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[Caine2878]

MANCHESTER, England -- Ricky Hatton's spokesman says the former boxing champion has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic after a British newspaper published a video and screen-shot photographs it says show him snorting lines of cocaine.

Max Clifford says the former four-time world champion in two weight divisions was diagnosed Monday with depression and a drinking problem by a specialist.


[+] EnlargeJed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
His spokesman says drug use for Ricky Hatton, shown in April in Las Vegas, is "quite recent and not actually the problem."
Clifford says "the drugs are quite recent and not actually the problem."

Clifford says Hatton's father "and others have been increasingly concerned about his depression and his drinking."

The News of the World put a picture on its front page Sunday taken from a video it says shows Hatton snorting cocaine at a Manchester hotel two weeks ago.

It came during a night out with Emma Bowe, the 29-year-old Irish national senior women's boxing champion, the British tabloid reported.

The video was published on the newspaper's website.

Hatton has not fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in May last year -- only the second defeat of his career -- but hasn't officially retired.

Bowe said Hatton also drank 11 pints of Guinness along with glasses of vodka, wine and sambuca throughout the night, according to the News of the World.

"I'm only talking about this because Ricky is a danger to himself. If he carries on like this he'll kill himself," Bowe said, according to the newspaper.

"I'm really, really worried for him, especially if he tries to make a comeback in the ring as he's hinted -- he could have a heart attack."

Ricky Hatton enters rehab, but 'drugs not the problem,' spokesman says - ESPN

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