Norris Wants His Share of Fortune for His Fame : Boxing: Fighter is getting frustrated while waiting for the big money bouts to come his way.

Ever since Terry Norris defeated Sugar Ray Leonard two years ago, he’s heard the boxing world call him one of its best fighters, pound for pound. But Norris is beginning to wonder when he starts cashing in on that reputation.

Norris said Wednesday, just three days before his super welterweight title fight with Carl Daniels, that he is frustrated enough to start looking for a new manager.

“Right now, there’s some slow people behind me that are not exactly pushing in my direction, but eventually it’s got to work,” Norris said. “It’s taken a little longer than I expected to get big money fights. Whether I have to shut some of the people off that are in my corner, then push faster, I don’t know what I have to do. But something will have to be done.”

Norris’ three-year contract with Campo-based Joe Sayatovich expires in August. Norris has been with him for eight years.

Norris said the contract calls for Sayatovich, who owns a drywall construction company in Lakeside, to collect a third of his winnings.

“What I really want is what I deserve,” Norris said. “I’ve got two kids. I’ve got to think about them now. Before I signed the contract, I didn’t have two kids. I didn’t have much to think about. I was still young. I knew I had a long life in boxing.

“Now, by the time I’m 30, I want to be retired with millions and millions in the bank. Giving up the 33 1/3 (percent), that’s got to come to an end.”

And Norris, 24, said it probably will.

“I want to do something like Sugar Ray Leonard did,” he said. “If possible, promote my own fights so I can do the things that he did. I’m not going to be in this game forever, so with my manager taking a third, I’m not looking forward to it. After this runs out, I’m not giving up that percentage.”

Sayatovich contended that the contract of Norris and his brother Orlin, a cruiserweight, does not expire until August, 1993. He said if Norris chooses to leave then, he would not have any problems with it.

“If they (Norrises) decide they can do business someplace else, then it’s not going to bother me,” he said. “I don’t make my living doing this. I’ve tried to help the boys the best I can. If it doesn’t work, I don’t want any hard feelings.”

Norris did not discount signing a contract with another manager. Although he did say Don King and Bob Arum are unlikely candidates.

“I’ll find somebody,” he said. “Dan Goossen seems like a good guy, even Dan Duva sounds like a good guy. I’m not sure who I’ll go with.”

Shelley Finkel, who advises Duva’s boxers, said he would be happy to talk with Norris when his contract expires.

“I would not approach him,” said Finkel, who now advises Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker. “But I think there’s a lot of things I could do with him that are not being done.”

Norris is making $150,000 for his noon fight Saturday at the San Diego Sports Arena on ABC-TV. He made twice that amount for his bout with Brett Lally here last August on HBO.

“The fight’s being broadcast all across America, which keeps me in the public eye,” said. “And it’s good that I’m fighting in my hometown, but I took a major pay cut to fight here. That’s a bad thing and it’s not wise. In boxing, anything can happen. I can get hurt tomorrow without even fighting. Then where do I stand?

“I’m looking forward to making the big money. I’m really tired of just sitting back and just making small money. I realize small money for me is like large money for any other person. But I beat some of the best fighters in the world. I deserve much respect and along with that, much money. But it’s not working out that way.”

Norris (30-3) has won nine consecutive fights since being knocked out by Julian Jackson in June, 1989. He won the World Boxing Council junior middleweight title in March, 1991 by knocking out John Mugabi and has successfully defended it five times.

“I love to fight, but business is part of boxing too,” Norris said. “I don’t want to say that when I’m not fighting I don’t think about it. I wonder, “How can I get these people to really notice who I am?’ Some of it is management. My manager has not being able to hook up with the right people.

“Something has to be done. I’ve already talked to him about it. Something will be done.”