Kids, Title Bid Hipp's Twin Dreams -- `It's Just A Job I Do,'' Joe Hipp Says Of His Chance To Fight For The World Heavyweight Title. And To See Him At Home, It's Clear There's More To His Life Than Sweaty Gyms And Heavy Bags. He Credits His Family Life And Native American Heritage For Keeping His Career In Perspective And His Life In Balance.

FEDERAL WAY - The most famous boxer in the state lives in one of 700 apartments in one of hundreds of mega-complexes that define the landscape of this patch of suburbia along Interstate 5.

Keepers of the gate are not allowed to divulge apartment numbers to visitors, though they will give you a small clue that will certainly lead you to Joe Hipp's home: "Take that first right."

Do that, and look for a confluence of children.

At its center will be a square-framed monument of a man. Hipp is like the best ride at the amusement park, a favorite attraction among the children who live here. And attached to his thighs will be one or both of his 8-year-old twin daughters, Vanessa and Sophia.

"I have the most famous daddy at school," Sophia proudly proclaimed.

Of the neighborhood kids, she said, "they all want to shake his hand and see his belts."

Sophia and Vanessa are both the adorable and astonishing proof of Hipp's childhood prophesy come true. While in high school, he told best friend Bobby Ramirez, "I'm going to have twins and I'm going to fight for the title."

Soon Hipp, family man and fighting man, will have everything he asked for.

By knocking out Jose Ribalta in the second round last Tuesday, Hipp (28-3-0 with 18 knockouts) finally won the chance to become a world heavyweight champion. Before the Ribalta fight, Hipp and his manager, Roland Jankelson, reached agreement with Michael Moorer to meet in one of Moorer's first two title defenses.

Jankelson said the agreement assures Hipp of a fight with Moorer or a fight with the reigning champion should Moorer first defend his title against another fighter and lose.

Bill Kozerski, Moorer's promoter, confirmed he is pursuing a match with George Foreman, but added in "all likelihood" Hipp will be the first to fight Moorer.

The payday will be Hipp's biggest, and although Jankelson won't give details, he said his fighter should be able to purchase a home.

Hipp, 31, has been a fighter on the verge for three years. He lost two fights - to Bert Cooper (October 1991) and Tommy Morrison (June 1992) that could have earned him a title bout. In his breakthrough fight, he floored Ribalta 2 minutes, 53 seconds into the second round.

"I never thought I would not get it," Hipp said of a title shot. "But when the best possible thing happens to you, you have to say, `Oh, wow!' Now that I have a chance, I'm 10 times more hungry."

Said Ramirez, who has known Hipp since first grade: "We've always talked about this day."

Yesterday seemed surprisingly unspectacular. Hipp's first morning at home in months - he trains in El Paso, Texas - was spent reading stories and watching cartoons with his children, including his son, Zach, 13.

"The kids keep me in my place," Hipp said. "They ask me to tie their shoes or fix the bike. . . . I don't get caught up with people around me that weren't there when I started. I want people around me that I can trust. I don't go anywhere without my wife."

Joe and Barbara Hipp have been together for 14 years, married for three. They were wed in a boxing ring in her hometown of Tahola, where Hipp trained for the Morrison fight. There his dream of fighting for a world championship became tangible.

"Sometimes it's just overwhelming," Barbara Hipp said. "It's been so long. There are times (when he's training) I want him to come home right now. After each fight, I want him in one piece. We both want to have a house and be able to raise our kids. Mainly, I just want him to be centered and balanced."

Nothing in Hipp's life is gaudy or ostentatious.

"Most people tell me I don't look like a fighter," Hipp said. "It's just a job that I do. I'm serious about my job, but I've never been into the glamour. I plan on winning the title. I'll defend it a few times and get out. That's all I want out of life."

His physique appears more suited for a remote control than the ring. His middle is soft. He looks and behaves like everyone's dad.

Hipp plans to take a well-deserved vacation next week. Not to the Caribbean or Las Vegas. He will take his family to Browning, Mont., where his extended family, members of the Blackfoot tribe, lives. Hipp will barbecue and fish. He will take time to speak to Native American school children.

"It's a unique opportunity for me," Hipp said. "I look forward to talking to the kids, not just ones who live on reservations. I just want to show them there are ways of getting what you want out of life. A lot of people told me, `You're not going to do this.' I turned that negative stuff into motivation."

His heritage is a point of pride and a growing responsibility as Hipp's fame grows. Like it or not, he knows he is a role model of young Native Americans.

"I know I was the first Native American to break into the top 10," Hipp said. "So I know I'm the first to fight for the title. I want to be the first to win it."

Promoters billed his fight against Morrison as "The Cowboy vs. The Indian," and "The Shootout," showing silhouettes of a Native American in headdress and a cavalry officer.

Though he was offended, Hipp went along with it. It's a violation Hipp is not so sure he is willing to overlook anymore.

With his notoriety, Hipp said, comes an obligation to be vocal about Native American issues. He plans to help set up a national boxing program for Native Americans and has signed a two-year personal services contract with Foxwoods Casino, where he fought Ribalta.

Hipp was born in Butte, Mont., to a German father and a Blackfoot mother. When he was 2, the Hipps moved to Yakima. He and older brothers Lou and Vic all boxed, but Joe was the one with the aptitude. He went 119-9 as an amateur before turning pro in 1987.

Hipp won his first belt, the WBF Intercontinental heavyweight title, in January 1991. He has won four consecutive fights since losing to Morrison. A victory over Alex Garcia gave Hipp the NABF title.

To his young daughters, each fight is yet another interminably long trip for Daddy. Their only consolation is that Daddy always brings home gifts and his undivided attention. Sophia's favorite gift ever?

"Ummmm . . . him."