Gloves Off: Tyson Fury Autobiography

Product Information

Tyson Fury ranks as one of boxing’s top personalities of the last 50 years among Ali, Duran, Tyson (Mike) and Mayweather.

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. 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. His most famous victory came in 2015, when he stunned longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko. Fury won the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO world heavyweight titles. 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. 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."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. 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. 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. 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.

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 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. 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. 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.

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. 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?"

The book doesn't delve too deeply into any one topic, especially Tyson's personal life. After starting off with his win over Deonte Wilder to recapture the heavyweight title in February 2020, the reader will learn a little about Fury's upbringing, his rise in boxing in the British and Irish theatres and his eventual success in obtaining the title. Along the way, Fury had many ups and downs. Some of these were unforeseen circumstances, some of them were of his own making. These are not covered in depth throughout the book, simply captured in the text. Having little knowledge about Fury or his career, I was hoping for a deeper dive into his career and his life, but this was a decent introduction to the man. Readers who have followed his career closely or are passionate boxing fans of the current state of the sport will most likely know all of this information already. 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.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. 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.