By Ted Sares: I have fought for 15 years and no one has hugged me as much as him not even my wife. He needs to understand he’s not the same Camacho he was before but oh well.
—Campas
He could be fighting in small venues against unknown opposition, but this Mexican legend will have none of that. He badly wants his 100th victory, but he plans to get it on his terms; he plans to earn it by fighting stiff opposition. Moreover, there is some question as to whether Yori Boy is fighting for the Century Mark or simply fighting because he needs the paydays. If the past is any indication, the later maybe be the real reason. Campas has never been particularly sage when it comes to collecting on his fair share of a purse.
Whatever the reason, Luis Ramon “Yori Boy” Campas now has a record of 97-15-1 and has fought an astounding 646 rounds. He also has an impressive KO percentage of 67.26. While he likes to fight out of Sonora or Tijuana, Mexico, he also has duked in Ireland, Finland, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut in his quest for 100 victories. He has now won five in a row against fair to decent competition including an avenging win over tough journeyman Matt “The Predator” Vanda (43-13). In his last 12 bouts, his opponents have included Matthew Macklin (20-2 coming in), Amin Asikainen (23-1), Saul Roman (28-5), Marcos Reyes (10-0), Hector Camacho (79-5-2), and Hector Camacho Jr, (50-3-1).
Yori Boy’s first big day in the Sun occurred in December 1997 when he stopped Raul Marquez in Atlantic City to win the IBF light middleweight title. He would defend it 4 times in 1998, but his last defense proved his undoing against a young and undefeated Fernando Vargas as he quit in his corner in the seventh round. After 2 wins and a loss to tough Oba Carr (49-3-1 at the time), Yori Boy went up against the undefeated and once fearsome Tony “El Torrito” Ayala Jr. (27-0) who had been released from prison after serving 16 years. While he was no longer a menacing ring force, Ayala had gone 5-0 since his release and was a favorite to beat Campas. But Yori Boy had other ideas and out-bullied the bully making him whimper and quit on his stool and the end of the 8th stanza.
Campas then won 5 straight including two against the mediocre (as in Midwesterners) Rob Bleakley (77-28-1) and Tony Menefee (74-10-1) before being halted in 11 by Daniel Santos in a bid for the vacant WBO light middleweight crown. After losing badly to Oscar De La Hoya in still another title bid, Yori Boy won something called the IBO light middleweight title by waxing Anthony Shuler in one round in Boy’s new home town of Phoenix, Arizona.
He then won some and lost some including a UD to Irish John Duddy in 2006 in a bloody and great fight that many observers thought Camapas had won. Interestingly, he then beat Duddy conqueror Billy Lyell in Billy’s home town of Youngstown, Ohio.
After losing to Amin Asikainen in Finland and Matthew Macklin in Ireland, Yori Boy iced former world champion Alejandro Garcia in the first round in the more friendly environs of Tijuana. Garcia was heavy-handed but glass-jawed and that proved fatal against the rugged Sonora native.
Since his controversial SD “defeat” to Hector Camacho Jr., Yori Boy’s last 4 outings have been in his native Sonora suggesting that he may well want his 100th to be there as well.
Jorge Fernando “Locomotora” Castro retired in 2007 after a remarkable career in which he won 130, lost 11 and drew 3 times. Julio Cesar Chavez ended his legendary career in 2005 with a mark of 107-6-2. American Harold Brazier retired in 2004 with a 105-18-1 record. Roberto Duran finished in 2001 with a great record of 103-16. José Luis Ramírez finished in 1990 with a record of 102-9.
Yes, there are others, but these stand out as a dying breed in recent time. The days of the centurions have long since passed us by, but God willing, there may be one more and his name is Louis Ramon Yori Boy Campas.