Sad news has come in as Mills Lane, the legendary boxing referee who found further fame with his work on television, has died. Per the Reno Gazette Journal, the news was announced by Lane's son, Tommy Lane, who says that his father passed away on Tuesday morning in Nevada after spending the past week in hospice while surrounded by loving family members. He was 85 years old.

"He took a significant decline in his overall situation," Tommy Lane said Mills' death. "It was a quick departure. He was comfortable and he was surrounded by his family. You never knew how long he had. We kind of felt like we were preparing for this all along, but there's no such thing as preparing for this."

While the family knew there wouldn't be much time left, they wanted to make Lane's final days as comfortable as possible. This means spending the past few days watching some of his favorite movies, including The Godfather, Patton, and Shane. As Lane apparently "hated funerals," according to his son, there's no funeral service planned, but a memorial may be held in the future.

After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Lane ventured into the world of boxing where he managed to become the All Far-East welterweight champion. After closing out his run as a fighter with a 10-1 record, he switched gears and started working as a boxing referee, becoming one of the most well-known referees in all of sports. Lane's work as a ref lasting for decades from the 70s through the 90s, and that includes many notable bouts, such as the infamous fight which saw Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear. Lane was also well known for his often-quoted phrase, "Let's get it on!"

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Mills Lane Became a TV Star

Celebrity Deathmatch Mills Lane
MTV

A many of many talents, Lane had also worked as a prosecutor for 17 yhears at the Washoe County District Attorney's office. He stepped down from the bench to star in his own courtroom TV show, Judge Mills Lane, which saw him presiding over cases from 1998 to 2001. The series can currently be found streaming on the free streaming platform Pluto TV with fans continuing to watch the show to this day.

Lane is also known for appearing as a claymation version of himself in MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch. He would serve as a referee for stop-motion animated fights involving celebrities and was popular with fans of the show for this role. Meanwhile, Lane also made a special guest appearance on WWE Raw in 1998 and later had a voiceover role as a judge on the animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Our thoughts are with the family at this time. Rest in peace, Mills Lane.