Mills Lane was a boxer himself and won an NCAA championship in 1960. After turning pro, he went 10-1 as a boxer before eventually becoming a referee and making a much larger mark in the sport.
His command, “Let’s get it on!” became the final words heard before several fights that will live long in the memory. He was known for being tough but fair.
Mills officiated both of Holyfield’s fights against Tyson, including the one in which Tyson was disqualified for intentionally biting Holyfield’s ear during their second bout and the one in which Holyfield defeated Buster Douglas to win the heavyweight title.
Lane was a respected referee who worked more than one hundred championship fights. He was in the ring at the same time as boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, and Lennox Lewis. Lane was known for being both fair and tough.
However, according to Tommy Lane, boxing was only something he did on the weekends. Just as he was revered for his fairness and tenacity in the boxing ring, Mills Lane was also a judge and a district attorney in the state of California.
In addition to his legendary prominence in the realm of boxing, Mills B. Lane was a prominent figure in the administration of justice in Washoe County. “He was a no-nonsense, dedicated District Attorney who put victims of crime and public safety first,” said Christopher J.
Hicks, who serves as the District Attorney for Washoe County. Hicks made his remarks in a statement. My family and I, along with the entire staff of the District Attorney’s Office in Washoe County, are very saddened by his passing. “May he finally find rest in peace.
Mills Lane began his boxing career while serving in the Marine Corps after being born in Savannah, Georgia on November 12, 1937.
After completing his service in the military, he went on to earn a law degree from the University of Nevada in Reno, from which he graduated in 1963.
A year later, he got his start as a referee, a job he held until his retirement in 1998. After that, the former judge became the star of his very own television show for the next three years called “Judge Mills Lane.”
In 2013, Lane was recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame and given a place there.
Following in their father’s footsteps, Tommy and Terry Lane entered the boxing business on the promotional side.
According to Tommy Lane, “Personally, my dad was my hero and you learn lessons from people,” and “you learn lessons from people.” “It’s possible that how to act and how to act are not the issues. He was the model that I wanted to model myself after.