SAN DIEGO BOXING NOTEBOOK / DAVE McKIBBEN : Allen Vows to Return From Trials Letdown

While Robert Allen took in the Thursday night’s fights, an acquaintance dropped by to ask where the Olympic box-offs were taking place--as if to wonder what Allen was doing at the Sports Arena.

Allen begrudgingly answered the question, “They’re in Phoenix.” But he had to be asking himself the same thing.

Although he was trying to remain upbeat about his first-round knockout loss at the Olympic trials to Raul Marquez on June 11, the pain and bitterness in Allen’s voice were hard to disguise. Marquez, the Olympic trials champion, fought Antwun Echols on Friday night in the box-offs.

“(Marquez) is nowhere near the fighter I am,” Allen said. “He got the win. He did what he had to do. But I’ll catch up to him someday. He wouldn’t beat me again.”

Even though he was eliminated in the first round, Allen felt he deserved another shot at Marquez since he beat Echols in the U.S. Championship this spring. But Allen was not named Marquez’ opponent for the box-offs because his knockout loss came via blows to the head.

“(The Olympic Boxing Committee) doesn’t want anybody to have another chance at Marquez,” Allen said.

Allen said a knockout loss was the last thing on his mind when he entered the trials.

“I didn’t expect it,” he said. “It’s an eye-opening experience. I let a lot of people down.

“I just didn’t stick to my game plan and I got careless. His left-handed style really confused me, too. Being a left-hander, I’m just not used to fighting them. I think I should have sparred against more of them.”

So what now for Allen, who recently turned 23?

Allen, a Camp Pendleton Marine whose four-year enlistment is up in December, said he will take some time off before deciding when to turn professional.

“I’m still keeping a pretty level head,” he said. “I don’t mean to sound arrogant. But my skills aren’t going to diminish. I’m going to sit back and wait for the offers to come.”

Allen said he wouldn’t be opposed to signing with a big name promoter like Dan Duva or Bob Arum.

“Whoever’s going to give me the best deal and look out for my future, I’ll go with,” Allen said.

The monthly cards at the Sports Arena have not exactly been known for their predictability or stability lately, but it appears promoter Scott Woodworth is trying to change that image. Woodworth on Thursday announced that former world junior featherweight champion Jesus Salud will fight Costa Mesa’s Rudy Zavala on the main event of July’s card. Woodworth said the July 23 card will be televised by ESPN and co-promoted by Main Events Inc.

Woodworth’s last three promotions have not been announced until a week before they took place. Those cards were also dogged by one its main event participants being changed days before the fight.

The Salud-Zavala fight is for Zavala’s North American Boxing Federation junior featherweight (122-pound) title.

The Salud-Zavala matchup promises to be the best at the Sports Arena since the Terry Norris-Carl Daniels bout in February. Salud (41-5), ranked fourth by the International Boxing Federation, is coming off a 12-round unanimous loss to South Africa’s Welcome N’cita in Italy for N’cita’s IBF Junior Featherweight title.

Zavala (17-0-1), ranked fifth by the World Boxing Council and ninth by the IBF, knocked out Pedro Decima of Buenos Aires on the undercard of the Evander Holyfield-Larry Holmes fight.

The winner could be in line for another title shot. The loser, especially if it’s 28-year-old Salud, would have some thinking to do.

“It’s a must fight,” said Bob DePhilippis, Salud’s manager. “If Jesus loses, he might have to start thinking about what else he’s going to do with his life.”

DePhilippis is also promoting a card at the Del Mar Fair Grounds for the second straight year. The July 4 show, which begins at 6 p.m., will feature super middleweight Antoine Byrd (19-4, nine knockouts) of Los Angeles against Joaquin Felix (18-3, 12 knockouts) of Phoenix.

The card will also include 12 amateur bouts that are scheduled to begin at noon.

Orlin Norris said he and his new manager, Abel Sanchez, are close to signing a fight with Bobby Czyz, the World Boxing Assn. cruiserweight champion. Norris, the NABF cruiserweight champion, said the fight probably would be held in San Diego in September. He said the card could include his brother, Terry, defending his World Boxing Council super middleweight championship.