LET’S GET IT ON!’ Former referee Mills Lane, who is famous for calling fights such as the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield “Bite Fight” (inset) and has remained out of the public eye since suffering a debilitating stroke in 2002, will be inducted to the Boxing Hall of Fame next Sunday. (Anthony J. Causi, AP (inset))
Mills Lane was never one to back down from a challenge. He is a former Marine, a former NCAA welterweight boxing champion, former District Court judge and one of the world’s best known boxing referees. You don’t accomplish all that without knowing how to face adversity.
So it comes as no surprise Lane, 76, is doing all he can to be in attendance next Sunday, when he will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. It would be the most public appearance Lane will make since suffering a debilitating stroke in 2002.
“As of right now we think my dad is going to be able to make it,” said Terry Lane, one of Mills’ two sons with his wife Kaye. “We’re talking with [the Boxing Hall of Fame] about making some arrangements so my dad will be a little more comfortable. We’re heading up Thursday and we’ll be there for the whole weekend. We’re getting pretty hyped about it.”
A visit by a Post reporter and photographer to Lane’s midtown Manhattan apartment served as a test run of what awaits him in Canastota, where he’ll be showered with love for his devotion and duty to the Sweet Science. His career as a referee began in 1964 and spanned three decades. He worked more than 100 world title fights and was the third man in the ring for some of boxing’s biggest bouts, including Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney; Salvador Sanchez vs. Danny “Little Red” Lopez; Holmes vs. Ken Norton; Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick; and Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield II, also known as the “Bite Fight.”
“Some people get a rush out of fixing their car or jumping out of planes,” Lane wrote in his 1998 autobiography “Let’s Get It On.” “Those things don’t do anything for me. I get a rush from refereeing a fight. Being an arbiter, whether it’s in the courtroom or in a prizefight ring, is what I am. That’s where my passion is.”
PHOTOS: MILLS LANE THROUGH THE YEARS
Lane retired as a referee in 1996. He became the popular Judge Mills Lane on television and was developing another series when he suffered the stroke.
It was a stunning development for a family that had witnessed Lane wake-up daily at 5 a.m. for a three-mile run and then hit a light or heavy bag for 30 minutes before each work day. He prided himself on staying close to his 147-pound fighting weight when he boxed for the University of Reno in 1960.
“It came out of nowhere,” Tommy Lane said of the stroke. “He ate right, worked out, and ran like a beast. My dad was the picture of health. It was one of those things you can’t make sense of. Even now I can’t make sense of it.”
Mills Lane hasn’t been seen in public much since the stroke. A hip fracture just over a year ago further hampered his mobility. He can stick out a left jab, but has virtually no use of his right hand. But the stern jaw and the sparkle remains in his eyes. He gives a firm hand clasp with his left hand that lets the reporter know he appreciated the visit. His family will speak for him in Canastota.
“This has been good for him,” his wife said of her husband’s reaction to being photographed. “He’s happy and relaxed.”
The 2013 Hall of Fame Class also includes boxer Virgil Hill, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., and the legendary Arturo “Thunder” Gatti.
Boxing was always Lane’s first love. Even now he enjoys watching old fight films on television.
“He’s very excited about it,” Terry Lane said. “The boxing community over any community my dad’s a part of, really, is the most tight-knit and has been the most supportive over these last 10-12 years since the stroke. To be acknowledged and recognized by them and be in the same company as the people who are in the Hall of Fame, it’s something that means a lot of to my dad. This is very special for us.”
If only he could say “Let’s Get It On” one more time.
“If there’s a theme that has put him in this Hall of Fame position, it’s that he knew every fight was the most important fight for two guys and he treated it with the same level of respect, enthusiasm and care,” Terry Lane said. “Now he can’t speak for himself, but it’s great that people can do it for him.”