Where's Mills Lane? The last time I heard of him was when he promoted Marco Antonio Barrera vs Naseem Hamed.
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Where's Mills Lane? The last time I heard of him was when he promoted Marco Antonio Barrera vs Naseem Hamed.
Pretty much out of sight I guess. Wikipedia says he had a nasty stroke about seven years ago.
Yeah he had a stroke and ESPN's Outside The Lines did a story of him if I remember correctly
Thanks guys:cool:.
I talked to someone at the last Boxing Hall of Fame out here in Los Angeles and they mentioned something about him wanting to keep himself low profile plus his the fact that he's gotten up there in age.
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9252/millslaneuv4.jpg
I think southpaw welterweight Mills Lane was the best ref in the business for several years.
I really missed him when he retired.
Neumann, Nady, Cole, both Mercantes, Cortez, Steele: God help us.
Following Mills' retirement, I thought either Ron Lipton or Mitch Halpern was the best, but Halpern committed suicide, and Lipton was blacklisted because he couldn't be bought.
I think Kenny Bayless is the best right now.
Mills went 10 wins, 1 loss with 6 KOs as a pro before hanging them up to practice law.
45-4 as an amateur.
I've heard that Mills Lane's stroke damaged the part of the brain that controls speech, but he is still clear-minded. He is still aware; he just can't speak well. I remember following his stroke, Mills drafted a letter to the Texas Commission regarding an incompetent referee.
Mills' stroke happened April 1, 2002 which left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. Mills basically dropped out of the public view and out of the boxing world.
27 months later, Zahir Raheem fought Rocky Juarez where referee Robert Gonzales’ incompetent officiating caused Mills Lane to break his silence and send a letter to the Texas boxing commission. The following letter was published on boxing sites all over the net, and I read it on Fightnews.com and Ringtalk.com when it first came out. I thought enough of it that I saved it:
“July 27, 2004
Dick Cole
Program Administrator
Texas Combative Sports Program
PO BOX 1215
Austin, Texas 78711
Re: Rocky Juarez v. Zahir Raheem
Referee: Robert Gonzalez
Date of Fight: July 17, 2004, Houston, TX
Dear Mr. Cole:
I have reviewed the tape of the fight between Juarez and Raheem. From the first round through the end of the fight, Robert Gonzales interfered with Raheem's legitimate fight tactics and strategy. Mr. Gonzalez's conduct as a referee was despicable. He was blatant in his ongoing attempt to interfere with the flow of the fight. From my view, points should not have been deducted from Raheem. Juarez, on many occasions, held on to Raheem's glove, and as a result, his head would come into direct contact with the face of Raheem. Raheem's response to control the head of Juarez was a natural and legitimate technique. Ali often used this technique. Juarez punched on the break several times and was never warned.
In short this was the worst performance by any referee that I have witnessed. Raheem should not be penalized for suffering a loss because of a referee's conduct. In closing, I would urge the commissioners office to rule this fight a "no contest."
Mills Lane”
.
I would have loved to see Mills go on as commisioner or something of that nature where his word would be law....Sadly he had a stroke though
I'm pretty sure he was a a TV judge for a while, after he left boxing as a referee. I guess there was more money in being a TV judge than a boxing commissioner. :-\
we are going to miss the old guy we have seen come we hate to see him go! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Never knew about the stroke or that letter but that would be typical of him. The best referee I have ever seen. Remember he disqualified Tyson and Akinwande near the same time. He never worried about names, just did what was right. Read his book and he was highly religious and admired Holyfield, also I think he was in the army, and he was a judge. All round disciplined man.
i lost a little respect for him when he didnt disqualify tyson for biting holyfield the first time
if i recall akinwande was the first heavyweight ever disqulaified in a heavyweight title fight
Surely you need some qualifications to do that . Hes been a ref a judge and a boxer. Fair play to the guyQuote:
Originally Posted by CGM
I'm not sure what you are saying. That he wasn't a tv judge? Well, he was.Quote:
Originally Posted by GAMESurely you need some qualifications to do that . Hes been a ref a judge and a boxer. Fair play to the guyQuote:
Originally Posted by CGM
Do you need qualifications to be a tv judge? I dunno. Is Judge Judy qualified? This is entertainment remember, not the law.
Sure fairplay. Whatever. Like I said I imagine the money was pretty good.
You dont need any qualifications to be a TV judge; but, Mill's Lane was a real Judge.Quote:
Originally Posted by CGMI'm not sure what you are saying. That he wasn't a tv judge? Well, he was.Quote:
Originally Posted by GAMESurely you need some qualifications to do that . Hes been a ref a judge and a boxer. Fair play to the guyQuote:
Originally Posted by CGM
Do you need qualifications to be a tv judge? I dunno. Is Judge Judy qualified? This is entertainment remember, not the law.
Sure fairplay. Whatever. Like I said I imagine the money was pretty good.
Here he is in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZdnlTUlww
Judge Miils Lane was a tv show. This is "real" judging? Looks like Judge Judy to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lance UppercutYou dont need any qualifications to be a TV judge; but, Mill's Lane was a real Judge.Quote:
Originally Posted by CGMI'm not sure what you are saying. That he wasn't a tv judge? Well, he was.Quote:
Originally Posted by GAME
Do you need qualifications to be a tv judge? I dunno. Is Judge Judy qualified? This is entertainment remember, not the law.
Sure fairplay. Whatever. Like I said I imagine the money was pretty good.
Here he is in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZdnlTUlww
It is documented that he did serve as a real county prosecutor and a deputy sheriff , though.
:rolleyes: People keep trying to tell me, here and in PMs, that the guy was a real judge. I want one person to provide one shred of evidence that Mills Lane was ever a judge in any capacity other than the tv show Judge Mills Lane that aired from 1998-2001. Any evidence at all, other than the mistake that is printed in the wiki article, and I will stand corrected.
You don't need to be a real judge to be a TV judge. You have to have some sort of degree in law, though. Judge Maybeline, the one who used to do Divorce Court, was only an esquire. Her judgments were really only recommendations that other judges would either sign off on, considering her as an arbitrator.
From late-1998 to 2001, Mills Lane's tv series, "Judge Mills Lane" was on the air, and it was all small-claims stuff.
From 1991 to mid-1998 however, Mills Lane was the real deal; he was the Nevada District Court Judge. Mills was the big man. Two terms.
Not small claims at that level; that's sentencing murderers there.
And Mills put away a lot of people.
He was even approached about running for Governor during that period.
Boxing programs in the early 90's, LONG BEFORE the tv series ever happened, would occasionally make mention that Referee Mills Lane was a Nevada District Judge; they'd show clips of him in the court-room.
Before becoming District Judge in 1991, Mills was the DA (District Attorney) in Reno from 1983 to 1991.
Before that, a prosecutor during the 70's.
Referees don't get paid much money y'know, even for a big fight.
$600, $800.
Basically all these referees on tv work day-jobs.
In mid-1998, Lane was 60 years old, had just stepped down as Nevada District Judge after two terms, and began the small-claims lightweight "Judge Mills Lane" tv series.
At 60 years old, maybe Mills had enough of dealing with the absolute worst segment of society on a daily basis for a few decades.
Deal with minor grievances in a televised small-claims court instead.
Here's a New York Times article about Mills from July, 1997 BEFORE the tv series of 1998:
No-Nonsense Judge And Tough Guy, Fight Ref Mills Lane Takes No Guff - New York Times
Recent article about Mills and his 2002 stroke:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10991963
EDIT:
Here's Mills' Pro boxing record from Boxrec:
Mills Lane
OK man. The 1997 NY times article makes it quite clear. I stand corrected. Good Job!Quote:
Originally Posted by bradlee180
My all time Favorite.Told it exactly like it was and took no guff.Played it straight.He and Mitch Halpren two of the best.Mitch never gave himself a chance to realize his peak.Sad indeed.