A fascinating discussion of the intersection between art, sports, ethnicity, and public spaces. The contributors to The Statues and Legacies of Combat Athletes in the Americas bring to life the absorbing stories behind the bronze statues of boxing and wrestling champions and their ties to local communities, past and present. Highly recommended.

Raanan Rein, Tel Aviv University

The Americas have for over a century publicly memorialized their long and distinguished tradition of combat sports. The Statues and Legacies of Combat Athletes in the Americas explores the shifting meanings of the monuments, in stone, metal, or concrete, built to honor different athletes in these sports throughout the continent. Unique in its intention, methodology, and scope, this book brings to light that these kinds of civil projects are robust sites where history and contemporary concerns are projected, interpreted, and debated. Editors C. Nathan Hatton and David M. K. Sheinin have crafted a knockout!

Cesar R. Torres, State University of New York Brockport

Although combat sports feature no home teams, they can spawn hometown heroes. As this collection shows, the connection between combat sport athletes and their local fans often runs deeper than affiliations with regional team sports. Perhaps most importantly, the book’s international approach brings home the ubiquity of these sorts of personal sports allegiances. This is a useful work for both combat sports and fandom studies scholars.

Scott Beekman, University of Rio Grande