Fighting For Big Chance : Boxing: Norris, Hembrick see better things on the horizon.

Anthony Hembrick and Orlin Norris will meet tonight at the Sports Arena for a fight neither thought he would get and for a title neither really wants.

Considering their resumes, it’s a fight Norris and Hembrick dearly need.

Hembrick (23-2-1 with 15 knockouts) is coming off a 12-round loss to Leeonzer Barber in January for the World Boxing Organization’s light heavyweight title. He is moving up a weight division to fight for Norris’ North American Boxing Federation cruiserweight title.

A victory would put Hembrick, 26, in contention for the World Boxing Council cruiserweight title and give him an option of fighting as a cruiserweight or a light heavyweight. A loss would take him out of contention for a cruiserweight title and likely lower his ranking as a light heavyweight.

“It’s a business,” said Arnie Rosenthal, Hembrick’s manager. “We’re willing to fight anybody who can make us money.”

Rosenthal is thinking ahead, because the Norris fight will not make Hembrick or Norris much money. Steve English, assistant executive officer for the California Athletic Commission, said Hembrick and Norris will make $5,000 each.

Norris (31-3 with 16 knockouts), now ranked first by the WBC as a cruiserweight, appears to be taking the bigger risk. Norris, 26, aspires to win the WBC cruiserweight title and then go back up to the heavyweight division to contend for a world title. But a loss to Hembrick, who has fought his entire career as a light heavyweight, would severely damage those hopes.

“The only way I can see that they took this fight is they thought they could knock me out,” Hembrick said. “That’s part of the game. They’re taking that chance. It’s a dangerous fight. If I was him, I wouldn’t do it.”

Said Norris: “I do have more to lose than he does. I got to the point in my career where fighting easy fights didn’t turn me on. Somebody that’s more of a threat to me is more of a challenge.

“I’m going to beat Anthony Hembrick. It’s just a matter of what round I’m going to knock him out in. I’m surprised they wanted the fight. Not because of his ranking or anything like that, but because I’m going to hurt him.”

A month ago, Norris might have been satisfied with just defeating Hembrick. Now he is talking and training like a more aggressive fighter.

Abel Sanchez, Norris’ trainer, said the change has come about since Norris left manager Joe Sayatovich’s Campo training site and began working out at Murphy’s Gym downtown.

“He’s going to take more chances to create the openings instead of waiting for the counter punches,” Sanchez said. “He’s going to go for knockouts. Decisions is not what we’re looking for now. We’ve changed his approach to how he punches. We had him sitting more on his front leg, trying to get more power, instead of being defensive and waiting for the counter punches.”

Sanchez said Hembrick could be in for a big surprise if he is expecting to see the fighter he’s been watching on films.

“Hembrick, in his mind, has got Orlin pictured like he is,” Sanchez said. “They’re both real smart fighters who are normally going to wage a tactical fight. But it’s going to be a completely different fight. There’s no plan of attack as far as Orlin’s concerned. From Round 1, we’re going to go out and just get him. Whatever it takes.”

Said Norris, who expects to weigh in this morning at about 190: “He’s taller, but he’s not as strong. He’s going to be running from one to 12.”

But Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali’s former trainer who now works with Hembrick, doesn’t quite see it that way.

“Anthony doesn’t run,” said Dundee, who has been working with Hembrick for 18 months. “Norris is a distinct individual. He’s tough to get to. But Anthony is the fastest guy he’s ever fought. My guy’s speed is forward, not reverse.”

At 6 feet 2, Hembrick has a three-inch height advantage. He also believes he will have the style advantage.

“Looking at the tapes, he’s going to come wide,” said Hembrick, who said he expects to weigh in at 185. “My trainer and I, we call that ‘He’s drunk driving.’ All over the place. And I’m just going to be catching him right up the middle.”

Although Norris has not been down in his career, Hembrick said Norris’ defensive skills are overrated.

“He’s more of a safe fighter than a defensive fighter,” Hembrick said. “He puts his hands up when you try to punch at him so you can’t knock him out. I guess they consider that a defensive fighter. But he hasn’t fought someone with the foot quickness, hand speed, maneuverability, craftiness and slickness of me.”

It’s also unlikely that Norris has fought anyone as eccentric as Hembrick, who came to the pre-fight news conference wearing sunglasses, a cap turned around backward, a black leather jacket and black patent leather gloves.

Unfortunately, Hembrick’s look and his boxing skills are still just a footnote to the event that his career is best known for his disqualification at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Hembrick was late for his first-round, 168-pound weight class match against a South Korean after he missed a bus from the Olympic Village to the boxing site.

That still haunts Hembrick.

“When I walked in the ring, the man was raising the arms of the Korean,” he said. “I was devastated. If I was coming into the ring now, I actually would have jumped into the ring and taken my clothes off and started fighting.”

Dundee said he remembers seeing Hembrick walk into the arena.

“What bigger disappointment could there be for him,” Dundee said. “But he overcame that.”

And Dundee believes Hembrick will overcome Norris next.

“This fight will bring out the best in Anthony,” Dundee said. “He’s ready to blossom.”