By Keith Idec

One of the most significant things Mikey Garcia learned about Adrien Broner from Marcos Maidana is that Broner can punch.

Maidana – who was trained by Garcia’s older brother/trainer, Robert Garcia – even told Garcia that his 12-round fight against Broner took something out of him. The hard-hitting Argentine’s advice resonated with Mikey Garcia, who expects that Broner will emerge as the hardest puncher he has encountered in his career.

Southern California’s Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), who has won world titles at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, will move up to 140 pounds to box Broner (33-2, 24 KOs, 1 NC) on July 29 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (Showtime). Broner has knocked out only two of his nine opponents since moving up from lightweight to welterweight in 2013, but the former four-division champion from Cincinnati obviously affected Maidana during a December 2013 welterweight title fight Maidana won by unanimous decision.

When asked to identify the hardest puncher he has faced since making his pro debut in July 2006, Garcia said none of his 36 opponents truly set themselves apart from the others.

Puerto Rico’s Rocky Martinez (29-3-3, 17 KOs) scored a second-round knockdown against Garcia in a November 2013 bout Garcia came back to win by eighth-round knockout, but he didn’t mention Martinez. The only two opponents Garcia addressed by name were Montenegro’s Dejan Zlaticanin (22-1, 15 KOs), Garcia’s third-round knockout victim January 28 in Las Vegas, and Mexico’s Orlando Salido (44-13-4, 31 KOs, 1 NC), who was dropped three times against Garcia en route to losing a technical decision 4½ years ago in New York.

“I’ve been faced with some guys that are supposed to be heavy punchers, but I haven’t felt their power,” Garcia said as part of a conference call Thursday. “I had the right game plan and I didn’t really feel it. Dejan was supposed to be a big power puncher. I didn’t feel it. Salido’s a heavy hitter. He [was a] champion and after I beat him he still became champion several times, and beat some top guys. And I didn’t feel his power.

“I felt some of the guys earlier in my career that are not any known names. But I think Adrien Broner is probably the guy that hits the hardest out of everybody. Especially with moving up in weight, he’s the bigger man naturally, as far as weight, than I am. So we’ll find out Saturday night, the 29th.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.