Gloves Off: Tyson Fury Autobiography

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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. 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. 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. 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.

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. I especially liked hearing of his Irish and Traveller roots and what he liked and disliked in the Traveller community. 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. This could have been a great opportunity to clear the air. It seems the story of his hiatus and return seems to be so compelling that the public does not want to ask the hard questions and Fury seems to be in no rush to answer. 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."

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So, I decided to dive into the world of Tyson Fury's autobiography, "Gloves Off." Now, let's be clear, I'm about as intimidating as a fluffy bunny, so I thought, "Why not get a taste of the boxing champion's life without actually taking any punches?" I found the book jumped about in time a little bit and had hoped for more on his family life, such as his feelings at the arrival of each new child. He writes of his devastation at the babies sadly lost but doesn’t contrast that with the utter joy of the ones who came after. 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.

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. 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.I love that he dedicates so much to his wife Paris and their marriage is to be admired as they’ve gone through a huge amount in a short space of time. It would have been nice to have had a bit more about them, but ultimately, it is a boxing book and it serves that purpose excellently - the preparation and training involved, his showmanship and self-belief and he breaks down his thought processes during his fights really well. 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. While the title of "heavyweight boxing champion of the world" doesn't have quite the same luster today as it did in previous decades, it is still considered an honor to be part of that linear history. The current holder of the title, Tyson Fury, is the subject of this biography by Nigel Cawthorne. I wish to thank Ad Lib Publishers for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.