Kalle Palander Knocks Out Aleksi Valavuori in Boxing Match

Former alpine skier Kalle Palander, 49, secured a knockout victory against media personality Aleksi Valavuori, 47, in a boxing match held in Tallinn on Saturday. The fight concluded in the second round, with Palander's power proving too much for Valavuori.

Despite Valavuori's attempts to evade Palander in the ring, he was unable to avoid the former skier's strikes. Valavuori was counted out twice, and Palander's victory meant Valavuori forfeited the old trophies he had put up as stakes for the match.

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Today was a good feeling, I told the guys that there's no danger here if the legs are this awake. I thought I was completely loose, but I was so awake.

Palander expressed a surprisingly calm demeanor in the ring, noting that his legs felt awake and he felt surprisingly little nervousness. He attributed the win to basic boxing principles, stating that Valavuori's punches felt "so damn soft" and lacked impact. Palander admitted he let Valavuori land some blows early on, but realized there was no real threat.

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It felt terrible and probably looked terrible too. But when I hit him the first time, I saw that he got very scared. You could see it in his eyes. I felt sorry for him to keep hitting him.

"It felt terrible and probably looked terrible too. But when I hit him the first time, I saw that he got very scared. You could see it in his eyes. I felt sorry for him to keep hitting him," Palander recounted. He was surprised by Valavuori's lack of resilience, having expected him to withstand more punishment. Palander landed what he described as one of his hardest punches ever, feeling it connect fully.

Both athletes agreed that this would be their only foray into combat sports. After the fight, they shared a hug and confirmed their decision. "Never again," they both stated. Palander added, "No damn way. Hitting people isn't that cool." He planned to celebrate with a single drink after a "hell of a" day.

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No damn way. Hitting people isn't that cool.