With Popeye-sized forearms and a gold ring on his left hand, Terry Norris harkened back to his glorious moment.

Seventeen years ago, the four-time middleweight champion became a household name when he defeated legend Sugar Ray Leonard in a unanimous verdict at Madison Square Garden.

"That was probably one of the most popular fights," he said. "It wasn't the hardest fight I had. Ray's a smart man. I respect him. But in the ring that night, I blew him away."

The 41-year-old Norris, a San Diego resident, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday night at the Augusta GreenJackets game. Norris is trying to decide whether he wants to make Augusta home. He and business partner Joe Mullins own several Chem Dry carpet-cleaning business throughout Georgia. Also, two of Norris' five children, two teenage sons, live in Atlanta.

Norris said he also plans to give back to Augusta, a place he trained in the mid-1990s. He is looking to bring his foundation, which feeds and clothes children as well as instills discipline, to the area.

"He wants to give them something to get them off the streets," Mullins said. "He came back to help the state."

Also, Mullins said, Norris wants to help raise money for the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation.

The 41-year-old Norris has been retired from boxing for 10 years. He said he hasn't kept up with the sport much in recent years, but now he's planning to start an amateur boxing team that will compete worldwide.

Norris can provide valuable experience to amateurs. He won three WBC Light Middleweight championships as well as an IBF Light Middleweight title.

Norris was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.

"I look young," he said. "But there's a lot of wear and tear. A lot of good fights. A lot of tough fights."

SOUTHERN TOUCH UP NORTH

Two boxers with area ties are on the same boxing card tonight in Uncasville, Conn. Augusta native Vernon Forrest has a super welterweight title defense while Aiken's Paul Williams tries to regain the welterweight title he lost to Carlos Quintana in his previous bout. Forrest's opponent, Sergio Mora, won the boxing reality show The Contender in 2005. As for Williams, he lost a unanimous decision to Quintana four months ago. It is Williams' only loss in 34 fights. Tonight's bouts are on the cable network Showtime beginning at 9 p.m.

WHO: Champion Vernon "The Viper" Forrest (40-2, 29 KO) vs. Sergio Mora (20-0-1, 5 KO); and Paul "The Punisher" Williams (33-1, 24 KO) vs. champion Carlos "El Indio" Quintana (25-1, 19 KO) WHAT: WBC super welterweight and WBO welterweight world championship doubleheader WHERE: Mohegan Sun Casino; Uncasville, Conn. WHEN: 9 p.m. tonight on Showtime