Mika Immonen, a two-time world champion pool player from Finland known as the Iceman, who was admired as much for his physical stamina and mental acuity during competitions as he was for his skill at the game, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 52.
His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by his friend Alex Masucci, who said the cause was cancer. Immonen had learned in late 2023 that he had Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
For someone who excelled at a sport not known for its athletic requirements, Immonen was adamant about exercising daily and limiting his intake of carbohydrates. He said he believed that the focus he applied to his workouts translated into heightened concentration during competitions, and that any pool player who didn’t exercise wasn’t trying hard enough to improve at the game.
“My favorite expression of his was ‘Mercy is a disease’ — if you feel sorry for your opponent, it’s contagious,” said Jonathan Smith, the house professional pool player at Society Billiards and Bar in Manhattan, where Immonen competed in recent years. “He was a phenomenal shotmaker, and he played at a very fast clip, which made playing him even more intimidating.”
Immonen won a number of U.S. and international tournaments, including the World Pool-Billiard Association’s World Nine-Ball Championship in 2001; back-to-back U.S. Open Nine-Ball Championship titles in 2008 and 2009; and the W.P.A. World 10-Ball Championship in 2009. In 2016, he won the world title in straight pool in New York City against Earl Strickland, his former mentor, who has been called the Michael Jordan of pool.
But the game that elevated Immonen to elite circles was his 2001 win against Ralf Souquet of Germany. Upon sinking the final nine ball, Immonen collapsed on the table and broke into tears while the crowd chanted, “Mika! Mika!”
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