Boxing Hall of Fame Referee Mills Lane Passes Away Aged 85
Mills Lane was a man with many strings to his bow, among them district attorney, district court judge, adoring father, TV personality, and one of the greatest referees in boxing history.
Himself the winner of the 1960 NCAA Welterweight Boxing Championship and an almost-member of the US Olympic team, he would go on to work many of the biggest fights of the 20th century – including that match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
A man of distinction
The boxing community was recently saddened to learn of the passing of famed referee Mills Lane, who passed away at a hospice on Tuesday 6th December. While his loss is sure to be felt by many, however, Lane was a man with a life worth celebrating.
A collegiate boxing champion, he narrowly missed out on a place in the 1960 Olympic boxing team, but he was undeterred by this defeat. Choosing to instead pursue a career in law, he became first a prosecutor, then a district attorney, and finally a district court judge.
No matter his successes, though, Lane was a man who never lost his love of the sport he’d excelled at. Turning pro before he’d even left college, he was defeated in his initial fight but then won 10 more after this, before finally hanging up his belt.
Rather than stepping away from the ring upon his retirement, Lane found another way to participate: by becoming a referee. It was in this role he truly shone, with his distinctive catchphrase – “Let’s get it on!” – ringing out at some of the most important fights of the 20th century.
One of the best referees of all time
Lane’s career was always a focal point for him. As well as his first love, boxing, he also excelled as a legal professional, even hosting a television show at one point. Charismatic, charming, and passionate, he had a magnetism that drew people to him.
This was never more in evidence than when he was refereeing, so he seemed a natural choice for officiating bouts involving big names like Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, and even Muhammad Ali.
The iconic Richard Steele, said: “Mills had great judgment. He would make all the calls at the right time – never too early and never too late.
“He helped me to be the referee I became. He was one hell of a guy and was a good, fair, honest person. I’m going to miss him… I truly am.”
Holyfield vs Tyson
During the course of Lane’s long career, he saw the sport he loved change significantly. Thanks to television broadcasting, it gained an ever-greater viewership, propelling it into the public consciousness. This is a trend that continues today, with the growing prevalence of sports streaming – as demonstrated by ExpressVPN – only contributing to its ever-expanding audience.
On this date in 1997, Mike Tyson was disqualified after biting off a piece of @holyfield’s ear. pic.twitter.com/rD9t6ZGzSB
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) June 28, 2020
Though it remained – and remains – less watched than sports like football and rugby, golden-era boxing nonetheless drew huge audiences for its most high-profile contests (many of them refereed by Lane). This included the infamous rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, where the former bit off part of his opponent’s ear.
Marc Ratner, the then-executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said: “That was a wild situation, and [Lane] handled it about as well as could be.”
He added: “He was one of the most unique people I’ve ever met. He was a law-and-order guy and very firm, but he was wonderful… and I loved speaking with him and spending time with him.”
One thing is for sure: while he may be gone, Mills Lane will never be forgotten.