Joel Campuzano is the President and founder of International Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Consulting, Inc., bringing the highest degree of professional experience to assisting government entities worldwide in founding Athletic Commissions for the successful regulation of unarmed combative sport.

 

In addition to his decades in athletics with the Illinois State Athletic Commission and USA Boxing, he is also licensed by the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation as a Managing Broker, demonstrating his ability to successfully manage business and investment activities and providing services to the public.

 

Highly respected throughout the boxing industry following almost three decades of service as Executive Manager, Illinois State Athletic Commission, as well as over 15 years as Latin American Liaison between the USA’s Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and Latin American countries (North, Central, South America & Caribbean), he created International Boxing & MMA. 

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Vitally, his experience includes deep knowledge of Mixed Martial Arts, having worked with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) and other promoters from the licensing of the sport in his state.

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His wealth of experience includes serving on the Training Committee for the USA’s Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), educating/overseen/supervising new Athletic Commissions in the sport of Boxing and MMA, in several states in the United States, Indian Territories and foreign countries.

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Among IBMC’s accomplishments, as its President Mr. Campuzano has worked supervising the biggest stars in boxing, including Canelo Alvarez and Oleksandr Usyk, in jurisdictions as diverse as Saudi Arabia,  México, Belize, Poland, and Bermuda.  

 

Previously, as Executive Manager in the Illinois State Athletic Commission, his role fulfilled multiple sport and administrative functions, including:

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• Serving as liaison between the State Professional Boxing Board and the Division of Professional Regulation, Chicago, Illinois.

 

• Managing and supervising the day-to-day operations of the professional boxing & MMA staff.

 

• Conducting statewide investigations of the Boxing profession.

 

• Following and implementing complex statutory requirements and regulation.

 

• Handling all Licensing procedures from beginning to end including but limited to review applications, background checks, review medical requirements, collect and deposit fees, date entry into the state computerized RAES system, mail licenses and update system with changes.

 

• Participating in and with the USA’s Association of Boxing Commissions

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• Serving on the ABC Training Committee

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In his time with the Illinois Commission, he became highly respected by industry professionals including promoters, managers and governing bodies, including UFC in MMA and boxing sanctioning organizations WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO. 

 

He combined a firm hand as a regulator together with the flexibility to cooperate and work together with all stakeholders to maintain an environment for combative sport to be conducted successfully in his state and beyond.

 

In addition to his other professional activities, he has significant experience in amateur boxing as an official with USA Boxing. 

 

There, he helped in the development of boxing at the grass roots level, building not only athletes but demonstrating concern and taking action for the disadvantaged in his community and regionally.

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With USA Boxing, he has been an active Boxing Judge Level II, licensed by USA Boxing over 25 years, and has served as a boxing judge in several countries, in regional & national tournaments.

 

In his educational and professional qualifications, he is a graduate of Chicago State University, earning The Board of Governors Bachelor of Arts Degree. 

 

He has fulfilled General Investigations Training, is certified in Regulatory Administrative Enforcement System (REAS), and in Advanced Investigator Training, Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, Park City, Utah. 

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He also earned an Associate’s Degree in Electronics-Computer Technology from the Control Data Institute, Bensenville, Illinois.

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Mr. Campuzano is fluent in Spanish as well as English.

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Robert Lenhardt serves IBMC as an executive with a unique combination of experience and success in international business and sport.  His expertise includes governance, negotiation, legal / regulatory matters, the establishment and growth of new organizations, and administration of combative sport on the world level.

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Working with IBMC President Joel Campuzano on the development of athletic commission in various jurisdictions worldwide, he builds on more than 20 years of experience with the World Boxing Council (WBC), where he has served in multiple capacities including Secretary General, Chief Special Counsel, Bout Supervisor, and First Chair Arbitration Counsel.

After managing boxers, he joined the executive team at the WBC, where since 2004 he has served supporting the WBC Presidency and Board of Governors.

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In additional to his deep experience and expertise in boxing, he has experience in other sports and media.  For example, he has also represented WWE and has experience in transactions involving major U.S. sports franchises including in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball.  He has experience in various other entertainment and leisure properties, for example, a BBC-produced television program.

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​Among his accomplishments:

 

• Director General, WBC Boxing Grand Prix.  In this role, he serves as CEO of this 128-boxer tournament working with the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority.

 

• Revising and updating the WBC Constitution, Rules & Regulations, and other governing documents, to continually improve the administration of the WBC and the sport of boxing.

 

• Supporting the WBC Presidency in its administration of the sport worldwide

 

• Successfully resolving multiple controversies, including protecting the WBC from abuse of the legal process.

 

• Specifically, served the WBC as Chief Special Counsel in multiple arbitrations before the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in each case achieving results successful to the WBC.

 

• Led the successful effort to reject jurisdiction of the United States courts over WBC in favor of the WBC’s mandatory binding arbitration rules favoring CAS arbitration, obtaining landmark 2007 ruling in the federal U.S. District Court for the Second Circuit.

 

• Building and maintaining relationships with promoters, managers, federations, commissions, and regulators worldwide.

 

• Acting as Secretary of multiple WBC Annual Conventions held at locations in Europe, Asia, and North America.

 

• Serving and advising WBC affiliates, including being on the Board and Legal Advisor to the North American Boxing Federation (NABF).

 

• Serving as Bout Supervisor and Inspector for multiple championship and elimination contests internationally, including in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, France, Germany, and other nations.

 

• Additionally served as a ring official in USA Boxing Olympic-style events.

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Outside of sport, after starting his career as a corporate lawyer on Wall Street, Mr. Lenhardt founded what later became the North American corporate finance division of Forbes 2000 international finance firm, Tokyo-based ORIX Corporation (NYSE: IX), currently the 371st largest public company in the world.  

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In this effort, he demonstrated the ability to create a new organization, engaging partners and other stakeholders to grow from an initial US$300 million vehicle to a multi-billion enterprise.

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In addition to his other professional activities, he has significant experience in community service.  Among many examples, he has served as an Externship Mentor for the Harvard Law School Sports Law Clinical Program. 

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In additional to his business credentials, he maintains his membership and good standing as an Attorney at Law in the U.S. states of New York and Connecticut. 

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He earned his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School, where he held the title of Senior Editor at the Cornell International Law Journal.  He earned his B.A. degree, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Connecticut.​​  He also studied in the United Kingdom at the University of London, and holds a certificate from Harvard Law School Executive Education.

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In addition to his native English, he has working knowledge of languages French, German, and Spanish.

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