Death of legendary boxing referee Mills Lane
Steph Deschamps / December 7, 2022
Legendary American boxing referee Mills Lane, who officiated the match in which Mike Tyson tore off a piece of his rival Evander Holyfield's ear, has died at the age of 85, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame mourns the passing of the great referee Mills Lane," the institution said on its website. The former referee, who suffered a stroke in 2002, passed away in Reno, Nevada, with his wife and two sons by his side, one of the sons told local media.
Lane, a former U.S. Marine and boxer himself, was known for his pre-fight line "Let's get it on!" and his direct attitude in the ring.
A respected referee, he achieved celebrity status as the third man in the ring during the infamous 1997 Tyson-Holyfield rematch, which resulted in Tyson being disqualified for biting his opponent's left ear.
Lane also refereed Tyson's 89-second match against Peter McNeeley in Las Vegas in 1995, in which McNeeley was disqualified because his manager barged into the ring.
A law graduate, Mills Lane also served as a district attorney in Reno and later as a Washoe County court judge in his home state of Nevada. The Reno courthouse bears his name. He also starred in a reality series, "Judge Mills Lane," which ran for four seasons until 2001.