Lem's lastest: Roach calls Povetkin-Boswell; De La Hoya touts Alvarez

International Boxing Hall of Fame nominee Freddie Roach is juiced for his commentator debut on the EPIX/EpixHD.com broadcast of the WBA "regular" heavyweight title bout between beltholder Alexander Povetkin and Cedric Boswell in Helsinki, Finland, on Saturday.

"I had a tryout with HBO one time before, and I worked a fight for them once before, so I guess that you can say that I've had a little bit of practice," said the 51-year-old Roach, who will be calling the fight from New York. "It will be fun doing something kind of new. It's a good matchup on paper."

The broadcast will air at 12:30 p.m. PT, 3:30 p.m. ET.

Trained by Teddy Atlas, the 32-year-old Povetkin (22-0, 15 knockouts) won the vacant belt with a unanimous decision over in Ruslan Chagaev in Thüringen Germany on Aug. 27.

Povetkin-Chagav took place on the undercard of a ninth-round stoppage over Sergei Liakhovich by 6-foot-6 Robert Helenius (16-0, 11 KOs), who will face Dereck Chisora (15-1, 9 KOs) on the Povetkin-Boswell undercard.

"I've learned to introduce the fighters and how to set it up a little bit. [Former ESPN broadcaster] Brian Kenny and [Joe Tessitore] from ESPN gave me some pointers," said Roach.

"I'm excited about it. I like it because it's going to be different and it's a challenge for me, and I like challenges. Plus, this will be the first time that I get to go against Teddy Atlas, and I have the microphone."

Roach is fitting his latest role in around his training of Manny Pacquiao, WBC middleweight beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and WBA/IBF junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan.

Pacquiao won a controversial majority decision over RING lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12, and Chavez scored a fifth-round knockout over Peter Manfredo Jr. on Nov. 19.

Roach has shifted his focus to Khan's bout with RING No. 6-rated contender Lamont Peterson on Dec. 10 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

SAUL ALVAREZ ATE THE STEAK, NOW HE'S AFTER THE FILET MIGNON 

Golden Boy Promotions' president Oscar de la Hoya is sky-high over the recent effort by THE RING's No. 2-rated junior middleweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez  (39-0-1, 29 KOs).

The 21-year-old WBC titleholder scored an HBO-televised fifth-round stoppage over former welterweight beltholder Kermit Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) in the third defense of his belt before partisan fans at Monumental Plaza de Toros, in Mexico City.

"It was a test. There's nothing that you can take away from Canelo on this. Canelo dropped him in the fourth round, and he showed us his abilities and his power. He showed his speed," said de la hoya. "We fed him the 16-pound steak, and he devoured it with no problem. He even ate the bone."

But de la Hoya admits that it's a bit too early to match Alvarez against THE RING's No. 2-rated pound-for-pound  Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom Alvarez called out in the aftermath of his victory.

"Rome wasn't built overnight," said de la Hoya.  "So let's hold off on the filet mignon."

De la Hoya would much sooner see Alvarez in an all-mexican clash with Chavez, who is coming off the knockout of Manfredo.

"You've got the rib eye steak, and then, you got the filet mignon," said de la Hoya. "Floyd Mayweather's the filet mignon."

Does de la Hoya believe a bout can be made between Alvarez and Chavez, who is handled by Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum?

"It's not up to us. You know why? We want the fight. Golden Boy wants the fight," said de la Hoya. "We want this fight to happen for the sake of the sport. That's up to Bob Arum."

Photo by Etzel Espinosa, Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com