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Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist is an upcoming Peacock series that will tell the story of an armed robbery the night after Muhammad Ali‘s iconic comeback fight in Atlanta. The series is expected to revolve around the culprits who caused the theft. It will also reportedly follow a Black Atlanta police officer tasked with solving the case. The show stars many Hollywood A-listers, including Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, and Kevin Hart, who will also serve as an executive producer for the series.
The Muhammad Ali-Jerry Quarry fight in 1970 was important for multiple reasons. Ali was returning to his heavyweight career after three and a half years of exile. Before his match, when he left his Miami hotel to reach Atlanta for his fight, a gift box was delivered to him. The box reportedly contained a black dead dog and a letter that warned him to stay out of Georgia because “draft dodgers” like him were likely to face the same fate, according to the Mirror.
Earlier, Muhammad Ali received backlash after he refused to enlist in the US Army since he claimed he had nothing against the Vietnamese. Nevertheless, the scheduled fight was conducted. Many celebrities and well-to-do folks were invited for an after-fight party that boasted celebrations of Muhammad Ali’s overdue comeback. However, the party did not go as planned and ended in a million-dollar heist on October 27, 1970.
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Who was charged with the robbery after Muhammad Ali’s comeback fight?
Houston Jimmy Hammond already had a long record of arrests. In October 1970, he was arrested for being involved in the robbery. The victims included over 200 guests at Muhammad Ali’s after-fight party. McKinley Rogers Jr, James Henry Hall, and Hammond were all indicted by authorities for the $100,000 robbery. Meanwhile, the rest of the accused were still being sought, the New York Times reported on November 18, 1970.
Hammond allegedly bought a shotgun close to the crime scene before the robbery. This created suspicions among the authorities in Atlanta, leading to the indictment of three of his accomplices for six counts of robbery at Muhammad Ali’s after-fight party.
When guests entered the venue for the party, some six to eight men allegedly threatened them with shotguns. They then led the guests into the basement, where they were stripped of their clothes and possessions. Exotic furs, watches, and cash were some of the guests’ expensive belongings that were robbed before the robbers escaped from Muhammad Ali’s after-fight party.
The upcoming series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist will reportedly explore the armed robbery and the consequences of it on Muhammad Ali and the rest of the city of Atlanta.
