James Miller (parachutist)
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James "Fan Man" Miller (1963–2002) was a parachutist and paraglider pilot from Henderson, Nevada, who became famous after he landed inside the ring where the rematch boxing fight between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe was being held on November 6, 1993, at Las Vegas.
Miller had been flying paragliders in Alaska for a number of years prior to moving back to Nevada. He had purchased the paramotor unit a few months before the fight.
During the seventh round of that bout, Miller made his unexpected appearance, landing his powered paraglider just next to a corner as Holyfield had Bowe on the ropes. His action provoked a mini-riot; he was beaten by the Bowe security detail, and the fight was stopped for about twenty minutes.
After that, James Miller became known as the fan man in reference to the equipment be used to control his jump. He was featured on many magazines and television sports news shows, and his name became commonly heard at late night television shows. He performed several additional stunts in the US, and later in England, where his antics eventually got him jailed and banished from the United Kingdom.
Threatened by the Federal Aviation Administration with a lengthy sentence in a federal prison if he performed any more stunts, Miller relocated to Valdez, Alaska. He continued to fly ultralight aircraft and paragliders in the Alaskan wilderness until he developed heart problems. Miller's declining health forced him to move to Anchorage, where he lived until he was reported missing on September 22, 2002. On March 9, 2003, a group of hunters found a decomposing body in the Alaskan wilderness, and it was identified as James Miller. The death was ruled a suicide.
Although Miller's disappearance and death were reported in the local press, his suicide did not become widely known outside Alaska until later in 2003, when ESPN went searching for him to film a Sportscenter feature to be shown during the tenth anniversary of his stunt.