Orlin Norris Decides on a Change : Boxing: One week before his bout against Hembrick at the Sports Arena, he ends his relationship with manager Joe Sayatovich.

A month ago, world junior middleweight champion Terry Norris said he and his brother, Orlin, were considering leaving their manager of six years because their careers were not progressing quickly enough.

Terry Norris and Joe Sayatovich, the Norris’ manager, soon settled their differences and signed a three-fight contract beginning with Terry’s $2 million pay day with Meldrick Taylor on May 9 in Las Vegas. But Orlin Norris and Sayatovich never did settle their differences, so Orlin on Wednesday terminated their relationship.

Orlin Norris, who is defending his North American Boxing Federation Championship on March 25 at the Sports Arena against former Olympian Anthony Hembrick, met with Sayatovich for 30 minutes and asked to be released from his contract.

“Joe told me if I ever wanted to get out of my contract all I had to do was tell him,” Norris said. “He’s a man of his word. We’re still friends and there’s no animosity. But I feel like it’s time to try something new.

“He was doing the best he could. But I felt like I needed someone stronger. Someone who can push me over the last hurdle.”

Sayatovich said he has no problem with Norris’ decision.

“For some reason, he’s lost his fire for the fight game and he’s trying to get it back some way,” Sayatovich said. “Orlin and I are friends. If he feels he can do better with someone else, I wish him luck.”

Norris, 26, has fought most of his career as a heavyweight. In 1990, he was ranked fourth by the World Boxing Council. But Norris’ ranking dropped to 26th after he had to retire during a fight in February of 1990 with Bert Cooper. While throwing a punch, Norris became entangled with Cooper and broke a tendon in his knee.

Before the Cooper fight, Norris was scheduled to meet Evander Holyfield, now the world heavyweight champion, but Holyfield pulled out at the last minute.

Norris (31-3 with 16 knockouts) eventually rehabilitated his knee, but he never climbed back into the top 10 of any organization’s rankings. He suffered another setback when he lost a controversial decision to Tony Tucker last year. So after that loss, Norris decided to move down to the cruiserweight division, which has a weight limit of 190 pounds.

In his second cruiserweight fight, Norris knocked out Jessie Shelby to claim the NABF title. The victory also made Norris the WBC’s No. 1 cruiserweight contender. If he beats Hembrick, Norris will be owed a mandatory title defense by WBC champion Anacet Wamba.

Still, Norris said that is not enough.

“I was getting good fights my first couple years and moving up, but all of sudden, it stopped,” he said. “I never ever fought for $50,000.”

But Norris said his problems with Sayatovich are not about money.

“It gets frustrating,” he said. “I was really unhappy even before I injured my knee.”

Norris acted on his unhappiness three weeks ago by moving his training from Sayatovich’s camp in Campo to Murphy’s Gym in downtown San Diego, just miles from his home.

“For Joe and I to be working together, I’d have to be at the camp,” he said. “When I’m training, I’d only get to see my family on Sundays. My wife and I didn’t know each other. I’m already happier here.”

Norris also contends that his career has been relatively ignored since Terry’s career took off two years ago.

“I feel like I was in the background,” Orlin said. “I don’t think Joe really realized it, but I do feel that happened.”

Sayatovich said he doesn’t agree.

“That’s not true,” said Sayatovich, who owns a construction company in Lakeside. “He’s had some bad some luck in his career and it’s nobody’s fault. I think I did the best I could. I got him to be ranked No. 1 by the WBC in the cruiserweight division . . .

“People say because I haven’t been in the fight game long, I don’t know how to do the politicking. But I do know how.”

Although Terry Norris is considered by many boxing experts to be one of the top all-around fighters today, Abel Sanchez, who trains Terry and Orlin, said Orlin in some ways is superior to Terry.

“Orlin is the better fighter, technically,” Sanchez said. “The difference is, because Orlin is the better fighter, nobody’s ever going to give him a shot.”

Sanchez said he understands how Orlin could be jealous of his brother’s success.

“I’m sure that it bothers Orlin, it would have to,” Sanchez said. “It would bother the hell out of me. I’m the older brother. I should be doing better.”

Sanchez said the loss to Tucker cost Norris dearly.

“If he had won the Tucker fight, it would have forced people to fight us,” Sanchez said. “I thought he looked dominant, other than he wasn’t aggressive enough. If I’m a manager, I’m going to stay away from him. Unless I’ve got something to gain, like Hembrick does--the No. 1 ranking--I don’t even think about a guy like that.”

Sanchez believes Norris, with his defensive skills, could compete with the best in the heavyweight division.

“I’ve said all along, ‘If the man doesn’t belong there, let us prove it,’ ” Sanchez said. “If he’s so easy knock him out. No, he’s not the big puncher that Tyson is or the kind of heavyweight some people like to see, but I’d like to see Riddick Bowe fight him.

“We’d fight Riddick Bowe. What other options do we have? Do we just wait and wait? The man’s 26, almost 27. Do we just keep waiting for one of those guys to give us a shot?”

Said Sayatovich: “Orlin’s got time left. I think he feels time is running out.”

Norris will end his contract with Sayatovich on Tuesday, the day before he fights Hembrick. Norris said he will continue to keep Sanchez and his father, Orlin Sr., as his trainers.

Who will he find to manage him next?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll fight without a manager.”

However if Norris beats Hembrick, he might not be without a manager too long.