Mills Lane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mills Lane
Statistics
Rated at	Welterweight
Born	(1937-11-12)November 12, 1937 Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Died	December 6, 2022(2022-12-06) (aged 85) Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	11
Wins	10
Wins by KO	6
Losses	1

Mills Bee Lane III (born November 12, 1937 – died December 6, 2022) was a famous American boxing referee and professional boxer. He was also a judge in Washoe County, Nevada, and a well-known television personality.

Mills Lane was most famous for being the referee in many big heavyweight boxing matches. These fights took place in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He also starred in his own TV show called Judge Mills Lane. In 2013, he was honored by being added to both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

Who Was Mills Lane?

Mills Lane's Early Life and Family

Mills Lane was born in Savannah, Georgia, on November 12, 1937. He came from a very important family in Georgia. His grandfather started the biggest bank in Georgia. His uncle, who had the same name, was the president of a major bank called Citizens & Southern National Bank.

Mills Lane went to Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. There, he played American football as a linebacker and ice hockey as a goaltender.

Joining the Marines and College

In 1956, Lane joined the United States Marine Corps. He served until 1959. After his time in the Marines, he went to the University of Nevada, Reno. He earned a business degree from the university in 1963.

Mills Lane's Boxing Career

As a Boxer

Mills Lane started boxing while he was in the Marines. He became the All-Far East welterweight champion. In 1960, he also won the National Collegiate Athletic Association welterweight boxing championship.

He tried out for the 1960 Summer Olympics in San Francisco. He made it to the semifinals but lost there. While in college, he became a professional boxer. He ended his pro boxing career with a record of 10 wins and only 1 loss.

As a Boxing Referee

Mills Lane became a boxing referee and worked his first world championship match in 1971. This was a fight for the WBC flyweight title.

Famous Fights Mills Lane Refereed

One of the most famous fights Lane refereed was between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. This match took place on June 28, 1997. Another referee was supposed to work the fight, but Tyson's team asked for Lane instead.

During the fight, Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ears twice. Mills Lane then stopped the fight and disqualified Tyson. Lane's shirt even got blood on it from the incident. He later sold that shirt to a collector!

Less than three weeks later, Lane refereed another big fight. This was between Lennox Lewis and Henry Akinwande. That fight also ended in a disqualification. Akinwande kept holding onto his opponent too much and ignored Lane's warnings. Mills Lane retired from being a boxing referee after a fight on November 6, 1998.

In 2013, Mills Lane was recognized for his great work. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On the same day, he was also added to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

Mills Lane's Legal Career

Mills Lane went to law school at the University of Utah. He graduated in 1970 and became a lawyer in Nevada. In 1979, he became the Chief Deputy Sheriff of Investigative Services for Washoe County, Nevada.

He was elected as the District Attorney in 1982. Later, in 1990, he became a District Judge.

Mills Lane's Television Career

Judge Mills Lane Show

Mills Lane became a TV star when he hosted his own court show called Judge Mills Lane. The show ran for three seasons, from 1998 to 2001.

Celebrity Deathmatch and Catchphrase

The creators of MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch asked him to be the referee for their show. This show featured clay figures of celebrities fighting. Lane agreed, and his character on the show would shout "Let's get it on!" to start the matches. This phrase became his famous catchphrase.

Other TV Appearances

Mills Lane also appeared in the world of professional wrestling. He was on an episode of WWE Raw in 1998. He also acted as a special guest referee for a boxing match in WCW Bash at the Beach in 1999. Lane even lent his voice to an episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Mills Lane's Personal Life and Legacy

Mills Lane and his wife, Kaye, had two sons. He wrote a book about his life called Let's Get It On: Tough Talk from Boxing's Top Ref and Nevada's Most Outspoken Judge.

In March 2002, Lane had a stroke. This left him partly paralyzed and made it very hard for him to speak. Even after his stroke, he allowed his character on Celebrity Deathmatch to continue, with a new voice actor.

The city of Reno honored him by declaring December 27, 2004, as "Mills Lane Day." In 2006, a new courthouse in Reno was named after him. It is called the Mills B. Lane Justice Center.

Mills Lane passed away in Reno, Nevada, on December 6, 2022, at the age of 85.

Professional boxing record

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
11	Win	10–1	Buddy Knox	UD	6	May 9, 1967	Centennial Coliseum, Reno, Nevada
10	Win	9–1	David Camacho	UD	10	February 28, 1963	Mathisen Hall, Reno, Nevada
9	Win	8–1	Al Walker	UD	6	January 31, 1963	Mathisen Hall, Reno, Nevada
8	Win	7–1	Larry Sanchez	KO	2 (6), 1:04	December 12, 1962	Mathisen Hall, Reno, Nevada
7	Win	6–1	Artie Cox	KO	3 (8), 0:43	August 7, 1962	Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California
6	Win	5–1	Al Carroll	TKO	5 (8), 3:00	July 17, 1962	State Building, Reno, Nevada
5	Win	4–1	Dick Smith	PTS	6	June 26, 1962	Sacramento, California
4	Win	3–1	Marva Hawkins	KO	6 (6)	June 12, 1962	Sacramento, California
3	Win	2–1	Sonny King	TKO	1 (6), 2:10	May 27, 1962	Wagon Wheel Convention Center, Stateline, Nevada
2	Win	1–1	Carlos Loya	TKO	1 (4)	May 10, 1962	State Building, Reno, Nevada
1	Loss	0–1	Artie Cox	TKO	1 (4), 0:35	April 7, 1961	State Building, Reno, Nevada

See also

In Spanish: Mills Lane para niños