The main event attracted more attention. Darnell did not protest as she was gently but firmly nudged to continue her victory celebration elsewhere, and Merle Oberon was still dazed past the point of being able to have opinions on anything, allowing a quick transition.

Both Hayworth and De Carlo did their best to win the audience over using well honed skills as pin-ups. De Carlo entered the arena performing her best smile and royal parade wave, dressed in a gold one piece, while Hayworth took her act to the ring, posing in the spotlight while De Carli looked on derisively.

Round 1:
De Carlo began the match defensively, and Hayworth expanded to fill the space she had left open. However, De Carlo refused to be pushed beyond a certain point, causing Hayworth's victories to be measurable in inches. Whenever Hayworth applied further pressure, De Carlo dug her heels in. The round ended without any dramatic upheavals, but it was a tightly fought contest from start to finish.

Round 2:
With her tests complete, De Carlo began to make plays, breaking through Hayworth's defense to put a dent in her stomach. Hayworth, her face suggesting that a less sturdy woman might have bent in half by the blow, replied successfully, driving De Carlo back but unable to deny her rival's success. De Carlo struck a quicker pace, and Hayworth met it easily, looking eager to pay the shorter actress back. However, despite some success on Hayworth's part, the round became a grind that ultimately left her more winded and battered than her opponent.

Round 3:
While the fight continued at the same pace with similar results in the first minute of round three, De Carlo shifted gears and pushed her opponent further, striking at the already weakened woman's jaw and rewarded by a solid thud and a dazed expression on Hayworth's face. Cheered on by the crowd, the dominant actress pushed ahead, obviously aiming to end the fight early. Hayworth took a beating, her head bounced back repeatedly by De Carlo's fists, but stabilized later in the round, shaken but responding well and keeping her distance, probably counting the seconds until the break.

Round 4:
Hayworth looked substantially more dangerous after her break, and met De Carlo directly as she once again tried her best to end the fight. In the ensuing clash, Hayworth made a risky lunge that landed a heavy blow to De Carlo's chin. De Carlo continued to struggle fiercely, but seemed to react a split second slower than she had earli, allowing Hayworth to pile up the advantage. Bruised and shaky, De Carlo retreated to her corner at the bell, to great relief from Hayworth, who was not in any condition to celebrate yet.

Round 5:
De Carlo started from scratch and did her best to engage, win exchanges, and build momentum, but from the start of the fifth round it was obvious that she was still suffering from the effects of Hayworth's attacks. Still, the shorter brunette gave a good account of herself, and while Hayworth had her moments, she came up decidedly short overall. However, the status quo was maintained; Hayworth repeatedly frustrated, but De Carlo unable to assert herself fully.

Round 6:
Hayworth began to push back in the sixth round as De Carlo's physical state grew clearer; she was striking back well enough to give Hayworth difficulty, but not approaching her performance earlier in the fight. Hayworth proved herself by punching from a distance, regularly tagging her rival and obstructing her ability to strike back. De Carlo was falling behind on points, but her more pressing concern was her continued viability as the fight progressed.

Round 7:
De Carlo battled on through her worsening condition, but as she weakened, Hayworth's fists found her head with increasing frequency. After a sudden combination knocked the smaller brunette back, she showed a brief sign of recovery, striking back in an explosion of activity before a straight punch from Hayworth pushed her away and put a stop to her comeback. While badly hurt, De Carlo returned to her corner under her own power at the bell.

Round 8:
Hayworth rushed De Carlo immediately, throwing a haymaker with enough force to end the fight in the opening seconds. Unfortunately, De Carlo would not cooperate, cutting her off with a quick attack. More surprised than injured, Hayworth steadied herself, abandoning the idea of a quick finish and fighting for control once again. De Carlo held her own for two minutes, then began to run out of steam. Hayworth was quick to shift gears, walloping the side of her opponent's head and sending her stumbling to the side, landing on her stomach and awkwardly pushing herself up. However, De Carlo was in no position to stand up, and Hayworth took the KO8 win.

Once again, the venue managed to enforce civility without any fuss; Hayworth received her (substantially more impressive) bouquet while De Carlo fought to stand frim a safe distance. The cameras focused on Hayworth accepting her prize, allowing De Carlo time to recover and make an unsteady exit unassisted.

Hayworth managed to milk the win successfully in the months that followed, transferring the success in the ring to ticket sales in her best known starring role in Gilda, as well as retroactively beating out De Carlo as the most popular wartime pin-up. De Carlo's career survived the defeat easily, even if her win streak and pride did not, as she continued to appear in successful films in the years that followed.