John Axouch commanded the forces acting against the Normans of Sicily in Corfu (1148–1149), initially as commander of the land forces, while the "megas doux" Stephanos Kontostephanos commanded the fleet, but after the latter's death in 1149, Axouch assumed command of the entire expedition. When rioting broke out between the Byzantine soldiery and the allied Venetians, Axouch tried to mediate. However, he was eventually obliged to send his bodyguard to quell the disturbance by force. Axouch's forces starved the Normans into submission in 1149, they surrendered their fortifications and withdrew from the island. John Axouch is believed to have died shortly after, possibly in 1150 or in early 1151 at the latest.