Gloves Off: Tyson Fury Autobiography

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I wish to thank Ad Lib Publishers for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In the process, Tyson discusses his mental health and weight battles, his faith and his greatest boxing experiences. He discloses deeply moving new stories: in the weeks before the biggest fight of his career, Tyson was sleeping on a hospital floor in intensive care tending to his baby daughter, Athena, who was born premature and fighting for her life. Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme. I took a real man on who was willing to step up to the challenge," he added. "If they've got something to say about it, I'm standing here. I especially liked hearing of his Irish and Traveller roots and what he liked and disliked in the Traveller community.

Tyson Fury is the undefeated lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Born and raised in Manchester, Fury weighed just 1lb at birth after being born three months premature. Charting his early years, darkest moments and return to glory, ‘Behind the Mask’ is already a must-read for any boxing fan. Sometimes, the whole “Gypsy King” showman drama – being carried to the ring on a throne in one of the Wilder fights – may occlude Fury’s genuinely impressive achievements in the ring. The man himself says it’s just an act, designed to maximise attention and therefore viewers and profit. Perhaps, but this is a guy who refers to himself in the third person and it’s just possible that the act has taken up more permanent residence in his personality. Larger than life is all very well for the length of a boxing promotion, but it can soon become tiring in life.

But the best part? Tyson's honesty. He lays it all out there, from mental health struggles to the bizarre world of professional boxing. I felt like I was in the corner of the ring, cheering him on in his battles – and trust me, I'd be the guy with the foam finger, not the boxing gloves. He showed not only his battles within the ring but outside of it too. Such honesty about Mental Health is desperately needed in todays world and hearing it from the heavy weight champion of the world is sure to help rid the stigma surrounding it. Especially the need to talk it about which Tyson echoes in his book. This empowerment is so influential and helpful for so many people old or young. As soon as I opened the book, I felt like I'd entered the boxing ring of storytelling. Tyson Fury doesn't pull any punches, except in this case, the punches are hilarious anecdotes and some really questionable fashion choices. I mean, who knew that a boxer could be so funny? I was half-expecting the book to come with a warning: "May cause uncontrollable laughter." Tyson's book reveals surprising and personal new sides to his character: he opens up about his fairy-tale romance with beloved wife Paris, and their down-to-earth life raising six beautiful children. He describes how his Traveller upbringing forged him, and how his fighting family, including dad John and his brothers, have sustained him.

Tyson’s book was crammed with knowledge, care and honesty from his wins with Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder to his personal life and of course Mental Health. His story detailing his humble upbringings right from his birth was a welcome read, drawing me into the life of the Gypsy King. He moved from each part of his life beautifully and ensured everything flowed well. One thing that Fury will never be accused of is being boring, as the book is filled with many quotes, controversies and stories from Fury's press conferences and pre-fight publicity appearances. Even more than his actual fights, these make the best and most entertaining parts of the book as a reader will learn more about Fury as the boxer, the publicity machine and even a little of his private life. Behind the Mask is an unflinching autobiography from the greatest boxer of our time and a man who has demonstrated strength of a very different kind by conquering his demons.

That is when I came across Tyson Fury's struggle with depression. You always expect people in the sports or entertainment field to be super secure about their lives and be happy. However, what we fail to understand is that no matter how rich or poor you are, how successful or unsuccessful you are, depression can hit you at any point in your life and is something which needs to be taken seriously. In a world, where people (especially men) are suppose to just brush things aside and move on with life, reading this heartfelt tale of depression from one of the best boxers in the world was very refreshing. Outside of the ring, Tyson Fury is a mental health ambassador. He donated his million-dollar purse from the Deontay Wilder fight to the homeless.

Like all the greatest stories, though, there is redemption and Tyson defies all the odds and literally drags himself to his feet. 10 million people around the globe watched Fury fight Wilder in the biggest fight of the boxing calendar. Speaking candidly about his struggles with mental health, this is Tyson Fury as you have never seen him before.A boxing phenomenon...the anarchic and enormous sports star may prove to be the last of the boxing greats' - John Sutherland, The Times Past few months for me were a little tough both from the personal and professional angle and I was feeling the brunt of the same. I wasn't sure whether what I was going through was a phase of melancholy or full fledged depression but whatever it was, I knew it was eating me alive and I needed to think of ways to move on from this feeling and be cheerful again. At 6’9 and 270 lbs, you would expect the man to be a lumbering, mumbling, heavy-handed Sasquatch. But, watching him fight you would think he was a welterweight with his spry movement across the ring, smooth jab and ability to switch stances without giving his opponent the nod. And listening to him speak you would think he is a world class entertainer, whether it is rushing into a press conference dressed as batman, getting carried to the ring on a throne or serenading an audience after a win. A truly great book. I always make how good an autobiography is if I feel I become a bigger fan of the person after I finished the book than I was when I started the book. In the case of this book, I was that was done by the time I finished the introduction.

Which leads us to the retirement question. Fury writes perceptively of past fighters who have hung on too long, always promising themselves that it will be after the next fight, and then the next one after that, that they will hang up their gloves. By the end of the book, as he surveys the potential contenders, he appears indistinguishable from all those predecessors who didn’t know when to say goodbye. Can he walk away from the spotlight, the discipline and the glory? What will come afterwards, just living at home with his beloved wife, Paris, and their six children? He says he’ll be happy to walk the dogs. In the meantime, he’ll be fighting British heavyweight Derek Chisora (for the third time) on Saturday 3 December. The dogs, it seems, can wait. His honesty of the shady dealing and politics of the boxing world was an interesting read I had never thought of - or was aware of - before. Tyson described it in an interesting yet easy to understand way for a newbie like myself in the world of boxing.Now, Tyson Fury's life is like a rollercoaster on steroids. From rising through the ranks to battling personal demons, it's a whirlwind. But the way he tells it, it's like he's recounting a wild night out with the lads. I can almost hear him saying, "And then I fought Klitschko, mate, and it was like, 'Whoa, what's happening?'" It's storytelling at its most entertaining. This is not about Usyk or any other boxers. It's about me and him doing combat and there is no more to it. All these boxers, they had their chances over the last nine months to do a deal with me, they didn't so we've moved on and took a real man who is willing to challenge himself," Fury said. Like all the greatest stories, though, there is redemption and Tyson defies all the odds and literally drags himself to his feet. 10 million people around the globe watched Fury fight Wilder in the biggest fight of the boxing calendar. Speaking candidly about his struggles with mental health, this is Tyson Fury as you have never seen him before. A BRITISH ICON. He was forced to vacate the belts because of issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health. Fury did not fight again for more than two years.