Title: Fight against Trinidad

Campas also beat former world champion Jorge Vaca by a knockout in round two at Tijuana before receiving his first world title fight on September 17 of 1994 against Félix Trinidad for the IBF welterweight title as part of a Pay Per View undercard that featured Julio César Chávez's rematch against Meldrick Taylor for the WBC light welterweight title. Campas, who had been considered by many Mexicans to be the next Chávez, dropped Trinidad in round two, but he lost by a fourth-round technical knockout for his first professional defeat in 57 bouts.^[3]

Campas came back with seven straight wins, including one that gave him the WBO's regional NABO welterweight title, when he knocked out former world champion Genaro Leon in three rounds on August 7, 1995. On September 6, 1996, he was given a second world title try, against José Luis Lopez, for the WBO welterweight title, in Los Angeles, California. Campas lost by knockout in round six.^[4]

Capturing a World Title

Campas then decided to campaign in the light middleweight division, beating Fidel Avendano by a knockout in round two in his first fight there. Campas had four straight wins before challenging for a world title again, this time against IBF light middleweight champion Raul Marquez. On December 6, 1997, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Campas became the world champion by knocking out Marquez in round eight. He defended his title three times, beating Anthony Stephens by a knockout in three at Ledyard, Connecticut; Pedro Ortega by a technical knockout in eleven at Tijuana; and former Trinidad opponent Larry Barnes by a knockout in three in Las Vegas. On December 12, 1998, however, he lost the title after retiring in his corner in the seventh round against Fernando Vargas in Las Vegas.^[5]

After two wins in a row, he lost to Oba Carr. For his next fight, however, he became the first boxer to beat Tony Ayala when Ayala was knocked out in round eight by Campas in San Antonio, Texas.^[6] On March 16, 2002, he received his next world title shot, for the vacant WBO light middleweight title, against Puerto Rico's Daniel Santos, once again in Las Vegas. He lost by knockout in round eleven.

After one more knockout win, he tried to gain the WBC and WBA light middleweight titles against Oscar De La Hoya on May 3, 2003, again in Las Vegas. He lost that fight by knockout in round seven.^[7]

During a press conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 24, 2004, Campas announced he had moved to that city.^[8] Two days later, he returned to the ring after a ten-month layoff, defeating Dumont Dewey Welliver by a ten-round split decision. He followed his win over Welliver with an eight-round decision win over Raul Munoz, also in Phoenix. Campas then suffered a mild upset when he was beaten by the relatively unknown Eric Regan by decision in twelve rounds at Oroville, California.

His 2006 fight against Ireland's John Duddy was a candidate for the 2006 Fight of the Year.^{[9][failed verification]}

100th career victory

On 30 March 2012, Campas reached a significant milestone when he chalked up the 100th win of his career via a 2nd-round knockout of Mauro Lucero. The win gave Campas his 79th win inside the distance and improved his overall record to 100-16-1.^[10]