of the English boxing great Ricky Hatton, announced that he was retiring from boxing at the age of 24, just a couple of months before his father's death on September 14, 2025, at the age of 46.

Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton was a two-weight world champion and a national treasure who fought like he was born to do it and entertained like it was on his birth certificate. Just as his son was pulling out of the athletic world, his death has left a dark cloud over the boxing world and the community.

Campbell Hatton's boxing journey and recent struggles

Campbell Hatton had the pressure of being a promising lightweight prospect on his shoulders, entering the ring for his professional debut.

He fought and won 14 times, only losing twice in his career. A loss in his most recent fight in October 2024, against James Flint, made it his second loss in a row and once again brought forward the debate around whether he'd be able to fill in his father's footsteps.

After this, Campbell gave up boxing and tried something entirely different as a career. His father told The Mail on Sunday in July 2025 that Campbell had quit boxing for good and was preparing to become a solar panel fitter. He mentioned in a conversation with Sky Sports, "I said, 'Listen son, you should be very proud of yourself, you have given it a go, but if you have lost your mojo, you need to get out'.

You can't play boxing, you can play any other sport. So I advised him, and now he is doing solar panels."Also Read: Boxing icon Ricky Hatton’s love life: A closer look at his dating history

The impact of Ricky Hatton's passing on the family

Ricky Hatton's death has not only taken the boxing world by storm, but his family too, leaving a space that is difficult to fill. Ricky was a two-weight world champion known for his aggressive fighting style and commitment to the sport, and was a popular figure.

After retirement, Ricky battled his own mental health and substance abuse issues, even fighting the stigma behind mental health in sports. Fans, other fighters, and the Hatton family continue to put one foot in front of the other, try to come to terms with his passing, and honor the legacy he left behind.