Who is Mills Lane?
Mills Bee Lane III was a recognized American boxing referee and professional boxer, a 2-term Washoe County, Nevada, district court judge, and television personality.
He was recognized for having officiated various major heavyweight championship boxing matches in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. As well as for starring in the syndicated court show Judge Mills Lane. Lane was then inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 9, 2013. He was likewise inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in August of that same year.
Mills Lane Career
Boxing career
Mills became a boxer while working as a Marine, becoming the All-Far East welterweight champ. In 1960, he was a National Collegiate Athletic Association welterweight boxing champion. He was beaten by Phil Baldwin in the boxing semifinals in the U.S. Olympic Trials in San Francisco for the 1960 Summer Olympics. Lane then turned pro while in college finally earning a 10-1 (.909) record as a professional.
Legal career
He attended the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, graduating with the class of 1970, and joined the bar in Nevada. Lane then became Chief Deputy Sheriff of Investigative Services at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in 1979. In 1982 he was elected District Attorney and in 1980 District Judge.
Boxing referee career
Mills referred to his first world championship boxing match in 1971 when Betulio Gonzalez has a fifteen-round draw with Erbito Salavarria for the WBC flyweight title. He refereed Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II between world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and challenger Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997. Mitch Halpern was supposed to referee the bout, but Tyson’s camp protested. So Mills was brought in at the last minute. Following Tyson biting Holyfield’s ears twice, Mills disqualified him. Tyson’s shirt was stained with blood from the incident, and he sold it to a memorabilia collector on the same night.
Less than three weeks later, Mills refereed the Lennox Lewis vs. Henry Akinwade match. Just like Tyson vs. Holyfield, it concluded in disqualification when Akinwade used illegal tactics, these being excessive clinching and ignoring Lane’s repeated orders to quit. Following refereeing the bout between Thomas Hearns and Jay Snyder on November 6, 1998, he retired as a boxing referee. He was then elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013. Mills was also included in the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame on August 10, 2013.
How old is Mills Lane?
Mills Bee Lane III was aged 85 as of his death on December 6, 2022, in Reno, Nevada, after a long-term illness. He was born on November 12, 1937, in Savannah, Georgia, U.S. Lane shared his birthday with famous people including Erika Costell, NayVee Nelson, Anne Hathaway, Ryan Gosling, Russell Westbrook, Sandara Park, Tonya Harding, Ashley Williams, and many more.
Mills Lane Family
Who are Mills Lane’s parents?
Mills Bee Lane III was born in Savannah, Georgia to a prominent family. His parents’ information is not disclosed to the media. Lane’s grandfather founded the largest bank in Georgia, and his uncle (and namesake) was the president of Citizens & Southern National Bank.
Does Mills Lane have siblings?
Lane had kept his family information very private and away from the limelight and it is not clear if he has any siblings.
Mills Lane Education
Lane attended and studied at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, where he played American football as a linebacker and ice hockey as a goaltender. Before joining the University of Nevada, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959. At the University of Nevada, Reno, he graduated in 1963 with a business degree. Lane also attended the University of Utah.
Mills Lane Spouse
Lane was married at the time of his death to his longtime spouse and wife Kaye Lane since 1980. The couple was happily married for many years with two sons together.
Mills Lane Children
Lane and Kaye have two children in their marriage together, two sons, namely Tommy Lane and Terry Lane.
Mills Lane Height
Lane had an athletic, well-built body, although he had not disclosed his personal height and weight to the media.
Television career
Mills presided over the court show Judge Mills Lane. The court show ran for 3 seasons, from 1998 to 2001. In addition to the show, the producers of MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch approached him about having his character and voice used in their show as the referee of their plasticine figure matches. He accepted the offer and became an MTV personality. As a referee, he began boxing matches by declaring ”Let’s get it on!”, which became his catchphrase. It was reproduced in Celebrity Deathmatch as his character would shout the same phrase to start fights.
Mills then made an appearance on the November 16, 1998, episode of WWE Raw. He appeared on the Titantron and made a ruling in regard to a deal dispute between Stone Cold Steve Austin and the McMahon family. Lane also was a guest voice actor on an episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, in which he played a judge.
Death & Illness
In March 2002, he suffered a debilitating stroke, which left him partially paralyzed and virtually unable to speak. With his blessing, this led to his Celebrity Deathmatch alter-ego being voiced by Chris Edgerly (already the voice of color commentator Nick Diamond) for the MTV2 revival. He later died at the age of 85, on December 6, 2022, in Reno, Nevada.
Mills Lane Net Worth
American boxing referee and professional boxer, Lane was also a two-term Washoe County Nevada district court judge and television personality. He was able to garn an estimated net worth of around $3 million as of his demise in 2022.