When 1996 Olympian Zahir Raheem embarrassed Erik Morales last year with a one-sided shellacking of the Mexican future hall-of-famer in their lightweight fight, he probably envisioned an outcome far different from the one that developed. That is, where Morales went on to fight a rematch with Manny Pacquiao in January, while Raheem's promoter Bob Arum, who also promotes Morales, offered Raheem a slot on the undercard. The audacity. Raheem turned the offer down on principle, but he hopes to use his slick boxing skills to refresh people's minds of what he is capable of. And he looks to do it Saturday night against Brazilian star Acelino "Popo" Freitas at the Foxwood Casino Resort in Connecticut.

Both Freitas and Raheem need this fight badly. Frietas' only loss came at the same venue against Diego Corrales in 2004, in which the Brazilian was outboxing Corrales handily until being knocked down twice and quitting in the 10th round. The emotional Freitas came undone, and since that fight, his first and only loss, he has fought out of the spotlight and in the sanctity of his home country, leaving questions about his heart unanswered. Freitas is 37-1 (32), against pretty decent opposition, which includes Corrales, Joel Cassamayor, Javier Juaregui and Jorge Barrios. In order for the hard-punching Freitas to return to the upper echelon of lightweights and ultimately secure a rematch with Corrlaes, he must beat Raheem and look sensational doing it.

Raheem, 27-1 (16), who lacks the extreme psychological states experienced by Freitas in the ring, could use a little more confidence. His facial features resemble someone who is in a constant state of anxiety, but his win over Morales is definitely a huge morale booster. Handling ten years of frustration as a pro with patience and dignity might say more about his ability to overcome career obstacles than his victory, however, and we don't yet know how good Raheem really is. His stick-and-move tactics against Morales were effective, but unlike Morales, Freitas is a devestating puncher at 135. He is quick, and a much better defensive wizard than "EL Terrible". We just don't know which version of Freitas will show up.

Which is why this fight is so intriguing. Raheem acknowledges that as a soft-puncher, he is not a big attraction, and the sole big name on his resume, regardless of whether it is a win or loss, is Morales. Frietas will be the litmus test with which Raheem can prove he belongs with the elites, and a victory over the Brazilian will do this.

Because Raheem is not a big puncher, he will have to outbox Freitas from a distance, as he did with Morales. This is no easy task, as Frietas' bag of tricks come loaded with a handful of dynamite. Even Morales was able to score a flash knockdown of Raheem when he chased him around the ring, telegraphing his right hand. Freitas punches much harder, and is a natural lightweight. Raheem will have to fight the fight of his life, and I think he used that option up against Morales. Still, the modest yet hungry Philadelphian should not be counted out for scoring another upset. If the "real" Acelino Freitas shows up, he should be able to systematically wear down Raheem and knock him out in the later rounds, when Raheem tries to trade with him.

Prediction: Freitas KO 10