Thanks for stepping back in time with us. What a pleasure it was to relive one of Muhammad Ali's most memorable fights.

As our boxing commentator Mike Costello said, he called himself the greatest and in the end we had to agree. He was the greatest.

Well, who would have thought it? Muhammad Ali has won back the heavyweight world title, the greatest prize in sport, at the grand old age of 32; a seemingly invincible ogre has been bested; and we have surely witnessed the 20th Century's greatest piece of sporting theatre...

George Foreman: "I just couldn't believe I'd lost the world title. This was supposed to be an easy boxing match but it was the most embarrassing moment of my life. It went from pride to pity. That's devastating.

"I'd be ashamed to be alone with girls in a room. I'd think: 'They know I'm not the man I was supposed to be.' You think you're going to walk away with $5m and everything is going to be OK. But you can't buy back your pride. All you want is the chance to be champion of the world again.

"I've watched the fight back a few times and sometimes I think: 'I'm gonna win this time!' Or I might wake up and think: 'If only I'd done this or done that.' But only once did I win the fight in my dreams…"

Muhammad Ali: "I told you that I was the greatest of all time, I told you today I'm still the greatest of all time, never again say I'm going to be defeated, never again make me the underdog, until I'm about 50 years old, then you might get me..."

Muhammad Ali has won the world title back at 32! He took Foreman out for a ride and emptied his tank and it's pandemonium in the ring here, we've got half of Africa in the ring. And here comes the rain, which makes the whole scene seem somehow Biblical...

Ricky Hatton
Former two-weight world champion on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, AFP

"Boxing is not about being the biggest or strongest, you've got to have a game-plan, you've got to be a thinker - Ali won this with his brain.

"I'd have loved to have seen Muhammad retire there, that's Mount Everest three times over what he achieved there."

David Haye
Former world heavyweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Ali had a great game-plan, George Foreman had a terrible game-plan, horrible. He set an unrealistic pace, no-one could fight at that ferocity for 15 rounds. He set off at 100m pace for a 1500m race."

Ricky Hatton
Former two-weight world champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"For the all punishment Ali had taken, he'd not lost his speed. George's the technique had gone, you could have got anybody off the street to get what George was doing.

"Ali leaned back, landed a quick one-two - bang, bang - shifted him round with his palm, George fell over the ropes and that gave Ali the chance to put four punches together."

Carl Froch
Former world super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"It was a left hook, straight right that did the job, after about four or five right hands. At least George Foreman can go home and when his head hits the pillow he can say: 'I gave it everything, it just wasn't good enough.'"

David Haye
Former world heavyweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, AP

"Ali bided his time, waited for the right shot, waited for George to give him his chin. George was aimlessly flailing his arms out and Ali was toying with him, not focusing on power, just landing, always looking for the opening, eyes always wide open.

"He could have landed three punches but he didn't need to, he knew the job was done, he knew Foreman was finished."

BBC commentator Harry Carpenter: "Oh, he's got him with a right hand, oh you can't believe it… Ali's doing his shuffle and I don't think Foreman's going to get up… he's trying to beat the count… and he's out! Oh my God, he's won the title back at 32! He took on Foreman at his own game and he beat him at it!"

Ali not throwing a great deal now, he looks tired as he lounges in the corner, Foreman flailing away at him... sneaky right from Ali, left, right, FOREMAN IS DOWN! FOREMAN IS DOWN! AND HE'S STAYED DOWN!

Image source, Getty Images

Foreman a heavy bag on unsteady wheels now and Ali is picking him off with spearing left jabs... Foreman with a big right to the head, two or three more are blocked... Foreman flailing around and Ali picks him off with short punches down the middle...

Carl Froch
Former world super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Ali is breathing heavy as well, but he is still composed. Foreman is almost stumbling in and falling over. Round five really was such a significant round. Since that round, Foreman seems to have totally blown a gasket.

"The writing is on the wall, it's only a matter of time before Foreman falls over and I've got to give that round to Ali, as close as it was."

Ricky Hatton
Former two-weight world champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Now would be the time to say to Ali: 'Listen, start putting some meat behind the punches, because this fella doesn't look like he has got a leg under him now.' Ali looks like a lion in the long grass just waiting for his moment now.

"It's a hard round to score, because George was throwing punches and a lot of them were missing, but Ali's work-rate was terribly low."

Image source, AP

The bell goes for the start of the round and Ali doesn't even bother making his way to the middle of the ring this time, he immediately assumes his position on the ropes. Ali grabbing Foreman's ample neck and pulling him down, Foreman still pawing with that right hand... both men look shattered now, as if fighting in sand... huge left on the walk from Foreman but nothing is getting to Ali, at no point has he looked unduly troubled...

Carl Froch
Former world super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Ali is not doing a great deal but Foreman looks half the fighter he was in the previous round and that's because of what Ali took out of him. There is absolutely no power in George's punches. Maybe Ali can do it…"

Ricky Hatton
Former two-weight world champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"George Foreman's work rate hasn't dropped one bit, he is still going, but you can see the snap has gone from his punches and he is staggering about the ring. His legs look like they have turned to jelly.

"Ali is just making him miss, making him miss and in the last 10 seconds, just when George stepped back and wanted to take a breather, Ali put his foot on the gas again. Can this dream come true? Is he going to do the unthinkable?"