Most charges are over in just a few seconds. The males will charge each other. One male often runs away, thus ending the challenge. If he doesn't the two will slam the upper part of their bodies together. They will push and shove each other with their massive weight.
Most charges end here with one of the males backing down and running away.
The stakes are high in this test for dominance. Only the beach master and a few high ranking males will be allowed to mate with all the females. So the challenges determines not just rank, but the right to mate with the females. View two adult males in a bloody fight. Main elephant seals page.