Mills Lane

[Ezzard]

I might have this wrong. Memory isn't what it used to be.

When boxers were in clinches up close, would he sometimes arbitrarily pull at their hands to allow in-fighting?

Did I dream this? If he did, isn't that extremely dubious?

[Controversial]

I didn't realise he was a judge

[Caractacus]

-1972-

[margaret thatcher]

I didn't realise he was a judge

he had a very well known show on us tv, more people probably know him as a judge than boxing ref

[margaret thatcher]

and ya he did do that, ive seen other refs do it and it always pisses me off, if they are gonna bat a guys hands down they should only do it after calling break

[wouter]

I didn't realise he was a judge

he had a very well known show on us tv, more people probably know him as a judge than boxing ref

He gained mainstream recognition through the Tyson - Holyfield DQ, which eventually resulted in his own TV show and him being featured in MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch.

[Riddick Bowie]

I'm sure there was a Tyson/Holyfield 3 on Celebrity Death Match.

The 90s were so much fun.

[Ezzard]

and ya he did do that, ive seen other refs do it and it always pisses me off, if they are gonna bat a guys hands down they should only do it after calling break

How could he not be sure he wasn't giving one guy an advantage?

I'm amazed nobody made official complaints.

[Ambling Alp II]

I don't remember him doing that; though not saying he didn't. Never heard anyone complain. Only complain I ever head about him was from Tyson after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He always considered one of the top referees. Always seemed like a guy who was competent and fair, which you can't say for a lot of referees and judges. He always seemed like a good guy. I actually read his autobiography.

[orbtastic]

Watch him during Lewis akinwande

[Ambling Alp II]

No one should be subjected to watching that again.

[DrDuke]

Lane did great in Lewis-Akinwande. It's a pity, that nobody did like that in the sh!tfests of John Ruiz.

[jimmystone]

If you notice the referee he is not very good.

[Riddick Bowie]

Mills had major charisma.

[Ambling Alp II]

If you notice the referee he is not very good.

Sometimes a ref does get overly involved and of course gets noticed.
Other times, a ref should jump in if one (or both) of the fighters is fouling. He is going to get noticed then. Depends on what is happening in the ring.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

- Mills a fine 10-1 record as a welter, but I always saw him as a runty banty.
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/34152

Banty Mills the first to KO Hopkins while breaking up a Robert Allen clinch. Mill's left hand apparently fortified by Superman tossed Popkins through the ropes onto the auditorium concrete floor that burst the poor dear into tears. That earned Popkins a NC, No Contest result, a strategy that Popkins replicated throughou his career including his last career fight with Joe Smith Jr.

Always felt Mills dropped the ball in failing to DQ Tyson on the first Vander bite, but maybe he didn't realize the actual damage. 2nd bite was enabled by Vander when Mike snuggles in like a lover to Vander delight to suddenly chomp, probably the worst of the bites.



Anyway, that was the start of Mills' last 3 bouts, the last being an unusual double knockdown involving Tommy Hearns and Jay Snyder eventually won by Tommy with a first round KO, so you gotta say Mills checked out with a bang. Not so long after he suffered a stroke that left him in a wheelchair unable to talk. Perhaps after all these years he can walk and talk a little, but never seen him in public for ages now.

God Bless. I wouldn't wish that disability on anyone, yet such potentially lays in wait for any of us. At least Mills was and still is a Lefty still able to defend himself at all times

[Thomastearns]

Mills Lane is the best referee I've ever seen.
Possibly the most impartial too.

They sometimes say that the best referee is the one you don't notice, but like football's Pierluigi Collina, Mills Lane was an exception.

Yes, he screwed up in the Tyson/Holyfield rematch but I still can't see who might have handled that one much better.

[Riddick Bowie]

Hold on everybody. Lane wanted to disqualify Tyson f9r the first bite but his boss, Marc Ratner, said very clearly on mic, 'Are you SURE you want to disqualify him?' with a meaning stare, and Lane got the message.

This is all on the Showtime broadcast of the fight and you can see for yourself.

[Ambling Alp II]

He was a good referee; and I always got a kick out of him. He knew what he was doing (unlike some others) and was not biased. (again, unlike some others)

As for the Tyson-Holyfield rematch, it was obviously a strange situation. Lane originally said " he's gone", meaning disqualified. Then Ratner talked to him and they changed it to a 2 point deduction.

What always confused me is the second bite. There was no immediate stoppage and the round continued to the end. Then Tyson was disqualified. Did Lane not see the 2nd bite? Did he see it on replay or was he told by someone that it happened?

[bwu]

If memory serves, they brought the teeth marks to Lane’s attention in the corner after the round. Realizing that Tyson attempted a second serving after already being penalized, he called for the DQ.

[Caractacus]

from what I remember Mills Lane wanted Tyson DQ'd after the first bite,
but was over-ruled by Las Vegas Boxing Commisioner Mack Ratner at ring-side
who told Mills Lane
"Do you really want to stop this fight in front of all of these people ?

[Caractacus]

bump

[SticknMove]

Good bump..

Absolutely loved that third man and persona. Only realised he passed a few days ago.

RIP.

[Flump]

Iconic referee, and not many howlers that I can think of either. He made big fights that little bit bigger by being the third man in the ring.

Loved the first exchange with Tyson in the bite fight.

"You bit him"
"I didn't!"
"Bullshit!"