LATINO KO

What’s simpler than two men beating the hell out of each other? Turns out, just about anything. Such are the revelations in The Regulation of Boxing: A History and Comparative Analysis of Policies Among American States, a new book by Robert G. Rodriguez, a lecturer in Latin American studies at the University of Kansas. With a wonkiness that Bill James would be proud of, Rodriguez explains the gerrymandering behind the regulation of boxing matches. John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz knows all about that: Over the last decade, the underrated Puerto Rican-American has twice pounded his way through the system to become the WBA World Heavyweight Champion and the first Latino champ ever. As part of KU’s Hispanic Heritage Month activities, Rodriguez, Ruiz and KU alum George Kimball (an acclaimed boxing journalist) give a roundtable lecture at 7 p.m. at the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center (1299 Oread in Lawrence, 785-864-4350). An Evening of U.S. Latino and Latin American Boxing History celebrates successes against the most-fixed odds.

Thu., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., 2009