This guy is something of an enigma. Weighing just a few more pounds over the LHW limit he sparked out 224, 229 and 217 pound heavyweights at the very beginning of his career. Later on, 230 and 220 pound ones. He finished his career at 44 wins with 43 knockouts. I've never seen a fighter with so many 0-0-0 guys on his record, but regardless he put together a hell of a winning streak usually against guys with 40 plus pounds on him or thereabouts. Again, a enigma. Could he punch at all? A total fabricated fighter like Fox?
He wasn't nearly as good as Fox. I saw him box Bartolo Soni on TV back in 1960, and he did pretty good for a few rounds BUT Soni caught up to him and stopped him for his 1st loss. Clark then lost to Rademacher and then Ali. He was handled by the same people that handled the Fullmer brothers. Here's somemore information on Clark. http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:9367
LaMar Clark was a natural all around athlete in high school, being a star of the grid iron and track fields. After school, however, he ended up being a chicken farmer without much luck at it. Clark, however, went into amateur boxing and faired well in it, winning a Golden glove title I believe. His professional career, however, was built on wins over local tough guys and professional wrestlers. He had a hell of a punch, but beyond that, he was nothing to scream over. When he fought Rademacher and later Ali, it was obvious despite his consequitive knock out record, that it took more than brawn to be a worlds champion fighter. Still, I like the man. He is along the great tradition of club fighters and journeymen who are the heart and soul of boxing. Guys like Monte Masters, Stacy Goodson, Eric Crumble, Andre Smiley, Peter Buckley, carried on the tradition of Clark, padding their records to excess, only to be exposed by someone who may not have even been all that great. It makes for exciting fights.
The latter. Heavily padded record, some possible fixes, and was basically finished after being "exposed."
Never saw any of his fights, but took notice to his record a number of years ago. Ali had like less than a dozen pro fights when he took on Clark.. Not a bad win really, even though Clark's record was padded to the extreme, much like Vaugn Bean's later would be. Losing to Peter Rademacher was a clear indication of what his true abilities were, but nevertheless, it was a semi-impressive run, even of the comp level wasn't extravagant.
I saw him on TV. He fought an ordinary opponent named Bartolo Soni and was ko'd after hitting Soni with every punch he had. He was basically a fabricated fighter, not an enigma. The opposition he defeated was the worst sort of pushovers. When he moved up to even a journeyman like Soni, he was brutally exposed.
I'm surprised that he wasn't managed better. He basically fought 43 bums and then stepped up against a decent fighter.
Ali, then "Clay" of course, said in a very early interview, '62 or '63, that Clark hit him harder than any other opponent. He said it was a body shot that "almost caved my ribs in" or something to that effect.
Thats something I never quite understood either. Here was a man with 43 knockouts, and then he was thrown in against an Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight title challenger Rademacher, and later another Olympic gold medalist in Ali. You cant just go from knocking out 43 wrestlers and average Joe's and expect to actually win against someone like that.