Great Britain’s Anna Morris leaps from sixth to second after the final sprint for the line to take silver in the women’s points race at the World Track Cycling Championships.
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Beau Greaves emerged victorious from a 6-5 thriller against Luke Littler as she became the first woman to reach the final of the World Youth Championship.
Littler came into the tournament on the back of his 6-1 demolition of world number one Luke Humphries in the World Grand Prix final on Sunday.
The 18-year-old had breezed through his three matches in the round-robin phase of the event, with wins over Dutchman Jeffrey Keen, Iceland’s Alexander Thorvaldsson and Belgium’s Matthias Moors.
However, the world champion put in a below-par last-16 display against fellow Englishman Charlie Manby.
Littler was on the brink of defeat at 5-3 down to the 20-year-old, before winning the next three legs, then rediscovered his touch in the quarter-finals with a 6-1 victory over Jamai van den Herik of the Netherlands.
Warrington teenager Littler found himself 2-1 down in the semi-final against Greaves but responded by winning three consecutive legs to seize the upper hand.
But three-time WDF women’s world champion Greaves – who is set to accept a PDC Tour card for 2026-27 – rallied to level the match at 4-4 and 5-5.
Greaves then blew Littler away in the decider as she threw an 11-dart leg – the 21-year-old from Doncaster sealing victory with a checkout of 80.
She will meet defending champion Gian van Veen in next month’s final after the Dutchman, 23, clinched a 6-4 win over Sebastian Bialecki of Poland in the other semi-final.
The World Youth Championship final will be played on 23 November in Minehead, before the Players Championship final on the same day.
Littler, who averaged 107.4 to Greaves’ 105, posted on Instagram after his defeat: “Fair play to Beau. All the best in Minehead. Some talent.”
Players aged between 16 and 24 are eligible to compete in the World Youth Championship.
Littler won the youth title in 2023 aged 16, a few weeks before he burst into the spotlight by finishing runner-up at the 2024 World Championship.
Laura DevlinNorthamptonshire
Aimee Dexter/BBCThe new King and Queen Conker have been crowned after a closely-fought contest at the World Conker Championships.
Hundreds of competitors went into battle in Northamptonshire for the event’s 60th year – which attracted increased attention after last year’s cheating scandal, prompting “airport-style” security checks.
Men’s winner Matt Cross, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, was crowned the overall World Conker Champion after beating women’s victor Mags Blake, of Corby, in the ultimate showdown.
“I am absolutely speechless,” said Mr Cross, 37, a newcomer to the competition, which sees players and champions return year after year.
Some 256 people from nine different countries, including Japan, entered this year’s competition, held in the village of Southwick, near Oundle.
“I’ve turned up expecting to go out in the first or second round, but every round I gave it another go, and it just snowballed,” Mr Cross added.
Asked about his tactics, he said it was “just force and accuracy”.
“A lot of it is a game of chance, and your opponent is in the same boat as you,” Mr Cross said.
ReutersThe competition places rapidly filled for the 2025 competition – which organisers put down to the publicity surrounding last year’s King Conker, who was accused of cheating with a steel nut.
David Jakins, 84, was eventually cleared and returned to Southwick on Sunday to defend his crown – only to be knocked out a by a woman dressed as a bee in the first round.
Organiser St John Burkett said of this year’s arrangements: “We had an airport-style scanner which competitors had to pass through, including a tray for them to empty their pockets in.
“We also had a hand-held scanner, and sirens and flashing lights should anything untoward be detected by the scanner.
“And, in keeping with the event, the ringmaster had a big magnet on a stick.”
He added that a man was disqualified from Sunday’s event after he had set off an alarm while attempting to bring in his own conker, which is against competition rules.
Reuters
Aimee Dexter/BBCThe event, which took place at the Shuckburgh Arms, sees participants go head-to-head using conkers threaded onto a string to try and smash their opponent’s nut.
Each player takes three alternate strikes at the opponent’s conker.
Among the entrants were sports broadcaster Mark Pougatch, who missed out on a place in the quarter finals “by a thread”, losing to Finn Vergalen.
Aimee Dexter/BBCThere had been fears the event would be cancelled for only the third time in its history due to the hot, dry summer, which caused conkers to fall from trees early.
A nationwide hunt began, with suitably large nuts eventually being donated by the royal estate at Windsor Castle as well as from locations across the country, Italy and France.
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Diane Keaton, the actress who starred in some of the biggest movies of the last half-century, including the “Godfather” and “Annie Hall,” while serving as a style trend-setter and a champion of Los Angeles’ past, has died. She was 79.
Her death was first reported by People and confirmed by The New York Times.
In an extraordinary run during the 1970s when she was dominant, her career spanned the high points of American cinema: Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia saga and several of Woody Allen’s urbane comedies, climaxing in an Oscar win for her culture-changing turn as the title character in 1977’s “Annie Hall.” Keaton’s catchphrase, “Well, la-di-dah,” became iconic.
Over her career, she received four Oscar nominations for lead actress, winning for “Annie Hall.”
Born in Southern California, Keaton achieved fame in the 1970s through her frequent collaborations with Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. She appeared in three “Godfather” movies as well as eight Allen films. Her star turn as Annie Hall earned her critical raves and made her a fashion icon of the era with Annie’s fedora hats, vests, ties and baggy pants. The Times once called her look “fluttery, vulnerable, almost unbearably adorable.”
“Annie’s style was Diane’s style — very eclectic,” designer Ralph Lauren said in a 1978 story in Vogue, soon after the movie came out. “She had a style that was all her own. Annie Hall was pure Diane Keaton.”
She was often asked if she got tired of the notoriety “Annie Hall” brought her, including the magazine covers, think pieces and fashion homages.
“No, I’m not. Everything is because of ‘Annie Hall’ with Woody. He has a great ear for women’s voices. I’m so grateful to him; he really gave me an opportunity that changed my life,” she told The Times in 2012. “I’m never disappointed about people talking to me about ‘Annie Hall.’ But I will say, a lot of people don’t know ‘Annie Hall’ exists, and that’s just the way it goes — goodbye! It’s bittersweet.”
She managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist in later films. In 1987, she played a successful businesswoman who upends her life to care for a relative’s baby in “Baby Boom.” In 2003, she won acclaim in “Something’s Gotta Give” for playing a successful writer navigating with romance in her 50s.
Keaton also got Oscar nominations for “Reds” (1982), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give.”
Keaton was a patron of the L.A. arts scene and also gained note as a champion of architecture preservation, remaking grand homes across the region. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, she edited a book of tabloid photos called “Local News” that ran in the Los Angeles Herald-Express.
In a 2018 interview with The Times, she said she felt privileged to still be working.
“I know what I am by now,” she said. “I know how old I am. I know what my limitations are and what I can and can’t do. So if something appeals to me, I’m definitely going to go for it.”
Later in life, Keaton became a major voice in architecture preservation.
She grew up Santa Ana during the post World War II housing boom in the 1950s and told The Times in an interviews she loved going to open houses with her father
“My father took me to see model homes, which I thought were palaces,” Keaton said.
She began buying and fixing up landmark homes around L.A., especially those of the Spanish colonial style.
“You have to get to know a house and try to keep its integrity. I try to honor the architect,” she said. “I love to go into an empty house. You look at the house and start to feel what it might need.”
“There are so many house treasures, unsung gems, all over Los Angeles,” she said.
Explaining how she came to edit the book of L.A. tabloid photos, Keaton told The Times the L.A. city library came up to her at a swap meet.
The librarian said, ‘There’s these files in the basement of the Central Library’ — the most beautiful building. I took a look. There are books and books to be made out of those images. This is a brilliant archive.”
In recent years, Keaton had become a hit on Instagram, posting photos of architecture, fashion and more. In an interview in 2019, she said she was still very active, eager to work and try new things but was also thinking more about her mortality.
“Of course, you think about it. How can you not?” she said. “I mean, I’m 73. How long do you live? It’s really important what those years are like.”
Keaton death brought tribute across Hollywood and beyond.
“She was a very special person and an incredibly gifted actor, who made each of her roles unforgettable. Her light will continue to shine through the art she leaves behind. Godspeed,” said Nancy Sinatra.
Two-time 400m hurdles world champion Femke Bol has announced she will switch events and compete in the 800m from next year.
Dutch superstar Bol, 25, who successfully defended her world title in Tokyo in September, has also won bronze medals at the past two Olympics in that discipline.
She has also been a world indoor champion in the flat 400m and is a renowned relay athlete, a gold medallist anchor leg runner with the Netherlands’ 4x400m team at Paris 2024.
In 2026, she will move up in distance to an event in which Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson is the reigning Olympic champion.
Bol said in a post on Instagram:, external “It’s a big change, it’s uncertain and challenging, but I’m ready to put in the work, surrounded by an amazing team and enjoy this new journey.”
Hodgkinson replied to the post, saying: “Can’t wait to share the start line.”
Grace Reid announces her retirement from diving at the age of 29, saying “it’s time for a new adventure and a new chapter”.
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MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez suffered a right collarbone injury following a high speed crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard, who won his seventh world title in the last round in Japan, was seen clutching his right shoulder after an opening lap incident with Marco Bezzecchi.
Bezzecchi had dropped from pole to seventh place behind Marquez and, as the Italian tried to overtake the 2025 champion, he instead went into the back of him and both went off into the gravel.
Marquez, who has failed to finish a grand prix in four attempts at the Mandalika International Circuit, was later seen with his arm in a sling.
“As a result of today’s crash in Mandalika, Marc Marquez has suffered an injury to his right collarbone,” said a statement from his Ducati team.
“The Spanish rider will travel tonight to Madrid (Spain) for further medical tests and to decide on the treatment to follow.”
The injury is to the shoulder of the arm Marquez broke in 2020, which required a number of operations.
The race in Indonesia was won by Spain’s Fermin Aldeguer as he claimed his first MotoGP victory.
“I don’t believe it. I am super happy,” he said. “To be a rookie, we are doing incredible work. We have to continue like this, thank you everyone.”
NEIL ROBERTSON hit another huge snooker landmark on Tuesday – in front of a one-man audience.
The 43-year-old took on Umut Dikme in qualification for the International Championship at Pond’s Forge in Sheffield.
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And while leading 4-1 in the sixth frame, he achieved the 1000th century of his career.
After potting the final ball to confirm a score of 126 in the frame, Robertson walked back to his chair and raised his arms in front of the only spectator in the room.
The Australian became just the fourth player to reach the 1,000 century mark.
Judd Trump, John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan have also achieved the feat.
Reflecting on the huge moment, he said: “It’s a wonderful milestone, as it takes an incredibly long time to do.
“It takes decades to do.”
The landmark is the latest in a long list of achievements for ex-world champion Robertson.
He was recently handed the Order of Australia award for his services to snooker.
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Speaking earlier this year, Robertson said: “Well to receive the award, you have to do something really special.
“What was quite surprising was, I think I must’ve been the youngest person receiving the award out of everyone there.
“So that was really special, to receive it and be around so many people that have achieved special things in their lives… it was very inspiring to see.
“It has to rank right up there [among his top achievements] because for me to get this award, I have to achieve everything in my career first. Without all those achievements, I wouldn’t be able to get it.”
Robertson went on to beat Dikme 6-1 in Sheffield.
The voyages of the starship Enterprise will include a 5½-mile stretch in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
The iconic “Star Trek” flagship will be prominently featured on the franchise’s 2026 Rose Parade float, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the storied sci-fi franchise. The design for the Star Trek 60 “Space for Everybody” entry was revealed on Monday.
In addition to the USS Enterprise and its bridge — where yet-to-be-announced actors will be stationed — the float will feature an homage to Vasquez Rocks, the local landmark where “Star Trek” has filmed, as well as the franchise’s future version of San Francisco, where Starfleet is headquartered. The design also incorporates planets and transporters.
As previously announced, the float’s design is meant to reflect values that “Star Trek” champions: hope, inclusivity, exploration and unity. It was designed by artist John Ramirez and will be built by the team at Artistic Entertainment Services.
The float will also promote the upcoming Paramount+ series “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” which stars Holly Hunter as a starship captain and chancellor leading the academy’s first new crop of cadets in more than 100 years. The show will premiere next year.
The theme for the 2026 Rose Parade is “The Magic in Teamwork,” which is meant to celebrate “the sense of accomplishment in knowing that by working together, we can collectively achieve outcomes so much richer than we can ever experience as individuals,” according to the Tournament of Roses website.
The Rose Parade float will kick off “Star Trek’s” yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary, which will also include additional new shows, Lego sets and even a cruise.
MANCHESTER CITY paid a classy tribute to the “People’s Champion” Ricky Hatton following his sad passing.
British boxing legend Hatton – an avid City fans – was found dead on September 14.
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He was just 46 years old.
City paid tribute on the weekend of his passing before their 3-0 win over United at the Etihad.
And it has continued with a banner raised behind one of the goal’s which read “The People’s Champion” with a mural of Hatton.
Flowers were also laid down in Hatton’s usual seat – with some of his family at the match – as City welcomed Burnley to the Etihad.
City manager Pep Guardiola was left almost in tears with the news of Hatton’s passing – and paid his respects before the derby win.
He said: “For all the Man City family it was a tough wake up.
“Of course the success, a world champion, a massive fan (of City). But the loss for his family, his kids and he was a grandad.
“On behalf of Man City and all the people I wish them the comfort in these incredibly tough hours, tough days and tough weeks.
“Of course it is a big, big loss for them, for the boxing world because he was a true, true champion and of course for the Man City family.”
City legend and former captain Vincent Kompany was a friend of Hatton’s and wrote online: We’ll miss you Ricky.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends. Rest in piece legend.”
Micah Richards added: “The news is devastating. I was taken aback because he’s such an icon.
“British icon, boxing, sports. True Man City fan but most importantly he was a man of the people. He was the nicest man ever.
“He was a deep person. Very deep. He overthought a lot of things. The news is just devastating.
“It’s absolutely ruined my mood for the whole day. He would be here today, celebrating. He’s had a box here many times.
“To get this news now just feels surreal. Someone so young, for this to happen now is devastating.”
City star Phil Foden was also spotted visiting Hatton’s family – carrying flowers.
Hatton won world titles at super-lightweight and welterweight – beating the great Kostya Tszyu in his crowning night in 2005.
But he struggled mentally following defeats to Floyd Mayweather in 2007 and then Manny Pacquiao two years later.
He returned in 2012 but retired after losing to Vyacheslav Senchenko.
Hatton later became a coach and manager – beloved for his sense of humour and kind heart.
He had an exhibition with Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera and was preparing for a comeback bout in Dubai in December.
Hatton leaves behind son Campbell, two daughters Millie and Fearne as well as his granddaughter Lyla.
The working class hero is and will always be Britain’s most adored fighter.
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JAMES DeGALE will make his bare-knuckle fighting debut on Saturday night.
The former boxing world champion and Olympic gold medalist returns to combat sports against Australian Matt Floyd in Manchester.
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DeGale has been out of action since he retired from boxing in 2019 following defeat to Chris Eubank Jr.
The Londoner, who became the first British boxer to win both an Olympic gold medal and a professional world title, will be looking to get back to fighting for silverware.
DeGale tops a huge Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card with the highly anticipated bout between reality TV stars Aaron Chalmers and Jack Fincham also on the bill.
SunSport brings you all the details you need ahead of Saturday’s huge BKFC 81 event.
THE World Grand Prix will miss a huge player this year after a former world champion has failed to make the tournament for the first time.
Michael Smith, 34, has been ever-present in the tournament since his first appearance in 2012, but will fall short of qualification for this year’s event.
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Smith’s position at 21st in the PDC Order of Merit and 34th on the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit means that he has been unable to qualify for the Leicester tournament.
It comes after a year of injury and struggle at the oche, which has seen Bully Boy fail to win an event on the PDC circuit.
In fact, Smith has only got past the quarter-finals on two occasions in 2025 – doing so at the Players Championship 10 and 14.
His last tournament win came back in May 2024, beating Ryan Joyce 8-6 to win last year’s Players Championship 9.
It’s a stark contrast to the year he had in 2023, a campaign in which he was crowned world champion.
Smith has been battling with arthritis in his right wrist, an issue that was caused by breaking both his wrists when he was 19.
While he also has a grade two acromioclavicular joint injury in his shoulder, leading to a host of missed tournaments that have hampered his ability to rack up enough prize money to reach the top 16 in the world rankings.
Smith isn’t the only big name star that will miss out on the World Grand Prix either.
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Fellow ever-present Dimitri Van den Bergh will also be absent from the tournament.
The Belgian thrower, 31, has made the decision to focus on his life away from the oche after opening up about experiencing burnout from the intense darts schedule.
As well as taking more time to spend with family after welcoming his second daughter in July, that decision has meant Van den Bergh has missed a slew of tournaments and is all the way back at 98th on the Pro Tour Order of Merit.
He misses out on the competition for the first time since 2019.
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“The Pitt” may not be set in Los Angeles, but its cast and creatives are proud that it’s filmed there.
HBO Max’s hour-by-hour look at an emergency room shift in a Pittsburgh hospital took home the Emmy Award for best drama series on Sunday, and its cast and creatives dedicated their recognition to healthcare workers. Once they got backstage, they advocated for something else: increasing production in Los Angeles.
Speaking to press after the series’ big win, creator R. Scott Gemmill and star and executive producer Noah Wyle said they believe filming locally is important for the entertainment industry in Los Angeles as production rates have declined over the past several years because of a confluence of issues, including the pandemic, the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023 and more attractive tax incentives in other states and countries.
Both “The Pitt” and “The Studio,” which won the top prize in the comedy category, are shot in L.A., but the latter is actually set in the city, centering on a fictional Hollywood studio and satirizing the entertainment industry.
Gemmill, who was also a producer on “ER,” said he feels pride in knowing “The Pitt” serves as an example of a series that was successfully filmed in L.A. “When we get casting, I think they get like 3,000 submissions for each role,” he said. “That’s how hungry the people are that work in Los Angeles, so just the fact that we can do our small part is really important, but I hope other producers take note.”
Wyle, who won two Emmy awards, one as an executive producer on the series and one for lead actor in a drama, echoed Gemmill’s comments and said he attended the ceremony in July where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California’s film tax credit boost into law. It will increase the cap on California’s film and TV tax credit program to $750 million, up from $330 million. Wyle said he gave a speech at the event, sharing his experience filming locally.
“I talked about our special effects coordinator on our show, whose name is Rob Nary, whose father was a special effects coordinator, whose grandfather was a special effects coordinator,” Wyle said. “I said it to highlight the fact that there’s generational talent in this city that’s worked in this industry for over 100 years. When you shoot a show here, you get the benefit of three generations of talent. You get a Rob Nary. You can put up a soundstage in another state, but they don’t come with Rob Narys.”
While production in L.A. overall is still on the decline according to the nonprofit organization FilmLA, which tracks production in the Greater Los Angeles region, television is serving as a bright spot. From April through June, TV production saw an increase of 17% compared with the same time period last year, with 2,224 on-location shoot days. That’s the highest total since early 2024, though it is still 32.6% lower than the five-year quarterly average, FilmLA said in a report published this summer.
Overall, on-location shoot days from April to June decreased 6.2% compared with the same time period last year.
Paul Audley, FilmLA’s president, responded to the Emmy wins for shows that shoot in town, saying in a statement to The Times that the organization “thanks them for choosing to film locally, and for helping to make Los Angeles the entertainment capital of the world.”
“These productions not only highlight the overwhelming talent that this region is known for, but productions like these employ hundreds of film industry workers and contribute to a strong and thriving economy,” Audley said. “Filming locally supports our communities, small businesses, and workers across every corner of the film industry.”
Nicknamed ‘the Hitman’, his all-action style saw Hatton became one of Britain’s most popular fighters, with a loyal following.
Those fans travelled in huge numbers to watch Hatton fight, with more than 30,000 heading to Las Vegas for his title bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2007.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham praised Hatton, who was a hugely popular figure in his home city.
“Ricky was much loved by so many in Greater Manchester. He was the kind of person who would always turn up for people, supporting so many causes,” Burnham posted on X.
“He made us smile and made us proud. We will find a way of honouring him properly. Rest in peace, Champ.”
Manchester City – the club Hatton proudly supported – paid tribute with a minute’s appreciation before Sunday’s meeting with Manchester United at Etihad Stadium.
A 10-bell salute to Hatton was also made at the World Boxing Championships at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Former world champion Barry McGuigan, who became a trainer and promoter after retiring in 1989, told BBC Radio 5 Live that he used to go on training runs with Hatton.
“He [Hatton] had a huge following, he had a magnetic and engaging personality outside the ring too,” McGuigan added.
“He liked to enjoy himself but he would train himself into phenomenal condition.”
Former world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno said his “life was enriched” by his friendship with Hatton.
He added on social media: “There will never be another Ricky or anyone like him and at this time I share the shock and upset of losing what I consider to be a great fighter, a friend and an amazing human being.”
Hatton’s former promoter Frank Warren said the fighter helped turn Manchester into the “capital of British boxing”.
Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It was phenomenal what he did for British boxing. We worked hard to get Manchester on the map – it wasn’t a big fight town, but he was quite instrumental in that happening.
“He crossed over in a big way to the general public – they got behind him. He became a serious man of the people, a really nice guy.”
Former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla told BBC Radio 5 Live: “There will never be another Ricky Hatton – no one will get close to him. Every kid used to try and fight like him. That was the impact he had.”
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British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has died at 46, sparking tributes from across sport.
Published On 14 Sep 202514 Sep 2025
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Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has died aged 46, Greater Manchester Police in the United Kingdom have confirmed.
Hatton, who was known to fans as “the Hitman”, was discovered at his home in Hyde, near Manchester, early on Sunday morning. Police said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am [05:45 GMT] today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
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The Manchester-born fighter became one of Britain’s most celebrated boxers, winning world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight. During a 15-year professional career, he secured 45 wins from 48 bouts before retiring in 2012.
Hatton’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the sporting world.
Former England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham posted on Instagram: “Ricky was one of a kind. Just heartbreaking.” Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury wrote: “RIP to the legend Ricky Hatton. There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this – so young.”
Football figures also paid respect to the lifelong Manchester City supporter. Before City’s Premier League match against Manchester United on Sunday, the Etihad Stadium held a minute’s applause, with fans chanting his name.
City manager Pep Guardiola described him as “a true champion” and “part of the Man City family”. Wayne Rooney, who once carried Hatton’s belts into the ring, said on X that he was “devastated”, calling him “a legend, a warrior and a great person”.
Hatton’s career featured memorable victories over Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, while his only defeats came against boxing greats Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
In recent years, Hatton remained close to the sport. He attempted a comeback in 2012, fought in an exhibition with Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, and earlier this year announced plans to face Eisa Al Dah in Dubai. He also spoke openly about his battles with depression and featured in the 2023 documentary Hatton, which explored his personal struggles and mental health.
Rooney was 21 when he helped carry Hatton’s championship belts into the ring alongside legendary Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera before the Castillo fight.
“It was one of the most nervous I have ever been,” said Rooney.
“I was in the pool all day in Vegas, it was hot, and my face got a bit burnt, but then I remember standing in the dressing room and being nervous.
“He hadn’t lost at that time. I was thinking, ‘He does not lose tonight. Is it on you? Is it your fault?'”
Hatton went on to retain his IBO light welterweight crown with a stunning fourth-round knockout.
Rooney said they went to a beach party afterwards with family and had “a great day”.
He added: “So often you see any type of celebrity who are not really relatable, but Ricky was certainly relatable and good fun to be around.”
He earned notable world title wins over Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, before defeats by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton inspired a devoted following during his glittering career.
More than 30,000 fans travelled to Las Vegas for Hatton’s title fight with Mayweather in 2007, and a chorus of “there’s only one Ricky Hatton” echoed around the MGM Grand even after he was stopped.
Those same chants were heard in his final professional fight in his home city of Manchester five years later.
In July Hatton announced his return to the ring. He was due to fight Eisa Al Dah at middleweight on 2 December in Dubai.
Organisers said the contest would be a professional bout, but it was unclear whether it would be fully sanctioned.
Hatton made an unsuccessful professional comeback in 2012, when he lost to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester, and fought Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition in 2022.
After agreeing to fight former rival turned friend Barrera, Hatton spoke about his battles with depression.
In 2023 he was the subject of a documentary ‘Hatton’, in which he discussed his personal life and mental health issues.
“I can definitely do that.”
Tiah-Mai Ayton, 19, has set her sights on becoming the youngest ever undisputed champion in the four-belt era across both genders in boxing.
America’s Gabriela Fundora was just 22 when she held all the world titles in the flyweight division in November 2024.
Ayton clearly isn’t shy when laying out her ambitions, but why should she? In over 300 fights across Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and boxing, just three of those have been defeats – which she later avenged.
She will contest her second professional boxing bout against Lydie Bialic on Saturday.
When the Bristol fighter was told about Fundora’s achievement, her eyes lit up: “I could do that. I can definitely do that.
“That’s going to be a new challenge for me. I’ve got a long time.”
Ayton is right. She does have a long time, but women’s boxing also moves fast – just look at compatriot Nina Hughes.
She won a world title in just her fifth fight as a professional.
Not only is Ayton setting her sights on records, but she’s got her eyes on gold and plenty of it.
“I want to be undisputed in bantamweight and super-bantamweight and then it goes featherweight and super-featherweight,” said Ayton.
“I want to do those four categories, and I want to be undisputed in all four. It’s high expectations but I think I can do it.”
Only one boxer, Claressa Shields, has won all four world titles in three different weights, no one yet has managed it in four.
The likes of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano have paved the way for women boxers to earn millions of pounds but Ayton isn’t getting carried away despite her youth.
When asked what she would purchase with her first healthy fight purse, the teenager opted against a flash car.
“I want a farm. I want cows, sheep, goats and chickens. That’s my dream,” Ayton said.
“I’ll just live a quiet life on my farm and then when I train, I’ll go into camp, and then go back and be peaceful.”
Angela Mortimer Barrett, Britain’s 1961 Wimbledon women’s singles champion, has died at the age of 93.
Mortimer Barrett, who was born in Plymouth, won three Grand Slam singles titles and one in doubles, which came alongside Anne Shilcock at Wimbledon in 1955.
Her other Grand Slam singles wins came at the 1955 French Championships and 1958 Australian Championships, and she was runner-up at Wimbledon in 1958 when American Althea Gibson defeated her in the final.
Mortimer Barrett contended with numerous challenges throughout her career, including hearing loss, and she was battling a troublesome case of tennis elbow prior to her triumphant 1961 Wimbledon run which ended with her beating fellow Briton Christine Truman 4-6 6-4 7-5 in the final.
She was known as Angela Mortimer at the time of her Slam wins and in 1967 married John Barrett, a fellow British tennis player who became a distinguished tennis writer and broadcaster.
Mortimer Barrett was also awarded an MBE in 1967 for services to tennis.
Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said Mortimer Barrett will be remembered “for her determination and extraordinary dedication”.
“An honorary member since her triumph in 1961, Angela has been a familiar face and valued member for more than six decades. Her passing leaves a hole in the fabric of the club, and she will be greatly missed,” Jevans said.
“On behalf of everyone at the All England Club, I offer my sincere condolences to Angela’s husband, John; their children, Michael and Sarah Jane; grandchildren, family and friends.”
Mortimer Barrett was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993, and her husband joined her in those ranks in 2014.
Former world champion James DeGale will make his bare-knuckle fighting debut on 27 September in Manchester.
DeGale, 39, retired from boxing in 2019 after a unanimous decision defeat by Chris Eubank Jr.
He will return to combat sports against Australian Matt Floyd on the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship card at the AO Arena.
“UK I’m back. This time the gloves are off,” the Londoner wrote on Instagram.
“Everyone asking what version you’re getting… seven years out, body healed, mind sharp – it’s the best one yet. Demolition job pending.”
DeGale became the first British boxer to win both an Olympic gold medal and a professional world title.
He won middleweight gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and claimed the IBF super-middleweight title in May 2015 with a points win over American Andre Dirrell.
Nicknamed ‘Chunky’, he lost the belt in December 2017 to Caleb Truax but regained it in a rematch in April 2018 before vacating it later that year.
After being outpointed by fellow Briton Eubank Jr in what was his third career loss, DeGale said he was “not the fighter I once was” and announced his retirement shortly after.
Floyd, 36, has a professional boxing record of 15 wins and two losses. The Perth-born fighter and former gang member, who served time in prison, was reportedly in talks to face Briton Tommy Fury earlier this year.