‘Fight Night’ has a funny look back at the robbery on the night of an Ali fight in 1970

It was billed as “The Return of the Champion.”

On October 26, 1970, Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring for the first time in more than three years after being suspended from boxing for refusing to be drafted into the Vietnam War. Before a star-studded crowd at the old Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, Ali defeated Jerry Quarry by TKO. It was a triumphant comeback for Ali, who reportedly earned $200,000 from a percentage of the fight proceeds.

A hefty payday — but not the biggest haul that night in Atlanta. At a lavish afterparty (which Ali didn’t attend) in Atlanta’s West End, a gang of armed, masked robbers ordered guests into the basement and told them to strip down to their underwear before robbing them of their cash and jewelry. The haul was estimated at $1 million, considering the attendees were some of the country’s wealthiest hustlers, dealers, pimps and black mob bosses.

The story of the heist and subsequent investigation provides rich dramatic material, and with a big-name cast and a sleek, cool, period-inspired look, the eight-part Peacock series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” delivers a highly entertaining, if fictionalized, version of events. At times, the story falters as we follow a few too many subplots, but thanks to an all-star cast led by Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Samuel L. Jackson and the film’s stellar early-’70s fashions, cars, music and production design, we feel as if we’ve stepped back in time some 55 years, to an Atlanta on the cusp of its Jim Crow transition to a bright future in which it would be hailed as the new “Black Mecca.”

As the opening title card puts it, “Fight Night” is “BASED ON SOME S- – – THAT REALLY HAPPENED” and comes, notably, from the iHeartMedia and Doghouse Pictures true-crime podcast “Fight Night.” With director Craig Brewer helming the first two and final two episodes and reuniting with “Hustle & Flow” stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, and “Black Snake Moan” lead Samuel L. Jackson, the series has fun aping the tropes of ‘70s TV and film, particularly its frequent use of split-screen to deliver a scene from multiple viewpoints. The visuals pop off the screen and are perfectly suited to the time period of the story.

Kevin Hart delivers perhaps the most layered work of his career as real-life businessman and numbers runner Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams, who used the Ali match as an opportunity to reach the big time and make a name for himself with Samuel L. Jackson’s Frank Moten, aka “The Black Godfather,” who would come to town for the match, along with other members of the so-called Council from Chicago, Kansas City and Texas.

With his longtime business partner and mistress Vivian Thomas (Taraji P. Henson) helping him iron out the details, Chicken Man spreads the word via engraved invitations and street gossip, hosting the afterparty at a house he owns. At first, Moten and his right-hand man, Richard “Cadillac Richie” Wheeler (Terrence Howard, sporting a hairdo you have to see to believe), dismiss Chicken Man as nothing more than a chatterbox, but on the night of the party, it appears as though Chicken Man has really delivered. That is, until those gunmen, who at first don’t realize who they’re robbing, burst through the door and begin brutalizing people, stripping them of their belongings and dignity.

On the other side of the law, Don Cheadle brings his usual gravitas to the role of Detective J.D. Hudson, the first black detective in Atlanta’s desegregated police force. Hudson must contend with racist cops from within and a segment of the black community who see him as a traitor, a “pig,” but he’s unyielding in character, determined to make a difference.

Hudson is put in charge of local security for Ali (played with great aplomb by Dexter Darden, who can’t match the champ’s physical prowess but does justice to his unique rhythm and worldly intelligence), and is then made the heist’s lead investigator.

Samuel L. Jackson roars like a lion, delivering a series of monologues reminiscent of his Jules character from Pulp Fiction. Terrence Howard puts a nice spin on a character who grows more intriguing with every step, Taraji P. Henson brings class, grace and fire to what could have been a stock character.

“Fight Night” ends with the obligatory credits where we see photos of the real-life inspirations for these characters and learn their fates. It’s a reminder that as wild as this ride is, it’s based on some s- – – that really happened.