Boxers' toughest opponent isn't in the ring - it's mental health

The recent death of former light-welterweight and welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton highlights the hidden struggles in boxing. By Helen Owton

- Helen Owton

Ricky Hatton of Great Britain fails to get up after being knocked down by Vyacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine during their welterweight bout at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, on 24 November 2012.

(Photo: Scott Heavey/Getty Images)

Ricky Hatton's death has reignited an all-too-familiar conversation about mental health in sport. Hatton had spoken openly about his long battle with depression, as well as the drug and alcohol addiction that began after his 2007 defeat to Floyd Mayweather.

Research shows that how a boxer thinks - their beliefs about success, identity and failure - can become harmful in the high-stakes context of the sport. The perfectionism and “must-win” mindset mean even a single loss can feel catastrophic.

The constant pressure of “winning at all costs” has negative consequences: for some, losing a fight is not just a professional setback, but an identity crisis laced with shame, guilt and a sense of personal failure.

Downside of humble beginnings

This danger is especially acute for fighters who rise from humble beginnings to fame and glory. For a boxer, the fear of irrelevance or being forgotten can trigger depression, anxiety and despair. When vulnerability is seen as weakness, many simply bottle up their emotions, compounding their internal struggle.

Hatton acknowledged in 2020 that mental health problems were widespread in boxing.

The sport is brutal by design, subjecting fighters to repeated blunt-force trauma to the head and body. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an accepted risk for boxers.