You might have heard people say they have walked away disappointed after meeting someone touched by fame. As if meeting them in the flesh, off the playing field or down from the silver screen, has somehow diminished that person's aura, made them less than what was expected.
Well, not so with former heavyweight champion Joe Bugner. From the moment he enters a room you can see that he is still very much larger than life. He bounces in on the balls of his feet, smiling, sharp and ready to not only talk but to entertain.
Bugner went the distance twice with Muhammad Ali, and once with Joe Frazier in a career that spanned three decades and some 83 professional fights. He was at various times British, European and Commonwealth champ and - at the ripe old age of 48 - beat James 'Bonecrusher'' Smith to take the World Boxing Federation title in 1998.
But, apart from some extra padding and the hard-man features he always seemed to have anyway, the 55-year-old seems none the worse for wear. 'The lucky thing is,'' he says. 'You never really remember the punches that hurt. Well, most of the time you can't, can you? Coz they knock you out.''
Bugner has been in town this week as part of the Sevens party. He spoke on Tuesday night at the Hong Kong Club, and spent some time with the young pugs out at the Police Boxing Club in Tai Po. And he has also been holding court at the Novotel Century Hong Hong in Wan Chai, hooking up with old mates and passing stories around. 'Boxing opened so many doors for me,'' he says. 'I have been given so many opportunities.''
The funny thing is the boxing thing might never have gotten off the ground. After being born in Hungary, Bugner's family moved to St Ives in the United Kingdom where he was training to be a marine engineer. He had originally fancied himself as a discus thrower. 'One day this boxing trainer came up and - quite rightly - pointed out to me that you couldn't make any money out of throwing things. He said, 'You can't eat cups and medals and things. You're a big guy, you should make use of your size'. And really that's how it all started.''