Behind the mask

On 22 February, Tyson Fury ended Deontay Wilder’s five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion in Las Vegas. Wilder, unbeaten and making the 11th defence of his title, had already been knocked down twice, before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round to concede defeat. That Fury would win the most eagerly awaited fight in years was unthinkable a few years ago as he battled the depression, weight gain and despair which seemed to have ended his career.

Behind the mask is his autobiography, but it is far from your typical sports autobiography. Fury has been a professional boxer for 12 years and is unbeaten in 31 fights. In July 2015, he came to prominence when, against the odds, he defeated Wladimir Klitschko to become the undisputed World Heavyweight champion. Following that, he was involved in contractual wrangles and suffered mental health issues, resulting in him not boxing again for two and a half years. He fought Wilder in 2018, and seemed to have won but the jud...