Sad day in the pool world - Mika Immonen 1972 * 2025

[SBC]

Good man and a tremendous talent.
Came to my room and played a tournament. Lost to a AA player giving a game on the wire....he wore his emotions on his sleeve because he demanded that he gave his best. People got on him for this.

Mika showed a lot of class when he went public about his being diagnosed with metastatic prostate. He shared his journey with the pool community. That took alot of grace.

 

[JusticeNJ]

Rest easy Mika. One of the best when I really got into pool in the early 2000s. So young. Too young.

 

[Kimmo]

got a chance to meet him a couple of times at Matchroom events...always very nice...helluva player. Was reselling some of his DVDs in Germany as well for a while.

 

[mdavis228]

Sad news. Rip, Mika.

 

[tripl3rrr]

REST IN PEACE ICEMAN

 

[David in FL]

Crap.

RIP Mika.

 

[timothysoong]

Very sad news for the pool world, RIP Iceman!

 

[skogstokig]

Rest easy Mika. One of the best when I really got into pool in the early 2000s. So young. Too young.

same. one of the gateway players for me. mesmerizing to watch when he was in full flow.

 

[mr3cushion]

R.I.P. Mika.

 

[mfinkelstein3]

RIP Mika! Condolences to his family and loved ones.

 

[T411]

Remember the good times.

 

[Straightpool_99]

R.I.P Mika. This is a great loss for pool. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times in tournaments. I remember those times fondly.

 

[RADAR]

R.I.P to a great Champion. Will be missed.

 

[SKILLZELITE]

Mika was always a great inspiration to me , I used to study his game & adopt many of his techniques.

He was still quite young , which makes the news even tougher to hear.

He will indeed be missed, R.i.p. Mika.

 

[Poolhall60561]

He was a fierce competitor. I’m going to miss him.
RIP Mika

 

[sjm]

The text message to which I woke up was heartbreaking. Mika and I spent a lot of time together over the years, both playing pool and socializing. I even staked him once in a match with George "Ginky" San Souci, another star of New York pool who left us far too early in life.

I recall how, in the late 1990s, Mika's visa never allowed him more than 90 days at a time in the United States, so he'd come to America, stay for a couple of months with our mutual friend and WPBA pro Lisa Merkin, who lived just a few blocks from Amsterdam Billiards, and then go back to Finland. Sure enough, not too long afterwards, he'd come back to America and repeat the process. He told me back then that he did not feel that his game could fully develop in Finland and that competing regularly in the Northeast United States would allow him to reach his potential. Much like it was to be with Jayson Shaw and Mike Dechaine, Mika's game developed greatly on Mike Zuglan's Joss Northeast tour, arguably the strongest regional tour in the United States.

Although we caught up briefly at the US Open 9ball, the last significant social time I spent with Mika was at the 2024 BCA Hall of Fame Dinner in Orlando, where he sat on the podium of honor for what would prove to be the final time.

Mika and I took a selfie together in July just after the unveiling of a painting of him at Amsterdam Billiards, which I have attached,

Rest in peace, Mika, and thanks for the memories.

 

[LHP5]

RIP Mika. I thought his cancer was in remission and was glad he was pulling through. Pool world lost one of the best to ever pick up a cue.

 

[briankenobi]

We lost a great one. I always enjoyed watching Mika play and he was very nice to chat with. RIP Iceman.

 

[Magictrat007]

Rest in peace, champ, and prayers to his family. Great player better person. During that player of the decade run, I remember they were about three or four years where he was undoubtably the best rotation player in the world and had a gear no one else could match.

 

[kingwang]

RIP Mika. I thought his cancer was in remission and was glad he was pulling through. Pool world lost one of the best to ever pick up a cue.

That's how hard he fought - he had us all believing that he could beat this thing. His final months of life were every bit as inspirational as his tournament wins and championships.