The mystery surrounding Ricky Hatton’s shocking death has taken an even darker turn after multiple close friends came forward claiming that, in the weeks before his passing, the former boxing champion had become deeply paranoid, convinced that someone was following him and that he was in imminent danger.
“He kept saying, ‘They’re watching me,’” one longtime friend told The Daily Mail. “At first, we thought it was stress — but then it got worse. He stopped answering calls, canceled appearances, and even started sleeping with the lights on.”
Those who knew Hatton best say his sudden change in demeanor was as disturbing as it was unexplainable — a man once full of humor and confidence had become anxious, secretive, and fearful of people he’d once trusted.
From Champion to Recluse
According to sources close to the investigation, Hatton’s behavioral shift began roughly a month before his death, coinciding with what friends describe as a series of “unsettling events” — anonymous phone calls, strange vehicles parked near his house, and messages that seemed to disappear from his phone overnight.
A former sparring partner told The Mirror:
“He told me straight up — ‘They’re after me. I can feel it.’ I laughed at first, but the look in his eyes wasn’t a joke. He was terrified of something… or someone.”
By the final week, Hatton had withdrawn almost completely, canceling training sessions and reportedly confiding to a close associate that he had “made a mistake that couldn’t be undone.”
Cryptic Notes and Sleepless Nights
Investigators have since found handwritten notes scattered across Hatton’s home — short, fragmented sentences that some believe were written during moments of panic.
Phrases like “check the windows,” “delete everything,” and “don’t trust anyone” were allegedly found on crumpled scraps of paper near his bedside table.
A law enforcement insider described the discovery as “troubling and erratic.”
“It’s clear he wasn’t sleeping. His search history shows repeated queries about private investigators, phone tracking apps, and digital surveillance. Whatever he believed, it consumed him.”
‘He Said He Could Hear Voices Outside’
One close friend, who spent time with Hatton just ten days before his death, shared a chilling recollection:
“We were watching TV and he froze — just stared out the window. Then he whispered, ‘Did you hear that? They’re out there again.’ There was no one outside. But the fear in his voice… it wasn’t acting.”
Reports also claim Hatton had reached out to a security consultant to install new cameras and replace his phone, believing his devices had been hacked.
“He was obsessed with privacy,” another insider said. “He’d turn his phone off mid-conversation, insisting it was recording him. It wasn’t the same Ricky anymore.”
Experts Warn of ‘Fear-Induced Isolation’
Criminal psychologist Dr. Helen Rourke weighed in on the case, calling Hatton’s behavior pattern “classic signs of sustained psychological pressure.”
“Whether real or perceived, the sense of being watched can drive a person into extreme isolation. If Hatton’s paranoia was triggered by a genuine threat, the lack of trust in anyone — even close friends — would have made him especially vulnerable,” Rourke explained.
Her words echo the concerns of fans who now fear Hatton’s anxieties may have been warnings, not delusions.
Police: ‘There Were Signs of Fear’
Detectives have reportedly confirmed that Hatton’s home security system showed frequent reactivations — sometimes dozens of times in a single night — suggesting he believed someone was trying to enter his property.
A senior investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Guardian:
“He wasn’t just paranoid. There’s evidence to suggest he felt threatened for a reason. The cameras, the alarms, the late-night calls — this wasn’t random behavior.”
Authorities are now cross-referencing surveillance footage from neighboring properties to determine if any unfamiliar individuals were seen near Hatton’s residence in the weeks leading up to his death.
The Last Conversation
Perhaps most haunting is an alleged phone call between Hatton and a close confidant two days before his death, during which he reportedly said:
“If something happens to me, don’t believe what they say.”
That line, now circulating across Reddit and Twitter under the hashtag #HattonWarning, has reignited public speculation that his death was far from accidental.
A Man Who Knew Too Much?
Fans and amateur sleuths online have begun linking Hatton’s paranoia to rumored criminal networks tied to the boxing world — illegal betting rings, fight-fixing operations, and money laundering schemes that Hatton may have inadvertently stumbled upon.
While no official statements have confirmed this theory, one journalist covering the case wrote:
“He hinted months ago that he had information people ‘wouldn’t want out.’ Maybe that’s what scared him.”
The Questions Keep Piling Up
As investigators continue to piece together Hatton’s final days, the eerie picture emerging is of a man trapped in fear, haunted by unseen forces, and desperately trying to protect himself from a threat only he seemed to understand.
Was it mental unraveling under pressure, or did Ricky Hatton truly sense a danger closing in?
For now, the answers remain hidden — but as one source close to the case told reporters:
“He wasn’t imagining things. The problem is, we might be too late to find out who was really watching him.”