Marcos Maidana may have lost twice in 2014, but both of those losses came against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the best fighter in the world. The two defeats haven't dimmed Maidana's confidence about his future, and his trainer Robert Garcia is envisioning a big year.
One fight fans would love to see is Maidana vs. Keith "One-Time" Thurman, a feared knockout puncher who called out Maidana after defeating Leonard Bundu in December. Garcia, however, is thinking about fighters with bigger names than Thurman.
"If we had the opportunity to choose the next opponent I would say Pacquiao, but there are many things in the middle that would hinder that, such as promoters, managers, television networks, and perhaps that's why we can't do too much. But that's the fight I'd like for Chino," Garcia said.
It's unlikely that Pacquiao would fight Maidana. He is in the midst of talks to face Mayweather, and if those fall short there are some high-profile fighters at 140 pounds Pacquiao can face. Pacman's trainer Freddie Roach has hinted at a move to junior welterweight for Pacquiao being of interest.
If a Pacquiao deal can't be done, Garcia also mentioned a slew of names at welterweight that should excite fans.
"There are other names, such as Amir Khan, Kell Brook, there are interesting fights like Danny Garcia if he wants to climb to welterweight, the rematch with Adrien Broner, so there are options. So let's see what happens, but certainly 2015 can be a big year for Chino," Garcia said.
While Garcia listed several names he'd like for Maidana to face, none of them, aside from Broner, have expressed mutual interest. Thurman, on the other hand, has specifically named Maidana as his top choice in 2015.
"We want Maidana," Thurman said to Showtime following the unanimous decision win over Bundu.
Broner has also barked at "El Chino," but how serious he is remains in doubt. Broner has taken to alternating between Maidana, Lucas Matthysse and Pacquiao regarding his next bout.
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