Just as a quick note I'd like to point out that at the top of 269, Zusak says,"Rudy would finish this particular altercation with a black eye, cracked ribs, and a haircut." We know that this is "so Zusak" because Zusak is telling the readers how the scene ends, but not how it happens. Yet.
As I read this vivid description of the fight scene I was cringing at some of the graphic imagery:He brought him to the ground for a second time, following him down with a knee to the rib cage." and "he [Rudy] felt the burning sensation of a fist on his left eye socket." and lastly,"...he [Rudy] could feel the bruise turn yellow and blue and black all at once. Three layers of exhilarating pain." Zusak finishes off the incident with Deutscher cutting Rudy's hair. The buildup to that moment makes it sound like Deutscher is about to stab Rudy, "Franz [Deutscher] now stood above him with a brand-new pocket-knife, about to crouch down and cut him," and, as a reader, I was very scared for Rudy's life. Zusak paints a very clear picture in the my mind of how badly Deutscher punishes Rudy and how much pain Rudy is in. In my opinion, there are no right or wrong reasons for what caused the merciless beating, and I believe it is out of sheer stupidity by Rudy.
We notice a brawl towards the end of the "The Losers" chapter between Viktor Chemmel, "The New Arthur Berg" (pg.272), and Rudy. Rudy had just made a complaint about not getting enough for himself through there stealing schemes. Rudy was incensed. "To hell with this. We didn't walk ten miles for one and half scrawny apples, did we, Liesel? Rudy is very determined to do whatever it takes to get by, that he is willing to foolishly attempt to rebel against his new ferocious thievery leader. We hear in the beginning of the "Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner" chapter how rough life is in the Steiner household (even though life is like this all over Himmel Street). Rudy is dirty and starving and he feels the need to take action and make an effort to gain something for himself because he's got nothing to lose.
I am also surprised that the fight scenes were not at least mentioned, because I feel like all the minor brawls taking place in the lives of the children parallel those major brawls that are happening outside in the rest of the world, while still staying a part of the children's lives. I agree with your commentary about Zusak's descriptions of the fights. In theory, the excitement is gone when the author tells you whats going to happen before it does, but Zusak just touches on it enough to make the reader keep reading in order to find out what happens.
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