`He's A Deadly Weapon' -- Fiance Was Hiv Positive; Boxer Had 3 More Bouts

Samantha Clark, a minister's daughter whose boyfriend was the No. 1 middleweight contender, died of AIDS in August. Now her mother says the boxer misled her daughter about having the virus that causes the fatal disease and is deceiving others, too.

Lamar (Kidfire) Parks, apparently HIV positive, will never box again. He was 27-1 with 20 knockouts and was set to challenge WBC champion Gerald McClellan in March when his HIV test reportedly came back positive.

The McClellan fight was scheduled for Las Vegas. Nevada is the only state that demands HIV testing, so Parks passed a second test in his hometown of Greenville, S.C.

Except it was a friend who gave the blood sample that passed. When Nevada officials said they would not accept tests that were not done before their own doctors, Parks claimed an old shoulder injury was bothering him and withdrew from the bout.

He has not fought since.

He is the fourth fighter reported to have been HIV positive. African heavyweight champion Proud Kilimanjaro of Zaire did not fight a young, up-and-coming fighter named Lennox Lewis because he refused to divulge test results; Eduardo Castro of Mexico fought under aliases to avoid being sidelined; and Ruben Palacio of Colombia, a WBO featherweight champion, tested positive.

In a telephone interview from Greenville, S.C., Gail Clark said Parks told Samantha, "Don't believe the doctors; they don't know what they're talking about," when she tested positive in June 1993.

Parks fought three times after June 1993. Because they were not title fights, AIDS tests were neither required nor conducted. Parks won each time to put himself in position again to fight for the title.

"Sam never told us," said Gail Clark, "or we could've started treatment. I know a lot about AIDS now. I know people can live 10 to 15 years with the virus before getting it (AIDS) if they're healthy."

The Parks family has refused all interviews and frequently changes phone numbers.

"This isn't about vengeance," said Clark, who buried her daughter Aug. 27. "He's still trying to mess up other women. . . . That's why I went public. He's got to be stopped. He's a deadly weapon.

"If I wasn't a Christian woman, I would take care of him. I'll just let the Lord take care of him."