Orlin Levance Norris (born October 4, 1965) is an American former
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
who competed from 1986 to 2005. He held the WBA cruiserweight title from 1993 to 1995. As an amateur, he won the
National Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...
title. He is the brother of retired former champion
Terry Norris
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...
.
Professional career
Heavyweight contender
Norris turned pro in 1986 as a heavyweight and became a highly ranked and much avoided contender. In 1988 he won the NABF heavyweight title with a decision over the towering Larry Alexander, and followed it up with more easy points wins over respected challengers
Renaldo Snipes
Renaldo Snipes (born Reenaold Snipes on August 15, 1956) is an American former boxer, best known for his title championship bout with Larry Holmes.
Amateur career
Snipes was a two-time Chicago Golden Gloves Champion (1977 and 1978). He lost on a ...
Greg Page (boxer)
Greg Page (October 25, 1958 – April 27, 2009) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2001, and held the WBA heavyweight title from 1984 to 1985. He was also a regular sparring partner for Mike Tyson, famously knocking ...
.
Page had been considered as an opponent for Evander Holyfield; however, after defeating Page, the shot was not offered to Norris. In 1990 he was outboxed by crafty ex-world champion
Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs (born February 15, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2006, and held the WBA heavyweight title from 1985 to 1986.
Amateur career
As an amateur, Tony Tubbs competed in 253 bouts, compiling a reco ...
(a decision later changed to a no-decision after Tubbs tested positive for an illegal substance), and followed up that momentum killer with a further loss, an 8th-round TKO to hard hitting
Bert Cooper
Bertram Cooper (January 10, 1966 – May 10, 2019), nicknamed Smokin' Bert Cooper, was an American professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2012. He fought Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, Chris Byrd, Ray ...
, where Norris was decked in the 8th round and twisted his knee, unable to continue.
In 1990 Norris regained some ground by beating future world champion Oliver McCall by split decision, and in 1991 regained his NABF title with a first-round knockout of Lionel Washington. He defended the title against ex-world champion
Tony Tucker
Tony Craig Tucker (born December 27, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1998. He won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987, and was the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion at just 64 days. In an inte ...
; however, he lost on a controversial split decision, after it appeared Norris had outboxed his giant opponent rather easily.
Cruiserweight World Champion
After the Tucker performance, Norris struggled to find contenders who would risk fighting him, and was forced to move down a division, into the cruiserweights. Having won the USBA belt in that division, in 1993 Norris beat Marcelo Victor Figueroa to capture the vacant WBA cruiserweight title and went on to successfully defend the title five times, including two wins over Arthur Williams and a victory over
Adolpho Washington
Adolpho Washington (born 7 September 1967 in Lexington, Kentucky) is a retired professional boxer. He held the IBF cruiserweight title from 1996 until 1997, and challenged twice for WBA world titles at cruiserweight and light heavyweight.
Care ...
(two future world champs). Norris also retained his WBA Cruiserweight title in Mexico with a crushing win over fellow American James Heath.
In 1995 the weight draining caught up with Norris, as a very sluggish, strange performance saw him lose his belt to Nate Miller via 8th-round KO in London, England. Norris was hospitalised after the fight although he checked himself out the following morning.
Return to heavyweight
In 1996 he moved back up to heavyweight and scored a revenge win over an aging Tony Tucker. However, a long legal battle with
Don King
Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. He has been a controversial figure, partly due to a manslaughter conviction and civil cases against him, as well a ...
saw him lose his WBA mandatory #1 challenger status and instead of a challenge to King-promoted champion Evander Holyfield, Norris was forced to fight 6'7" King-managed heavyweight
Henry Akinwande
Henry Adetokunboh Akinwande (born 12 October 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He held the WBO heavyweight title from 1996 to 1997, as well as the Commonwealth heavyweight title in 1993, and the Euro ...
in an eliminator. Akinwande stayed at long range and scraped a decision over Norris. Once again a heavyweight title fight escaped Norris.
In 1999 he travelled to the UK and demolished colourful prospect Pele Reid in one round, but Herbie Hide pulled out of a WBO title fight with Norris at the last minute.
Norris fought Mike Tyson in 1999. After the first round ended, Tyson knocked Norris down with a left hook and Norris injured his knee when he went down, although he walked back to his corner in a normal manner, showing no discomfort. Norris said he was unable to continue the fight and the bout was ruled a no contest. After the fight, Norris received an MRI scan at the Valley Hospital Medical Center and was diagnosed with a dislocated kneecap. Nevada State Athletic Commission physician Dr. Flip Homansky confirmed that the scan "clearly shows the path his kneecap took" as he fell and then got back up, popping it back into place. Tyson accused Norris of throwing the match. Norris was an aging fighter by the time he came back in 2000, outscored by
Andrew Golota
Andrzej Jan Gołota (; born 5 January 1968), best known as Andrew Golota, is a Polish former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. He challenged four times for a heavyweight world title (by all four major sanctioning bodies), and as ...
, and in 2001 making little effort and collapsing in sixty seconds against
Vitali Klitschko
Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko (; uk, Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ ; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer who serves as mayor of KyivBrian Nielsen in Denmark for the IBO title.
In 2005, he scored a draw with former champion
Vassiliy Jirov
Vassiliy Valeryevich Jirov (russian: Васи́лий Вале́рьевич Жи́ров; born 4 April 1974), sometimes known as Vasily Zhirov, is a Kazakhstani former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2009, and held the IBF cruise ...