Baller Alert got the chance to sit down with Fight Night showrunner Shaye Ogbonna at the NYC premiere of the highly anticipated limited series. Ogbonna, who has deep roots in Atlanta, shared the journey that led him to this project and how the show brings the city’s history and culture to the forefront. With dynamic characters, a true-crime storyline, and a passion for elevating marginalized stories, Ogbonna is delivering one of the year’s most exciting series.
When asked what drew him to the project, Ogbonna’s response was layered, reflecting his love for storytelling, history, and his hometown of Atlanta.
“There were a lot of things that attracted me to this story,” Ogbonna shared. “First, I’m a big history guy, especially African-American history, and this story really taps into both. It’s also a local story—Atlanta is like its own character in this show, and that’s something I’m passionate about. You have these two dynamic characters from opposite sides who have to come together to solve this crime—it’s like a Western in that way.”
Ogbonna emphasized how personal the story felt for him, being from Southwest Atlanta himself. “I grew up in the same place where all this went down. It was like check box after check box—it hit all the things I wanted to do as a creative. It’s honestly the reason I got into this business: to tell elevated stories about marginalized people in a way that can reach the mainstream.”
Despite being from Atlanta, Ogbonna hadn’t initially heard about the full story of the Fight Night heist. He knew about the fight but not the robbery that followed. Once the project came his way through his representation, he immediately felt the need to dig deeper.
“When I found out about the robbery, I went home to Atlanta and started asking my family and friends about it,” he said. “Turns out, my best friend had a connection to Chicken Man, one of the key figures. That’s when I knew I had to do this project.”
Ogbonna connected with the podcast producer Jeff Keating and Gordon Williams Jr., Chicken Man’s son, which further solidified his commitment to the project. “It was a chance for me to come home and explore the place I’m from. I feel like I was born to do this.”
The original plan was for Fight Night to be a feature film, but the project faced several delays. According to Ogbonna, shifting to a limited series format turned out to be the best decision.
“The decision to make it a series happened before I got involved, but it was the right one. At first, they tried to make it as a movie, and it came close a few times. But thank God for the rise of the limited series format—it gave us the room to really tell the full story,” he explained.
Ogbonna added that the limited series format allowed for a much more in-depth exploration of the characters and the community. “With a movie, we wouldn’t have had the space to dive into the robbers’ storylines or explore the ensemble cast the way we do in the series. While Chicken Man is at the center, this is a story about a community, and the series gave us the ability to show that.”
Throughout the interview, Ogbonna’s passion for history and representation shined through. He sees Fight Night as more than just a crime story; it’s an opportunity to elevate the narratives of marginalized communities.
“I’ve always wanted to tell stories that center marginalized people, and this show hits all those marks,” Ogbonna said. “It’s about telling our stories in a way that honors our history, and Fight Night gives me the chance to do that on a big platform.”
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