That's all from us folks. Join us next May for live coverage of the 30th anniversary of Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor from the Crucible. No, seriously...

Jerry Izenberg, American boxing journalist: "About an hour after the fight finished we had such a torrential downpour. Then, suddenly, the sun came up - one of those big African sunrises - and we all jumped on a bus and went back to the military compound where all the journalists were staying.

"Three of us went to look for Ali and found him staring out at the river. Just staring. For once, three sportswriters had the good sense and brains not to open their damn mouths. We let him drink it in.

"Eventually he turned around, walked towards us, raised his arms in the air and said: 'You fellas will never know how much this means to me.' At that moment, he truly was the king of the world."

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...

Andy Hutchings:, external Foreman will be haunted by that loss for many years! For Ali, what can you say? #livinglegend

Colin Hart, British boxing journalist: "Watching the fifth and sixth rounds, you could see Foreman clearly getting weaker and weaker. He was still punching but the punches weren't hurting Ali like they were in the earlier rounds, he was running out of gas very fast indeed.

"And Ali was capitalising on it, as only he could, with brilliant counter-punching. It was around this time I thought: 'There's going to be a major upset here, my man's going to do it.' Foreman had shot his bolt by then, he had no strength left."

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…"

Image source, AP

Gene Kilroy, Ali's business manager: "I knew we had it after round six. Anybody can beat a heavy bag but when you're getting hit back, being frustrated and abused, it takes your heart away. Ali came to the corner after round six and said: 'I got him now, I got him now…'

"When the end came, Ali didn't hit him as he was falling. I asked him afterwards: 'Why didn't you hit him on the way down?' Ali said: 'He'd had enough.'"

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...

Carl Froch
World super-middleweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Maybe you wish that was his last fight, looking back. My mum tells me that after fighting in front of 80,000 against George Groves at Wembley Stadium, anything you do now you're on the way down. Why would you want to risk it?

"I don't think anything else Ali did destroyed his legacy, he'll always be a legend, but that was the time to retire. I wish he did."

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."

Tayyab Akhlaq:, external Wow what a finish! People will talk about this in 40 years' time.

Carl Froch
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.'"

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."

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!"

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... 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!

David Haye
Former world heavyweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"Ali is not known for being a big puncher but he has got speed and timing and that's all you need sometimes.

"Foreman's footwork is absolutely terrible. His legs are burning, his arms are full of lactic acid. George has used his second wind already, he has used his third wind. He is now just fighting on instinct."

Carl Froch
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."