THE FOOTPRINTS OF A TIGER: ITSE TOBORE AYONMIKE AND THE MAKING OF A KICKBOXING CHAMPION

Itse Tobore Ayonmike popularly known as Ish Iron Mike by his teeming fans is a Nigerian born British Kickboxing practitioner. He is a fitness guru and a personal fitness trainer par excellence.

Ish always had a knack for the martial arts as he started his romance with the art at a very tender age back home in Warri, Delta state after being influenced by Bruce Lee and Jean Claude Van Damme.

He was to later become more seriously involved in Kickboxing and other forms of martial art in 1998 in the United Kingdom and went on to win his first National kickboxing title in 1999. Other titles were to follow shortly after as he captured 2 English titles, 2 Regional titles, and 3 British titles at different weight categories over the years.

In 2004 Ish took time off the sport to focus on other endeavours and majored in Event and Experience at the University of Kent, and also became licensed as a fitness trainer and a martial art instructor where he has gone on to show is Midas touch.

As old habits die hard, the Champ returned to the boxing ring in 2018 and quickly captured the English K1 cruiserweight title which he will be defending on November 2nd for the last time before bowing out.

Champions and legends are a rare breed and they tend to appreciate their like.
Hear him: “I admire quite a few boxing legends but my all time favourite has to be the G.O.A.T, Mohammed Ali. He was a fantastic boxer and outside the ring can be compared to the great Nelson Mandela".

Funny enough the nickname Iron Mike was not derived from the fact that his body is contoured like a well crafted metal sculpture. His teeming ‘Oyinbo’ fans who couldn’t pronounce his surname AYONMIKE started chanting IRONMIKE as he demolished a German opponent in a few seconds of the first round of one of his bouts. From that moment a name was created and a legend born.

There is however a soft and amiable side to this ring warrior as it were. He is soft spoken, kind and generous and is not one to engage in combative and aggressive arguments or such outside the ring despite the skills and power he possesses. Ish loves classical music, something he picked up from his father Pa Ayonmike who is a virtuoso in that music genre.

As the Champ defends his title for the last time before hanging up those gloves to pursue other lofty goals, I salute one of ours.
Well done CHAMP!

By Kelvin Peters A’rien and Oap Tushbee.

U.K

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