World-renowned boxing referee Mills Lane has passed away at the age of 85 in Reno, Nevada. Lane had two sons with his wife Kaye. Born in Savannah, Georgia on November 12, 1937, Lane played an array of sports including hockey and football before joining the United States Marine Corps in 1956. As a member of the Marines, he took up boxing and became the All-Far East welterweight champ.

Lane competed to participate in the 1960 Summer Olympics but was defeated by Phil Baldwin in the semifinals. Once he turned pro in college, he had a record of 10 wins and 1 loss. Mills Lane became a household name when he refereed the heavyweight super fight rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in which Tyson bit Holyfield’s ears several times leading to his disqualification.

Lane was also a television celebrity with a court television show titled Judge Mills Lane which lasted three seasons. He was also the referee of MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch in which celebrities fought to the death. According to RGJ, Lane was in hospice for a week before his passing. His son said, “It was a quick departure. He was comfortable and he was surrounded by his family.”