Mills Lane, Legendary Boxing Ref, Passes Away At 85

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Mills Lane
Referee Mills Lane checks on a downed pugilist. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport
Mills Lane was a legendary figure in the boxing world.

If you are a longtime boxing fan, then you have certainly heard of Mills Lane. The man is a legend in the boxing world, and he is even in the Hall of Fame. Overall, the reason for this is simple. He was a referee for many years, and he was very well respected amongst his peers and other boxers.

Unfortunately, his health had been dwindling over the past few months. On Tuesday morning, he passed away at the age of 85. Furthermore, he was surrounded by family at the time of his death. Prior to his passing, he got to rewatch many of the fights he officiated.

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 via Getty

Mills Lane Had An Amazing Resume

During his career, Lane got to officiate some truly memorable fights. Of course, the most iconic is the match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. This is where Tyson ended up biting Holyfield's ear off in a truly gross display of aggression.

While speaking about his father to ESPN, Terry Lane revealed just how amazing of a father Mills was. He spoke about his dad's soft side and that people truly looked up to him and respected him.

"The past 20 years after the stroke were pretty tough, to be honest," Lane said. "... We're relieved of the outpouring of support. He was just this really amazing father and husband and I don't know if people got to see that kind and sensitive side of him. My mom took care of him since the stroke; he never spent one night in a nursing home. I don't know if Dec. 6 is my dad's date of death or a new life for her."

Boxing referee Mills Lane. Mandatory Credit: Bob Martin/Allsport via Getty

Since his passing, numerous former boxers have paid their respects to the man. He is someone who will be truly missed and his contributions will always be remembered.

RIP Mills Lane.

[Via]

About The Author
Alexander Cole
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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