Mills Lane Dies: TV Judge And Boxing Referee Of The Tyson-Holyfield “Bite Fight” Was 85
deadline.comMills Lane, the flinty boxer turned referee who became a judge in Washoe County, NV, before segueing to his own courtroom TV show, has died.
His son Tommy Lane confirmed the news to the Reno Gazette Journal. The boxing hall of famer was 85. A familiar face to boxing fans not just for his presence but also for his pre-fight catchphrase “Let’s get it on!”, Lane reached the peak of his popularity after being the third man in the ring for the 1997 heavyweight title fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in which Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear.
The diminutive Lane — who himself fought at 147 pounds — was the one who pried the two apart and, his own shirt stained with Holyfield’s blood, later disqualified Tyson.
In 1998, Lane hung up his bow tie shorty after he began presiding over his own court show, Judge Mills Lane. The syndicated series produced 700 episodes over three years, before its run ended in 2001.
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