"She's gorgeous! Do you think anyone will buy tickets?" Christina Hendricks joked, batting her eyelashes. Scheduled to go up against Rosario Dawson, the pretty redhead seemed pleased with her situation. "We'll see how she fares in the ring, of course." 

Dawson, inactive for almost three years, but with a good record in her last year active against quality competition, was equally positive. "Christina had a little vacation just like mine in her history, and look where she is now," the actress pointed out. "But it's time for me to step back in the ring. And I intend to turn a few heads!" 

The actresses met in the ring with little official fanfare; few introductions required for names like these. Hendricks, in yellow athletic wear, touched gloves with Dawson, in red, before the match began. 

Round 1: 

Predictions that a rusty Dawson might struggle in this matchup were discarded in the opening as the two actresses exchanged blows. By the midpoint, the momentum was on Dawson's side, with the redhead having been pushed back several times. Hendricks fought back during the final moments of the round, only managing to painfully break even for a period -- not nearly enough to take the round back. 

Round 2: 

Hendricks had a difficult time in the second round, managing to settle on the strategy of making Dawson's victory as painful as possible. No better strategy coming out of Hendricks' corner at the moment, but the current one managed to slow her fall, with several solid blows from the redhead leaving Dawson looking slightly more hesitant to engage even as the points continued to pile up. The question on the audience's minds was who would blink first; neither actress seemed likely to continue at the current pace. 

Round 3: 

In the third round, the match continued to be close until a small slip up from Dawson cost her dearly. Hendricks reaction knocked Dawson's head straight back, and in the next few seconds the redhead forced her opponent onto the ropes for further punishment. Dawson escaped, but struggled to close the gap, managing to keep the fight competitive for a few moments before Hendricks was able to trip her up and pound her again. 

Round 4: 

Hendricks, having gotten the better of her opponent once, pushed for a repeat performance in the fourth round. Unfortunately for the curvy redhead, she faced a resolute and recovered Dawson, who managed to fend her off temporarily if nothing else. Hendricks, herself in need of a respite just as much as Dawson, slowed down and coasted to the end of the round with a narrow lead on the scorecard. 

Round 5: 

Round five saw a general reversal of roles, with Dawson as the frustrated aggressor and Hendricks as the defender. Dawson, all concentration, managed to bounce punches off of Hendricks guard, leaving the redheaded actress rattled but dangerous. The final result was a narrow win for Dawson, though it was clear that a very small mistake could swing the fight one way or another. 

Round 6: 

Hendricks made the small mistake that threatened to end the fight early on in the sixth. Zigging when she should have zagged, the redhead allowed Dawson to catch her on the nose firmly. Hendricks pushed back for a moment, but once Dawson held up under the pressure she struck at her rival again, landing two solid hits in close succession. The momentum continued to be on Dawson's side throughout the round, highlighted towards the end when she left Hendricks looking unsteady from three direct hits in a row. 

Round 7: 

Cleaned up during the break, Hendricks came out aggressively, likely shooting for a quick finish. After a contentious opening, the redhead took control. A downward spiral for Dawson ensued as Hendricks chased her down and struck at her with diminishing resistance. During the break, Hendricks smiled as she talked to her entourage -- the massive swing left the actress plenty to be happy about. 

Round 8: 

Hendricks had no reason to slow down in the eighth round. Dawson was in trouble, but managed to slow Hendricks down and make her regret each success for the first two minutes. General attrition caught up with her soon after, and when Hendricks caught the side of her head with a right hook, her legs buckled and she collapsed on her side. Hendricks backed off, looking pleased but refraining from premature celebration as Dawson rose to her feet, rejoining the fight with a determined expression on her face after the referee stepped aside. Facing the same hard-hitting opponent, Dawson was quickly chased onto the ropes, wincing as Hendricks trapped her and slammed her fists into her ribs. Hendricks landed a punch to Dawson's mouth that left the trapped actress leaning back on the ropes, fists up but disoriented. Two more similar blows bounced Dawson's head back and forth without eliciting a response, and this time the referee would not allow the fight to continue -- TKO8 Hendricks. 

General celebrations in Hendricks corner ensued as Dawson slowly reached the point where she could go through the motions of the announcement under her own power. Hendricks, having suffered quite a bit during the fight, soaked up the crowd's attention with a smile despite the obvious bruises and swelling. "She was really tough!" exclaimed the victorious redhead once an interviewer managed to separate her from her entourage. "Almost makes me think that she wasn't as inactive as her record says. I definitely feel good facing off against someone like her and coming out on top."