Lane was in the ring for the rematch between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson after Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear. Lane was the referee who disqualified Tyson in the 1997 fight, KRNV reported.
Holyfield v Tyson II 28 Jun 1997: Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson lock heads during their heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holyfield won the fight when Tyson was disqualified in the third round for biting Holyfield twice. Mandatory Cr (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Lane, who also served the Washoe County community as a judge, was born in 1937 to a well-known Georgia family, according to his official biography.
Instead of going into the family businesses including the banking industry, Lane took a different path and joined the Marine Corps out of high school where he became a boxer. During his military time, Lane became the All-Far-East welterweight champion while serving in Okinawa.
He attended the University of Nevada after he was discharged because he had heard about the school’s boxing program, where he won the NCAA welterweight title in 1960, barely missed qualifying for the Olympic boxing team and eventually turned pro with a 10-1 record.
Lane turned his sights to becoming a referee while also graduating from the university with a business administration degree. He eventually graduated from the University’s College of Law in 1970 and passed the Nevada bar exam. He worked as a prosecutor in the Washoe County District Attorney’s office and eventually was elected the county’s D.A. before becoming a judge in 1990. He stepped down from the bench to tar in a courtroom series Judge Mills Lane that ran for three seasons, according to the Washoe Courts website.
While serving in the district attorney’s office and as a judge, Lane was a referee from the 1970s through the 1990s.
Lane also was known for his pre-fight saying “Let’s get it on” and refereed more than 100 world championship matches.
Lane suffered a stroke in 2002 and had been under hospice care for the past week, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
Lane’s son Tommy Lane confirmed his father’s death to the newspaper, saying, “He took a significant decline in his overall situation. It was a quick departure. He was comfortable and he was surrounded by his family.”
The family spent the past few days watching their father’s favorite films — “The Godfather,” “On the Waterfront,” “Patton” and “Shane.”
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Through the years 1990: Boxing referee Mills Lane. Mandatory Credit: Bob Martin/Allsport (Bob Martin/Getty Images)
Through the years 17 SEP 1994: REFEREE MILLS LANE STEPS IN TO STOP THE FIGHT TONIGHT AFTER DEFENDING CHAMPION JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, LEFT, KNOCKED DOWN MELDRICK TAYLOR, RIGHT, WHO IMPLORES LANE TO CONTINUE IN THE eighth ROUND OF THEIR WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT A (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Through the years 16 Mar 1996: Ala Villamor of the Philippines is counted out by referee Mills Lane after being knocked out by Ricardo Lopez of Mexico during their WBC strawweight title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/Allsport (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Through the years Undated: Referee Mills Lane checks on a downed pugilist. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport (Ken Levine/Getty Images)
Through the years 1991: Boxing referee Mills Lane tends to a boxerMandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport (Ken Levine/Getty Images)
Through the years 28 Jun 1997: Referee Mills Lane looks on as Evander Holyfield points to his bleeding ear after Tyson bit him twice in the third round of their heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holyfield won the fight when Lane disqualified Tyson. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Through the years 12 Jul 1997: Referee Mills Lane (left) steps in to break up Henry Akinwande of Great Britain and Lennox Lewis of Great Britain during the WBC Heavyweight Championship at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, USA. Lewis retained the WBC Heavyweight Championship when Akinwande was disqualified for holding in the fifth round. \ Mandatory Credit: John Gichigi /Allsport (John Gichigi/Getty Images)
Through the years 4 Oct 1997: Referee Mills Lane assists Andrew Golota during a WBC heavyweight championship bout against Lennox Lewis at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Lewis won the fight with a TKO in the first round. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Through the years 28 Aug 1998: Official Mills Lane (C) talks to Roberto Duran and William Joppy prior to their fight at the Hilton Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. William Joppy defeated Roberto Duran by TKO in the third round. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /All (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Through the years 4 Apr 2001: Prince Naseem Hamed, right, poses with promoter and referee MIlls Lane before their April 7th fight at a press conference at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: John Gichigi/ALLSPORT (John Gichigi/Getty Images)
Through the years 21 Jan 2002: Torchbearer Mills Lane carries the Olympic Flame during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay in Reno, Nevada. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw/Pool/Getty Images (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
Through the years LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 10: Former boxing referee Mills Lane (L) and boxing referee Joe Cortez are inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame during the inaugural induction gala at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on August 10, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
