Mills Lane was a boxing referee who officiated many notable bouts, including the “Bite Fight” between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.
- Died: December 6, 2022 (Who else died on December 6?)
- Details of death: Died in Reno, Nevada at the age of 85.
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Ref, judge, and TV star
Lane began boxing while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1950s. He turned pro while in college, fighting 11 bouts with 10 wins. He then attended law school, and his career as a referee coincided with his work in the law. In Washoe County, Nevada, Lane served as a Deputy Sheriff, then was elected District Attorney in 1982 and District Judge in 1990. While he served, Lane was also officiating major boxing championships, including Tyson’s 1997 challenge to Holyfield for the heavyweight championship. Lane disqualified Tyson after he bit Holyfield’s ear twice. Lane also officiated fights featuring boxing legends such as Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), Lennox Lewis, and Julio César Chávez. He was known for his cry of “Let’s get it on!” to start a match. In 1998, Lane’s TV career began as he starred in “Judge Mills Lane,” a syndicated court show that ran through 2001. He was also the voice of the referee in MTV’s stop-motion Claymation series, “Celebrity Deathmatch.” Lane was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tributes to Mills Lane
Full obituary: Reno Gazette Journal
