Cunningham-Visinia Scouting Report

Category	Steve “USS” Cunningham	Natu “The Truth” Visinia
Age	38	30
Record	27-6 (12 KOs)	10-0 (8 KOs)
Strength	Much more experience; former cruiserweight champion comes into this fight with momentum after a major win April 4 over world-ranked Amir Mansour.	Tremendous knockout power in both hands; a complete athlete who played college football and competed in mixed martial arts; could have a 70-pound weight advantage.
Weakness	Lacks significant power for a heavyweight; has not recorded a knockout since 2010; only 12 K0 wins in 27 victories.	Major step up in competition; first time scheduled for more than six rounds.
Experience	Major advantage here; former cruiserweight titleholder has boxed world-wide; three of his last four fights have been against former or current-ranked heavyweight contenders. (Tomasz Adamek, Tyson Fury, Amir Mansour)	Never boxed more than six rounds against mediocre opposition.
Power	Not known for his knockout power, though he did drop a tiring Mansour in the last round; more of a boxer; will need to be cautious when exchanging with the powerful Visina.	Possesses knockout power in both hands; seven of his eight knockout wins came in the first round.
Speed	Small for a heavyweight, which enables him to move around the ring; may need to be on the move to keep a safe distance from Visinia; must utilize hand speed and a quick jab.	At a disadvantage in this category, but the 270-pound Samoan’s speed is on display during his aggressive flurries when he often forces his opponents to trade punches.
Endurance	Cunningham has gone 12 rounds nine times; five of his last six fights have gone the distance.	Visinia has only been pushed past the first round on three occasions; his previous fight went six rounds, the longest any opponent has taken him.
Accuracy	Good technical boxer who picks his shots and does not waste punches.	Accurate on the inside where he utilizes good bodywork.
Defense	Moves well around the ring, making it difficult for any brawler/puncher to trap him and land significant shots.	Aggressive offensive style may be his best defense; his in-your-face style has thwarted his opponents’ offense.
Chin	Only been knocked out once, by 6-foot-8 heavyweight contender Tyson Fury. Got off the floor twice against Amir Mansour to win in a Fight-of-the-Year candidate.	Unknown; never been down but only had 10 pro fights.
Style	Technical boxer who has no problem trading shots when necessary.	Aggressive offensive fighter with knockout power.
Crowd Support	Will have hometown support.	His aggressive style may win over some fans.
The Match-Up	1.       Will age or power be a factor in this fight? 2.       Can Cunningham withstand Visinia’s power? 3.       Will Visinia be able to connect? It’s somewhat unusual for the older, more experienced fighter to have the speed advantage. Can the younger, Visinia use his youth and power to overcome Cunningham’s experience and speed?

The Oct. 18 edition of NBCSN Fight Nightwill take place at the 2300 Arena at 2300 Swanson Street in South Philadelphia. It features a 10-round fight between Steve “USS” Cunningham, of Philadelphia, and Natu “The Truth” Visinia, of Clinton, IL. A 10-round junior lightweight contest between Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry, of Wauchula, FL, and Osumanu Akaba, of Accra, Ghana, is the co-feature. Five additional fights open the show at 6PM. Tickets are $50 and $75 and are available by calling Peltz Boxing at (215) 765-0922 or atwww.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased at Wanamakers Tickets (215-568-2400). The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with Final Forum Promotions and BAM Boxing. The NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin at 9 PM ET. Doors open at 5 PM and the first fight will start at 6. The event is sponsored by Rocco’s Collision.