LOS ANGELES -- Joey Torres has thought about returning to the ring nearly every day for 23 years, ever since he was imprisoned as a teenager for the shooting death of his manager.

It appeared to be an impossible dream.

Once a touted amateur boxer, Torres said he never gave up hope. He'll finally get his chance April 27, depending on the outcome of a legal challenge to his release.

Torres, now 41, will face an undetermined opponent in a four-round bout at Anaheim Arena, promoter Bob Arum said Thursday in announcing Torres' return to the ring.

"I'm a believer in him," said Arum, head of Las Vegas-based Top Rank Inc. "He comes out of prison with a burning desire to do things for others."

Arum said he's backing Torres not because he believes he'll be a champion, but because of what he said Torres can contribute to society. Torres said he eventually wants to work with young boxers.

Arum is one of several prominent sports figures in Torres' corner. Others include former baseball stars Paul Molitor and Eric Davis, Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson and former welterweight champion Carlos Palomino.

"This man has character and he wants to do the right thing," Anderson said.

Torres grew up a product of the Los Angeles street culture, getting involved with gangs and drugs as a teenager but finding himself in the boxing ring. In 1979, he confronted his manager, Jose Luis Ramirez, over money he believed was owed to him.

According to Torres, Ramirez pulled a gun and was killed accidentally during the ensuing struggle.

Torres, then 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as part of an agreement that promised him incarceration in the California Youth Authority instead of state prison, said his attorney, James A. Gallo. He was to be released by age 25.

Attempts to find relatives of Ramirez were unsuccessful.

Palomino said Ramirez came to Los Angeles from Mexico in the 1970s and managed a few fighters at the Main Street Gym, where champions such as Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis once trained.

Carol Ferris, whose father founded the gym and who ran it from 1977 to 1984, couldn't recall details of the case.

John Ortiz, who managed the gym the year Ramirez was murdered, said he didn't know the victim but remembered Torres.

"I remember Joey -- a good fighter, nice kid," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, he served his debt and I wish him luck."

Torres took the plea because it ensured he wouldn't go to prison and would be freed by his 25th birthday, Gallo said.

That changed after CYA authorities intercepted a letter Torres wrote to a girlfriend in 1982. The youth authority expelled him, and a judge expanded his sentence to 25 years-to-life, Gallo said.

CYA authorities claimed Torres was asking his girlfriend to smuggle a gun into the compound. Torres said the CYA and the judge misinterpreted what he said.

"I knew they'd read the letter," Torres said. "I told my girlfriend she should have a gun for protection. I didn't ask her to smuggle a gun to me."

Attempts to locate a copy of the letter were unsuccessful.

Torres tried to appeal the new sentence and enlisted several attorneys over the years, including Melvin Belli.

After countless hours in the prison law library, Torres discovered a seldom-used civil motion called the writ of error coram nobis. Gallo said it convinced the trial court of an error when his original plea of guilty was accepted.

"He wasn't informed of the consequences of his plea," Gallo said. "It's like you sign on a loan and I don't tell you it's at 18 percent; it's invalid. He was misinformed. He believed he'd never go to prison."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald McKnew agreed, vacating Torres' sentence in December. In January, Torres was freed on $100,000 bail, posted by Molitor.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has appealed McKnew's ruling, with a progress report scheduled for Monday. Chief Deputy District Attorney Curt Livesay would say only that his office is reviewing the case.

Shortly after his release, Torres visited Top Rank and asked for the chance to box again.

But while he had lifted weights in prison, he also was overweight.

"I said, 'You've got a lot of work to do,"' Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler said.

Torres, who once fought as a welterweight, said he's lost about 20 pounds and now weighs about 200. He will fight as a light heavyweight.

Gallo said he's been led to believe that getting a boxing license for his client won't be a problem.

A stocky 5-foot-6 with a massive chest and a body covered in tattoos, Torres said he'd like to be a promoter or manager after a handful of boxing matches. He has connected with young boxers through an organization called Boxers Against Drugs, which he was involved in for years while in prison.

"I want to do good things," he said. "I feel like I can do so much for kids. They listen to me."

To promote the organization, he established telephone relationships with countless people involved in sports, including Anderson, Molitor and Davis.

Davis said he doesn't see any bitterness in Torres.

"He's a living example of what the system can do if it's operated correctly in terms of education and rehabilitation," he said. "I'm behind him because he's a good person. He's helped people, he's a good citizen, he's served his debt to society."