[robotic voice] Robots activate!
[intense music]
[audience cheering, applause]
[Chris Rose and Kenny Florian speaking indistinctly]
Hey!
[Chris] What is up?
Love it!
Hey everybody, and welcome to BattleBots!
I am Chris Rose, joined by UFC legend
and the best robot combat analyst around,
the one and only, Kenny Florian!
- [cheering] - I am so ready for tonight, Chris!
[Kenny] The World Championship Tournament is just around the corner,
and I can't wait to see
who makes a run for the Giant Nut!
For the bots fighting this evening,
it's their last opportunity to show they belong in the tournament of 32.
But remember, as they prep for their fourth
and final fights of the qualifying rounds,
it's not just about the records they finish with.
It's about proving they are tournament-ready.
[Kenny] Are you durable?
Is your weapon reliable?
Can you win a fight in multiple ways?
And above all, can you deliver a great performance
each and every time you step into the box?
These are the questions the selection committee will be asking
as they sort through the resumes of our field of 50.
Who will be able to secure their spot?
We're about to find out!
- Let's take a look at tonight's fight card! - [cheering]
[Chris] Battling for their tournament lives,
we have 0-3 Shatter! in desperate need
of a victory against Ominous.
And how about the hammer of Beta,
taking on the horizontal hitman, Bloodsport!
Both teams are 2-1,
you would have to think the winner will be bracket-bound.
[Kenny] And check out our main event,
where team Black Dragon has a shot
to makeBattleBots history.
The Brazilians are one fight away
from pulling into a tie with Bite Force,
for the longest "No KO" streak of all time!
But as fate would have it,
a violent and unforgiving foe stands in their way.
[Ethan Kurtz] Let's go!
Let's go!
[Kenny] Team Riptide,
- led by the fearless Ethan Kurtz... - [Ethan screaming maniacally]
[Kenny] ...has already guaranteed a knockout.
Oh yeah, we'll be the first to knock 'em out, for sure. It'll happen.
[Kenny] All seven of their career wins have come before the bell.
Can they do it again and move to a perfect 4-0 on the season?
[Chris] But, kicking things off...
- [Faruq in background] HUGE! - [Chris] ...it's fan-favorite HUGE,
who just one year ago, was considering retirement.
Now, in the comeback story of the season,
they sit at 3-0,
and can set themselves up for a deep tournament run
with a win tonight.
Staring them down is a rookie robot
straight out of a sci-fi thriller, Starchild.
The fans have been asking for this one,
- it's the battle of the big wheels! - [audience cheering]
All right, no more talking, Kenny!
I'm ready to watch some robots fight to the death.
How about you guys?
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] I think they're ready!
Faruq, take it away!
Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
[audience cheering]
It's robot fighting time!
In the red square, from Hudson, New Hampshire.
[imitating E.T.] E.T phone home!
Nah, fool!
E.T. Better call 911!
Because here comes Starchild!
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] Starchild, led by Brandon Zalinsky,
- one half of the Team Omega organization. - Starchild! Starchild!
[Chris] Joined tonight by their comrades from RIPperoni!
The thwackbot is winless in its rookie campaign.
Still, they got a big opportunity here, Kenny Florian.
[Kenny] Yeah, not only is this a great chance
to differentiate this design from HUGE,
it's a chance to show this robot
can win in the 250-pound weight class.
Starchild has struggled to land
their hammer saw in previous matches,
maybe having a big target like HUGE
will help them right the ship tonight.
[Faruq] In the blue square,
from South Windsor, Connecticut,
this bot's so thick, he sets off the Richter scale,
so get ready for the girth-quake!
It's HUGE!
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] Captain Jonathan Schultz on the left,
leading his undefeated squad out of the tunnel,
and despite facing a winless rookie,
boy, this is a big-time match-up for them.
A win here could earn them
a top 10 tournament seed, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, HUGE has never made it out
of the first round of the tournament,
and on paper, having a top 10 seed
means you're favored in every match
until the quarter-finals.
That could be the key to a deep run for HUGE,
but Jonathan still needs to dominate here to lock one up.
The tough thing with HUGE is that
the geometries of these two robots
is so ridiculous and so wacky,
that it's really kind of hard to predict
exactly what's gonna happen.
He's wider than us, we know that.
As far as how we're gonna fight them,
if we go for the center
of their robot, for their body,
they're gonna hit us on the way in.
We're gonna throw on all of the armor that we can,
take that shot on the way in, and hopefully,
we can get the arm up and over and onto their body,
but aside from that, we really have no idea
what this fight's gonna look like. [laughs lightly]
We've always been the only guy with the big wheels, right?
This is the first time there's ever been somebody else besides us.
So we're gonna try and do what people try and do to us.
Destroy the wheels, try and hit as much of the body as we can,
just disable it any way possible.
We're 3-0, like, we're in a great spot,
we feel like we're gonna be in the playoffs,
we've beat some amazing teams,
Pressure off, on that sense.
It's not must-win.
But there's only three or four, five robots,
that are gonna be at 4-0 this year.
And if we can be one of those,
that's gonna secure us, like, a high seed,
that's gonna secure an easier path to the Championship, basically.
[robotic voice] Robots activate!
[cheering intensifies]
[Chris] Look at this, Kenny!
It's like the meme of the two Spider-Mans pointing at each other!
I love it!
[Kenny] Very similar 40-inch wheels,
but two very different weapons
when you talk about the blade versus the thwacker.
Starchild is one of the only robots in the field
capable of hitting HUGE's weak spot, though,
right between the eyes.
[robotic crescendo]
[cheering]
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[audience members] HUGE! HUGE!
[buzzers sounding]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
Big wheels all around!
Starchild getting hung up!
[Chris and Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Starchild throws the thwacker right into the blade of HUGE!
Loses a chunk of armor in the process!
[Kenny] Starchild already in trouble here, Chris.
Great driving by Jonathan Schultz,
pinning it in the corner to start.
- [Chris] As well as dropping that 100-pound pulverizer-- - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] HUGE chipping away at Starchild!
- [Kenny] Oh, wow! - [Chris] Whoa-oh-oh!
[Kenny] HUGE just going to work here,
they've been dominant for every single fight!
[Chris] Yeah, for years, we've said about HUGE,
"Hey, why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"
He's like, "Yeah? Well, what about today? I'm good!"
[Kenny] What a treat for these fans,
to get to watch this crazy match-up in person,
two of the most unique robots you'll ever see!
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] Great shot there by HUGE!
Yeah!
[Chris] Yeah, HUGE just flipped Starchild right around,
- courtesy of the wheels! - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] And again!
[Kenny] Those wheels on Starchild are starting
to fray a little bit!
Not sure it can take many more of these shots!
[Chris] Uh-oh! Starchild has a wheel on the screws!
[Chris and Kenny both yell]
- [Kenny] Big hit! - [Chris] Oh! [laughs]
[Chris] HUGE still threatening with its weapon!
Bullies Starchild onto the Upper Deck!
- [Kenny] Oh, no! - [Chris] Look at that left,
or right, or whichever wheel that is on Starchild!
That thing's been deflated, Kenny!
[Kenny] Yeah, but a nice job by Brandon Zalinsky
to right his robot there.
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] There's another nasty shot by HUGE!
Come on, stand back up!
[Chris] Starchild kinda caught under the screws of the Upper Deck!
You can see one of those wheels is off-balance!
Massive problems for Brandon Zalinsky's crew!
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely,
and Jonathan Schultz has just become
- one with his robot this year. - [Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] Continues to devastate Starchild.
[Chris] I don't know, Starchild's gonna have to go out
and pump up that tire!
- 'Cause that wheel looks shot, Kenny! - [Kenny chuckles] Oh, man!
[Kenny] Starchild lost its weapon early in this fight,
Chris, and my goodness!
HUGE has taken advantage!
- [audience] Oh! - [Chris and Kenny] Oh!
[Kenny] There goes the wheel, Chris!
[Chris] Oh, half of that thing has been chewed off!
It's like they took a big ol' bite outta that thing!
[Kenny] Oh, this is almost sad to see!
Starchild is struggling!
It's like an animal out in the wild!
Look at this!
[Chris] Let's give Starchild some credit, though!
The fact that it's able to actually maneuver
and stay alive, not get counted out?
That's something special!
- [glass breaking] - [audience] Oh!
[Kenny] Oh, there goes the light, Chris!
[Chris] And there goes one of the lights!
[Chris] Wow, gosh! Do you mind cleaning that up please, Kenny?
- [Kenny] No, thank you! Starchild-- - [Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] Taking a beating here!
HUGE, taking no prisoners either!
Taking pieces of the BattleBox!
It just won't die!
[Chris] Unreal performance by HUGE!
[Kenny] Oh-oh-oh!
[Chris] One more shot!
That's fine, that's fine...
- [timer beeping] - [Chris] Unbelievable!
- [Kenny] Wow! - [Chris] Somehow, Starchild is gonna make it the distance!
[Chris] HUGE says, "You might look like me!
You might dress like me!"
- [buzzer sounds] - [Chris] "But I am him!"
[Kenny laughing]
- [Jonathan] HUGE! - [cheering and applause]
[Kenny] My goodness!
Call the coroner! Starchild in pieces!
[audience cheering]
[crew member] Come on. Three minutes.
We did it.
[speaking indistinctly]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, the rise of HUGE continues!
[Kenny] Unbelievable.
Starchild went right at HUGE to start this fight,
Jonathan Schultz with the quick pivot maneuver,
drove Starchild into the corner,
and went to work.
[Chris] Hit after hit,
pieces of Starchild were flying around the box.
But credit to Brandon Zalinsky,
he built a tough machine,
because these are knockout shots!
[Kenny] Seeing a bot that size getting tossed around
never ceases to amaze me, Chris!
This was a dismantling!
HUGE took out Starchild's weapon,
then shredded that tire like it was made of plywood.
[Chris] Somehow, Starchild makes it the distance,
HUGE going all-out
in pursuit of a perfect record in the qualifiers.
[audience cheering]
The results from the judges are in!
[audience cheering]
[audience members] HUGE!
The winner, by unanimous decision is...
HUGE!
[cheering, applause]
- [audience member] HUGE! - [audience members] Starchild! Starchild!
[Chris] Jonathan Schultz!
Jonathan, what a fight, it doesn't get any better than that!
No, I mean, this is as good as it's ever been!
[laughs nervously]
We always find a way to give one fight away.
We always find a way to lose a fight, every year, and,
so far, it's working!
Longest win streak we've ever had,
4-0 is the best indicator that it's working.
But we...[exhales] It's better than we ever imagined.
So where would you rank HUGE, right now?
I mean, it's we've never had a top 10 seed.
So if there was a goal I could set for the playoffs,
it's to have a top 10 seed.
I know there's a couple 4-0 robots out there,
you know, ever year we're in the playoffs,
it's Whiplash, it's Uppercut, it's Bite Force.
I'd be, I'm happy to be the high seed, for once.
- I think it'll be good! - [cheering]
Congratulations! Once again,
let's hear it for team HUGE, everybody!
- Thank you very much! - [cheering, applause]
[audience members] HUGE!
All right, Kenny, this was a ton of fun to watch,
I mean, who expected to see four big wheels
in one arena at the same time?
[Kenny] It was great to see these two robots go at it,
HUGE and Jonathan Schultz just continue to impress,
they go 4-0 on the season against four
very different types of robots,
they are going to be a handful
to deal with in the tournament, look out!
[Chris] And we gotta give a whole lot of credit to Brandon Zalinsky,
for never backing down in that fight.
You wanna know how to get invited back, despite going 0-4?
That's how you do it.
Keep your head up, though, dude.
You're still fun to watch.
Coming up, in a shocker,
Adam Wrigley and team Shatter! are 0-3 on the season.
We can't believe it!
The fans can't believe it!
But you better believe they need a win tonight
to have any chance of making the tournament!.
They square off against Ominous,
when we come back, on BattleBots!
[applause and cheering]
[cheering and applause]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we just saw HUGE win a three-minute beatdown
on Starchild to move to 4-0.
And here's what HUGE captain Jonathan Schultz
had to say after that victory.
[Jonathan] You know, to be 4-0 in this field?
I'm looking at a top 10 seed, at least.
We've never been 4-0. We've never just gotten clean through a season.
It's never worked this well.
It's all new. I'm on top of the world.
Our path, I think, is clear.
We beat some of the most unique robots that are here, so,
just beat the normal ones.
The bracket's full of the normal ones.
I think this robot could really do it.
[Chris] HUGE now just the second team
to go undefeated in the qualifiers.
We'll see where they land in the tournament field,
next week!
But right now, we move from a battle of the big wheels
to a battle of the omni-wheels,
as the 1-2 Ominous takes on the 0-3 Shatter!
This should be a fun one!
But Kenny, "fun" is not a word that Adam Wrigley would use
to describe the season of team Shatter!
They sit winless,
a few weeks ago, they filed an appeal
in their loss to Horizon,
but they didn't get it overturned.
Adam Wrigley's sitting here,
scratching his head, wondering,
"What the heck's going on, here?"
[Kenny] They're in struggle town right now,
no question about it.
Um, it is extremely surprising,
because Shatter! is another one of those teams
that I thought would have everything together,
would be very dialed in,
but that loss to Horizon is glaring.
Appeal or not, that's a fight they should have won.
Even so, their first two losses
were to very strong opponents.
HUGE is undefeated and Beta is 2-1.
If they can put in an impressive performance tonight,
you can't slam the door on this team just yet.
But make no mistake,
Shatter's season hinges on this fight.
[Chris] Squaring off against Tim Bouwens from the Netherlands,
it's been a tough rookie season for Ominous.
Just the one win in a Judges' decision against SHREDDIT BRO!
And SHREDDIT BRO! actually appealed
- because the fight was so close. - [cheering]
[Chris] The appeal was unsuccessful,
but if Ominous wins here,
that would be a nice feather in their cap
for the Dutch dudes.
[Kenny] Yeah, you know, this is a very ambitious design,
it's been a nightmare rookie campaign,
and I'd love to see team Ominous perform well here,
and prove they belong in this elite field of 50.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right! Well, both bots are ready to rock!
Let's go down to the driver's deck!
[intense music playing]
[robotic voice] Red team ready?
[Chris] There's captain Tim Bouwens
hitting the button,
he's probably not playoff-bound, but Kenny,
will a win here at least guarantee we'll see
the Dutch bot again next season?
[Kenny] I think so! I love the movement,
the weapon has some potential,
a win over Shatter! would be a big step
in the right direction.
[robotic voice] Blue team ready?
- [cheering intensifies] - [Chris] That is Moose,
one of Shatter!'s engineers, hitting the button.
This squad has handled the 0-3 start with a lot of grace,
but that doesn't mean they're throwing in the towel.
[Kenny] How can you, when you've got a drill sergeant
like Adam's brother Eric on your team?
Now, while Ominous wants to stay tight,
Shatter!'s going to rely on those forks
to keep them at a distance,
where their hammer can inflict maximum damage,
and their season depends on it.
- [intense music ends] - [cheering intensifies]
[robotic crescendo]
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[lights buzzing]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
A pair of floating bots with those omni wheels.
Those are so cool, Kenny.
[Kenny] Ah, they look awesome
- just moving around the BattleBox. - [Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] There's a nice shot by Shatter!
[Chris] Shatter! doing what it has to do against Ominous.
- [Kenny] Oh. - [Chris] Yeah!
Getting him in the corner
and using that weapon right on top.
- Fight! - [Kenny] Yeah, great start by Shatter!,
forcing Ominous into the short corner here.
Much easier for them to land shots with their hammer
when they have their opponent trapped.
[Chris] Looks like Ominous ripped off one of those front forks on Shatter!.
Shatter! really has to be careful here.
That vertical spinner on Ominous
can deliver some crippling shots.
And whoa! Down!
[Kenny] You know, power shot by ominous.
[Chris] Shatter! shakes it off, gets right back to work.
Being very aggressive with that hammer.
[Kenny] Look at that little piece of Ominous stuck to the hammer!
Puts it up for the judges to see.
- [Chris] Now he gets rid of it. - Aim.
[Chris] Shatter's! swinging wildly now,
trying to free himself from that piece of armor
that it just took off of Ominous.
[Chris] And it does.
Ominous not moving with much purpose so far.
The weapon is spinning,
but can it find a a way to deliver it to the frame of Shatter!?
[Kenny] We've got a little stare down now here in the center of the box.
[Chris] Well, you gotta figure at 0 and 3,
Adam Wrigley's gotta pull out all the stops here
and just fire that weapon at will, Kenny.
[Kenny] There's no doubt, it's time to let it fly.
Shatter definitely being more cautious here out in open space.
[Chris] There's another big swing and a miss
and he keeps hitting the floor.
Both of these teams struggling to put their robots in position
to land quality strikes.
[Kenny] Yeah, I mean, these omni-wheel robots are hard to drive.
It's also hard to predict where the opposing robot is going to be.
[Chris] But this is exactly what Shatter! has to do,
get Ominous and get him in the corner backed up against the rails
and take advantage with that precise shooting of the hammer.
[Kenny] Shatter! doing a good job of playing the bully role here,
really trying to push Ominous around.
That's gonna play well with the aggression category
should this one go the distance.
Ominous looks to really be struggling with its mobility now.
Oh! Big shot there!
Beautiful shot by Shatter!,
straight to the weapon of Ominous.
And that just looks to be slowing down.
Have they compromised it?
[Chris] Under 45 to go.
Such an important fight for both these bots.
Ominous at 1-2.
Shatter! winless.
- [Chris and Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] There's still life in the weapon of Ominous
as it rips another fork right off of Shatter!
[Kenny] Shatter! letting it fly now.
[Chris] Yeah, Ominous just kind of spinning out of control.
Shatter's! just thrown its hammer on the floor.
Both bots taking kill sword shots.
[yelling]
[Chris] And of course it wouldn't be a Shatter! fight
without Eric Wrigley yelling at the sky.
[Kenny] Ominous with some nice defensive driving.
Now Shatter! trying to close the distance.
[Chris] Speaking of distance, this one's gonna go the full three minutes.
Which of these bots impressed the judges most?
- [timer buzzes] - It is time to find out.
[referee] It's over. It's over.
Hey, hey, hey there.
I know. I'm just trying to get away from his weapon there.
[Chris] As the judges get to work on there cards,
remember, they are scoring in the categories of damage,
aggression, and control.
Well, Kenny, both bots came out
floating like butterflies,
but it was Shatter! that got the first sting.
[Kenny] Yeah, a nasty hammer shot there that dug into Ominous.
Some great work from Ominous in the corner though,
knocking Shatter! back,
scoring some good damage points.
[Chris] Yeah, some nice back and forth in this one.
Check out this shot from Shatter!
Picking up Ominous parts like a highway trash collector.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think Shatter's! gonna have the edge
in terms of damage.
And they were super aggressive with the hammer
They were having some drive issues,
but Ominous just didn't do much to capitalize.
[Chris] Eric Wrigley said, Come at me, bro!"
Here's Farouk coming at us with the decision
[crowd cheering]
The results from the judges are in.
[crowd cheering]
The winner by unanimous decision is...
- ...Shatter! - Yeah. Whoo!
[crowd cheering]
- Oh, my God. - [laughing]
- Good fight. - Good fight.
[Chris] Adam Wrigley, congratulations.
Gotta be honest, it did look like you had some drive issues out there.
What happened?
[chuckles] I don't know what is up.
We drive so well in the test box.
We put it in here and it just...
It's hard for me to control.
I think we still controlled the fight.
I think we were still aggressive.
I think we still nailed a lot of good hits.
But I know the robot can drive better than that,
so it's just been a disappointing season for us.
I mean, we're really happy to get the win.
It was a fun fight to go against another omni.
But, uh, you know,
it's good to end on a high note.
[Kenny] Uh, I wanna talk about that.
Omni versus omni, right? Omni wheels.
Uh, what's the challenge of going against another robot
that, that's utilizing that?
This is really funny because this season, you know,
we've gone against another omnidirectional robot.
We've gone against another hammer.
I've actually never fought against another hammer
or another omnidirectional robot, ever.
So I get to see what, what, what our opponents are up against.
And, you know, it's tricky because you don't think
the robot's gonna drive sideways.
No one else does that.
Um, we don't have a ton of top-armor configs
'cause it's very rare to do that.
So, going against hammers, going against omnis,
you know, the, the schedule planners had some fun with our season,
and it was interesting to, to do.
All right, Adam. Congratulations on the W.
Thanks. Cheers.
[crowd cheering]
A huge sigh of relief from Adam Wrigley and Shatter!
They finally get into the win column tonight.
They needed that one, for sure.
I thought this was the best that their weapon has looked.
Gave themselves a shot at making the tournament at 1 and 3.
Ominous also moves to 1-3.
But obviously, Shatter's! gonna be ahead of them in the rankings.
The post-season puzzle pieces
are starting to fall into place.
[Chris] Well, if it is the end of the road for Shatter!
credit to Adam Wrigley for keeping his head up and going out with a win.
That's a wrap on his qualifiers.
Now it's in the hands of the selection committee.
When we come back,
Triton may have the biggest weapon in the field.
But so far they've been outdriven and overpowered.
These rookies now sit on the post-season bubble
and have one more shot to prove they're a tournament team.
They face Horizon next on BattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to BattleBots.
You are looking at Riptide and Black Dragon
getting set up for tonight's main event.
The Brazilians have a career record of 16-8,
but they have never been knocked out.
And tonight, if they KO Riptide or go the distance,
they will tie one of the most incredible records inBattleBots history.
And Kenny's got the goods on what makes this bot unkillable.
[Kenny] In 24 career fights,
the Brazilian bot Black Dragon has never been knocked out.
And now they're on the doorsteps of history.
[Chris and Kenny] Oh!
The legend of this bot spinner's durability began in 2020
where it won a tournament fight despite being on fire
for over two minutes.
An absolute tank that can take hits.
[Kenny] What a hit to start this fight!
What are they doing?
And how can I replicate that in my robot,
so that if some batteries catch on fire,
the rest don't, and it just keeps working.
[Kenny] On the outside, their signature vulcanized rubber wheels
are denser than many wheel types
and allow them to take a beating and keep on trucking.
Great hit on Rotator!
And on the inside, their unique compartmentalized frame
keeps key components like batteries away from each other.
And loads of fire-retardant foam,
not only reduces shock in those individual compartments,
it prevents fire from spreading
- from one part to another. - They don't die.
[Kenny] All that has added up to this incredible iron-man streak
and a chance to tie the record of the greatest robot of all time,
Bite Force.
Black Dragon is unstoppable. Like Bite Force,
we almost there.
Let's take to Brazil.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Great stuff, Kenny.
And again, they'll be trying to set the record against
maybe the bot with the strongest weapon in the field, Riptide.
We'll see that marquee matchup at the end of the night.
But right now we've got Triton and Horizon.
Two rookie teams with 1-2 records
trying to make one final push for the postseason.
All right, the bots are locked and loaded inside the box.
Let's get ready for this fight.
[crowd cheering]
There's Triton with its massive 80-pound weapon
getting settled into the red square.
Captain Bradley Hanstad's biggest issue has been mobility.
If he can get that dialed in,
his robot could be an incredibly destructive force.
And there's Horizon.
Josh Kong's dual-disc spinner looked much better in its last fight.
The weapons were working, and it got a close win over Shatter!
They still have an awful lot to prove though.
So let's see if they can ride that momentum
into their final fight of the season.
[woman] Whoo! Let's go Horizon!
[crowd cheering]
Horizon.
Triton.
Can Bradley Hanstad do enough to punch his ticket?
Time to find out.
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
Let the bot battle begin.
Weapons, all three of them are up to full speed.
There's a little jab from Triton.
Triton, remember, with that 80-pound weapon,
that's what you can max out at.
And it stops temporarily and it's now back.
[Kenny] Both of these robots have been plagued by mobility issues
here in their rookie seasons.
They're on display again tonight.
You like to see those dual discs of Horizon spinning though.
[Chris] Like the robots, that driving surface takes a beating here
at the heavyweight level as we get deeper into the season.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
[Chris] Maybe we have to bust out the BattleBot Zamboni
for a cleaning of the floor.
[Kenny] Triton having some serious issues with its weapon to start.
But it's back up to speed.
- Oh. - [Chris] There's a nice shot.
And maybe it disassembled one of those spinning discs.
- Oh! - [Kenny] Oh, another shot to the same weapon.
You see parts fly at Horizon.
[Chris] Triton landing with some power now,
but is it feeling the effects, Kenny?
Not moving very well at the moment.
[Kenny] Yeah, it looks like it lost that left side drive, Chris.
Let's see if Horizon can take advantage
with only one of its disc spinners that are still operational.
[Chris] Both these bots made their debut here in season 7.
One of them is gonna improve to 2-2
and perhaps have a shot at the round of 32.
Another impact there that sends the bots backwards.
Triton's still kinda crab-walking.
- And Horizon now moving very gingerly here, Kenny. - Try to engage.
[Kenny] Yeah, it's weapon arms are still circling,
but Horizon is frozen in place,
which means it's in danger of getting counted out here.
- Yes. - [Chris] Oh, nice chip shot by Triton.
- Still absolutely no movement from Horizon. - Ten, nine, eight...
- [Chris] And here comes the countdown. - ...seven, six...
- [Chris] Triton is gonna improve at 2-2. - ...five, four,
- three, two, one. - [Chris] As the sun sets on Horizon's...
- Knockout! - ...rookie campaign.
- [referee] Turn it down, please. - Yes, sir.
- Yeah. - You guys are amazing.
- Nice. - That was such a beautiful robot.
You gonna drive?
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, Triton was able to land
a couple of decent shots to Horizon.
Not the big-time blows we were hoping for,
but they did what they needed to do.
[Kenny] Yeah, they took out one of those dual discs early on.
But ended up losing a wheel and half of their drive.
Far from a perfect fight for Triton.
[Chris] Lucky for Bradley Hanstad,
Horizon's drive gave out shortly afterwards.
And it was lights out for the rookie.
[crowd cheering]
Whoo!
Oh, yes.
Glad you guys got a win in there.
[Chris] All right, Kenny, this is the point of the program
where not all the math is equal.
You gotta follow me here, right?
Triton, after the win against Horizon now sits at 2-2.
But they beat a couple of teams that were barely moving.
Um, and so now they've gotta sit around
and they see a bunch of teams that are 2-2,
and they're thinking, "Well, do we have a shot
with the selection committee or not?"
Right. Stats, records, they don't always tell the whole story.
Triton's clearly improved down the stretch,
but the weapon still isn't functioning as it was advertised.
To me, they're still not dangerous enough
to be considered a tournament team.
But I like where they're headed. Maybe next year.
[Chris] As for Horizon,
it's safe to say the sun has set on Josh Kong's team.
They finish 1-3.
But I certainly hope they can take what they've learned
and apply it to the robot in the off-season.
All right, coming up, it's a pair of dangerous teams
with their sights set on a high tournament seed.
It's Bloodsport taking on Beta.
They're going hammer against whatever Bloodsport wants to run.
We'll find out what weapon they choose
when we return here on BattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All right, we continue on here on BattleBots.
Kenny, up next, it's a pair of 2-1 teams
trying to improve their seeding
if they're fortunate enough to make it into the round of 32.
It's Bloodsport's Justin Marple
squaring off against John Reid's Beta.
These two probably are tournament bound,
but a big win for either team could jettison them toward a top 10 seed.
Let's start with Bloodsport,
who's been one of the most violent bots over the last couple of years.
But right now, it's still not where Justin wants it to be.
[Kenny] Yeah. They're coming off two KO wins.
But their last fight could have gone either way.
And this'll be a tough matchup
because Beta's got one of the best front wedges in the game,
which is like kryptonite for a horizontal.
Win or lose, I think Bloodsport needs to be destructive
for a full three minutes to improve their seeding.
[Chris] And as or John Reid and Beta,
this season's been a return to form.
But if they drop this one,
that would mean going into the round of 32 with consecutive losses,
which is not the kind of momentum John wants.
[Kenny] Yeah, and John kinda threw in the towel in his last fight
to avoid taking too much damage before the postseason.
[John] Go, let's go.
Hey! Hey!
Oh, no, no fire. Oh, no fire, no fire.
Ten, nine.
[Kenny] Not a great look, and it could come back to hurt him,
if he does it again.
It's the old rest versus rust debate,
you can make sure your parts are functional,
but they might not be firing on all cylinders.
Let's see if he comes out swinging tonight.
Let's see who's improving to 3-1. Farouk.
[crowd cheering]
[Farouk] In the red square,
American football might give you concussions and brain damage,
and boxing may cause more pain than most people can manage.
But for this bot, that's nothing.
Spilling blood is his game.
So dangerous in the ring,
Kenny Florian should be his nickname.
- It's Bloodsport! - [Chris chuckles]
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, I think you owe Farouk 50 bucks for that one.
Now, Bloodsport has more weapons
than a 16th-century warlord.
So, what are they going with tonight?
[Kenny] They call this the "wheel of misfortune."
It's their lightest blade,
but you can see how that webbed design
basically functions as armor against overhead attacks.
They used a similar weapon last year
in a win over another hammer bot, Blacksmith.
But the bigger issue here will be dishing out damage rather than receiving.
- [crowd cheering] - [whistling]
[Farouk] In the blue square,
this bot is British,
but don't expect them to buy you a pint at the pub,
or take you out here in Vegas and get you shots at the club.
But if your goal was to get a little tipsy,
your hopes aren't completely dashed
because this bot will get you completely and absolutely hammered
and totally smashed.
Give it up for Beta!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] John Reid there in the middle,
amber operator Jason Marsden on the right.
His quick trigger finger has made a huge difference for this team.
And they're going with the skinny hammer again, Kenny.
Yeah, and while it may look flimsy,
it's made from AR500 steel.
That actually makes it much more durable
than the mallet hammer which is made out of aluminum.
It's designed to bend and not break.
And as we saw in the Kraken fight,
it still packs a punch, even when crooked.
[crowd cheering]
We're expecting it to be a pretty long matchup.
They are... They are a tough bot.
They're no joke.
Um, and we're just gonna have to dish the hits,
and once we get that right hit in the right spot,
I think it'll be... it'll be in our favor.
We're gonna try and get around to the edge.
They... They have a big wedge.
But my back side is not very protected.
So if we can get one hit in there,
the whole drive's gone.
3-1 will secure us the top seed in, in the playoffs.
That'll give us a good first matchup,
um, and give us a good chance to go, you know,
for the... all the way to the Giant Nut.
Bloodsport is not your conventional horizontal bar spinner
like Tombstone or so.
But then again, it's, it's still a horizontal.
So always with horizontals, you're looking to tumble them.
Get in there fast, unsettle their balance,
hopefully they bounce around the arena,
do themselves a bit of damage.
So we view our match with Bloodsport is critical
to our getting into the 32.
2-2 is getting a bit shaky.
I think... I think we really need to go for 3-1.
[crowd cheering]
[electronic voice] Robots, activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, that looks like an expensive laptop.
[Kenny] Yeah. That's actually a telemetry system you see running there.
They are one of the few teams that uses real-time data
to assess key vitals inside the robot
like core temp, RPMs, and battery level.
That's why you see them stop and start their weapons so often during fights.
[Chris] That's exactly how I was gonna break it down.
[crowd cheering]
Well, Justin Marple will need all the help he can get
to penetrate that massive wedge of Beta.
Can he find a way around it?
Or will Beta continue to show the world
why it's the most feared hammer bot on the planet?
It's a fight with big-time tournament implications,
and it coming your way
next on BattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to BattleBots
where we've got a showdown between two heavy hitters
who are each sitting at 2-1.
Beta brought the hammer.
Bloodsport brought the blade.
Both are looking to bring the pain.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Bloodsport.
Beta.
Winner gets the easier tournament path.
Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
[lights buzzing]
Let the bot battle begin!
Beta chasing Bloodsport.
Their weapon up to full speed.
And Bloodsport getting a full taste of that wedge, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely. That wedge is doing a great job for Beta,
- getting under Bloodsport repeatedly. - [Chris] Whoa!
Nice job by Beta using the BattleBox
and throwing Bloodsport right off the rails!
[Chris] And again off the screws.
[Kenny] Yeah. It's definitely doing a great job
at introducing the BattleBox to Bloodsport here.
This is exactly what they need to do.
They have him trapped in the corner
but Bloodsport escapes.
[Chris] Bloodsport checking their telemetry,
trying to get back up to full speed, and they do.
But, man, there's no way around that silver wedge, Kenny.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Oh, wow!
Bloodsport ends up on the upper deck.
And Beta's like, "I gotcha."
And he fires the hammer for the first time, and a second!
Beta dominant early.
[Kenny] Justin Marple hasn't been able to find space to spin up.
But look at the hammer bot tracking him down
- like a freak safety. - [Chris] Uh-oh!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] John Reid taking Bloodsport into the corner!
Just misfires with the hammer.
[Kenny] Yeah, and ramming Bloodsport into the sides of the arena
is exactly what Beta wants to do
to keep Justin Marple from spinning up, just like this.
[Chris] big picture,
an enormous fight from both these bots
- sitting at two in one. - [Kenny] Oh.
[Chris] You're talking about round of 32 seating,
and Beta just delivering shots,
and stomping the blade of Bloodsport.
[Kenny] Oh!
And that was actually a good shot there
- by Justin Marple. - [crowd exclaiming]
They've been having more success in the mid-range,
not when they've had a ton of space.
Beta's wedge just too suffocating
when they get their momentum going.
[Chris] Well, John Reid's been winning this game of cat and mouse,
at least so far.
Closing in on the one minute mark--
- [both] Oh! - [crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] Beta again with a nice job against Bloodsport.
[crowd cheering]
But there you go, Kenny,
Justin Marple starts to square up.
[Kenny] And, Chris, when Bloodsport gets up on the wedge like that,
they are just inches away
- from clipping Beta's hammer mechanism. - [Chris] Jeez.
All it would take is one shot from their blade
to immediately change the tide here.
They got to keep attacking.
[Chris] Under a minute to go.
Beta has truly controlled the tempo.
Bloodsport a little out of control now,
looking like a full-body spinner there.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
- [both] Oh! - [crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] Big shot to Bloodsport's directional indicator.
[Chris] John Reid has done a phenomenal job keeping that beat forward,
protecting his robot, and showing some aggression.
[Kenny] Yeah, they've done a great job
just owning the BattleBox here.
- Bloodsport trapped against the side yet again. - [crowd gasping]
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] Nice shot by Beta
smacking the top of Bloodsport.
Spin it up.
[Chris] They had one final impression
- for the judges to take to their scorecards, - [timer beeping]
because these two two-in-one teams
are gonna go the full three minutes in an action-packed fight.
- Wow, phenomenal work. - [theme music playing]
Yes!
Woo!
Oh, man, that was awesome.
- Beta! Beta! - [crowd chanting] Beta! Beta!
- Yeah, my driving was, like, half-powered the whole time. - Yeah.
They were just so fast. You didn't make a mistake, so...
[Chris] Kenny, credit to these two bots for putting on a show,
but, man, this was all about Beta.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
There was just [chuckling] no getting around
that big wedge.
This was a masterful performance by John Reid,
repeatedly ramming Bloodsport into the rails
and dominating the control category.
[Chris] Both bots were fully functional at the end of this match,
but it kind of felt like Beta dictated the action from start to finish.
[Kenny] No doubt.
Justin Marple did a nice job of staying aggressive,
but I thought John locked up the damage category
with this nasty shot to the top of Bloodsport.
This should be a unanimous decision for Beta.
[Chris] Well, one of these teams is improving to three in one
and will earn a better tournament seed.
What say you, Faruq?
The results from the judges are in.
[crowd murmuring]
The winner, by unanimous decision, is...
[crowd shouting]
Beta!
- Beta! - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] John, you've had trouble
with horizontal spinners in the past.
How were you able to lock down the victory here tonight?
Well, terrifying spinner, [laughs]
but you have to get in there.
You have to engage, destabilize them,
get them into the wall, and we did it.
- Beta is back! - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] Well, that just about says it all.
Congrats, and we will see you in the round of 32.
Thank you.
[Chris] Well, forget rest versus rust,
Beta is firing on all cylinders.
Big win for them.
Great to see John Reid and this hammer bot doing their thing
as they improve to three in one.
This was impressive.
Bloodsport's a very dangerous team.
That performance could put Beta into the top 16
which should give them a more favorable first round matchup.
[Chris] As for Bloodsport, uh-oh, two in two.
Selection committee looking it over, the resume, the whole bit.
How nervous should Justin Marple and his crew be?
[Kenny] Well, they had to go through
some top tier teams to get here,
and they certainly have the pedigree.
I think they're safe,
but they did just make life a lot harder on themselves.
Now they'll probably be seated in the '20s
and will have to face another top team in the first round.
[Chris] All right, well, up next,
we've got a pair of fan favorites
making their way to the arena.
Ricky Willems and Mammoth
- will try to avoid post-season extinction again. - [crowd cheering]
Matt Spurk and Kraken.
Can Kraken get win number one on the regular season,
or will Mammoth even its record at two-and-two?
We're gonna find out next on BattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Who doesn't love moreBattlebots?
You do, we do, and we love our next two bot builders,
Ricky Willems and Mammoth, and Matt Spurk of Kraken, a pair of veterans.
A little bit frustrated this season,
more so, I think, for Ricky Willems and his team.
You can really kind of see it on his face.
I think he hoped to be further along with this robot this year.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
You know, this is a guy and a team
that likes to do things their way,
but that's lead them to a one in two start,
and has left their drive system cooked over that span.
To solve that issue though, Ricky's getting creative.
They've upgraded their drive modules
to the same ones HyperShock uses.
The team crammed it in to the test box earlier today,
and if it works we can see a much more mobile Mammoth.
Hey, there we go.
[Kenny] This is the kind of Hail Mary Ricky needs
if he wants to make the tournament.
I think he needs to blow Kraken out of the water tonight.
[Chris] And on the other side of things,
Matt Spurk went 0 and 4 last year with Kraken.
In the off-season he completely redesigned the bot,
gave it a big and beautiful new active weapon,
and there he is again, sitting at O in three,
but I think the way he's feeling about his robot
is entirely different this year.
He's, I think, breathing easier. Why is that?
Well, I think he understands that he is bringing
a completely different weapon, a completely different robot in general.
There's so much new tech inside this machine.
Matt knew this year was going to be a learning experience,
and this new version of Kraken has had moments of brilliance,
they've just been few and far between.
But one thing that hasn't changed
is this Matt Spurk-made robot is tough as nails,
and he's got a chance to end Mammoth's season tonight.
With all that being said,
it would be nice for him to get at least one win
- throughout the regular season. - Yeah.
- Faruq? - [crowd cheering]
In the red square, from Baltimore, Maryland,
somebody call John Waters because this bot is divine.
You can't stop the beatdown. It's Mammoth.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Ricky Willems, he is one with his 6' tall robot.
Doesn't look different on the surface,
but, Kenny, tell us a little bit more about the new drive.
[Kenny] Well, the new drive is geared to nearly double the speed
of Mammoth's old one,
but Ricky knows if he pushes too hard it'll overheat.
I'm expecting to see a much more calculated approach tonight.
This team's season depends on it.
[crowd continues cheering]
In the blue square, from Titusville, Florida,
this salty captain will point at your robot and shout, "Thar it blows!"
- It's Kraken! - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] And here comes the Spurk family.
No matter what their record is, fans love to watch 'em.
And, Kenny, sounds like they've been working on their robot's drive as well.
[Kenny] Yeah, mobility's good.
The story of Kraken's season,
first two fights it could barely move.
In its last match it was actually too fast and Matt lost control.
He switched out the radio transmitter for this one.
That'll hopefully hit more of a sweet spot
and help lead to Kraken 2.0's first career win.
[crowd chanting] Kraken! Kraken!
Kraken may be O in three,
but I've been watching Matt work for the last week.
I think Kraken's gonna come out into the Box stronger than it's ever been,
and I'm gonna have to stay on my toes
to make sure that they don't take me down.
In order to win tonight's fight,
we need to stay on 'em with our weapon the entire time.
I've seen them, they don't self-right all that well.
If we can keep 'em flipped over for most of the match,
maybe get 'em up on the screws,
I think we can win this based on control.
It's our last chance
to impress the selection committee,
and we really need this to go well.
So, we're going into our final match against Mammoth.
They're trying some new drive motors for this match,
so I think they're gonna be extra cautious.
Now, that may give us the opportunity
to kind of get around the sides and exploit them a little bit.
We lost every fight last year.
We've lost every fight so far this year.
We really just need to get a win
to get the whole team some confidence
that what we're doing is right,
and we're heading in the right direction,
and we're building some momentum.
[crowd cheering]
- [robotic voice] Robots activate. - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] So, Kenny, Mammoth needs a win,
but against an O in three Kraken,
is it even possible for Ricky to do enough to keep his season alive?
[Kenny] Well, he's got to be dominant
and that might not be an easy thing to do.
Kraken's hammer saw could chew up Mammoth's wheels,
and it's one of the few weapons with enough reach
to hit Mammoth's weapon chain.
If Ricky isn't careful, this fight could go sideways real quick.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight!
[beeping]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
- Oh, Mammoth quick out of the Box - [crowd gasping]
and delivers a shot.
[Kenny] Yeah, nice speed there from Mammoth, staying aggressive.
Looks like Kraken's going after its wheels.
[Chris] Whoa!
Yeah! That's a good one!
[Chris] Good shot there.
Kraken's blade fully spun up, looking for a little bit of an opening.
- [Kenny] Oh. - [Chris] Whoa!
[Chris] Kraken went right into the belly of the beast,
but the beast, it punched back.
- Oh. - [Kenny] Looks like Matt Spurk's
- targeting Mammoth's crossbar. - [Chris] Oh!
- [crowd gasping] - [Kenny] Mammoth doing a good job
of keeping that weapon pointed directly right at Kraken.
[Chris] Oh, nice.
And credit to Matt Spurk, not shying away from contact.
- [Chris and Kenny] Oh! - [crowd gasping]
[Chris] Kraken took a shot there
- but delivers one as well. - [crowd gasping]
[Kenny] Whoa!
[Chris] And forget the sea monster.
Right now, Kraken's looking more like a piranha.
[crowd cheering]
- [crowd exclaiming] - [Kenny] Yeah, the UHMW half of Mammoth's weapon
is pretty bent up.
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] The tapered side still works, though.
[Chris] Kraken trying to get that weapon to spin up to full speed.
- Put the arm up, put the arm up. - I'm trying, I'm trying.
[Chris] Got a little hop, skip, and a jump out of Mammoth.
Obviously, the two areas where Mammoth is most vulnerable,
those wheels on the sides,
and also, we've seen that weapon chain come undone at times.
[Kenny] I like the approach here by Ricky Willems though,
trying to keep Matt Spurk centered up,
maybe force Kraken into a corner.
[Chris] And that seems to be exactly where they're headed.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
- [crowd exclaiming] - [Chris] Kraken's not where you want to be
- against Mammoth. - [Kenny] Whoa!
[Chris] In fact, it gets put on its head.
[Kenny] Nice self-right by Matt Spurk there,
but Mammoth's been in total control this fight.
- Oh! - [Chris] And again,
- the head dump. - [crowd cheering]
- [Kenny] Oh, jeez. - [Chris] Nice shot by Mammoth.
[Kenny] Well, to get out of this,
I think Kraken's gonna have to get its blade going.
Not sure Ricky Willems is gonna let that happen, though.
[Chris] Closing in on the one minute mark.
Fourth and final fight of the season for both these bots,
- Mammoth trying to even its record of two in two, - [crowd cheering]
Kraken trying to Kraken the wind column.
[Kenny] Little sportsmanship here from Ricky Willems,
letting Matt Spurk get his robot back on its feet.
[Chris] And it looks like that weapon might be dead on Kraken, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, and Kraken just getting beat up here.
- Whoa! - [Chris] Whoa, nice shot there!
[laughing] Yeah!
[Chris] Well, you can hear Ricky Willems.
He has having an all-out blast.
If they were aRocky movie,
somebody would be saying,
"Hey, throw in the damn towel" right about now.
[Kenny] Listen to the Mammoth chants in here, Chris.
Kraken has got to work its way out of that corner.
[Kenny] Yeah, this has just been a textbook performance here
from Ricky Willems.
- The robot's been functional... - [Chris] Whoa!
...it's been reliable,
and Ricky's used its size and advantage to a tee.
Fantastic final fight.
[Chris] There's a little opening for Kraken,
but Matt Spurk can't take advantage.
He is in trouble.
- He is gonna end up making it to distance, - [timer beeping]
but unless the judges saw something that we didn't,
you have to imagine it's another winless season for Matt Spurk and Kraken.
- [buzzer sounds] - [referee] All right, we're done, we're done.
- [cheering] - Okay.
[Chris] So...
- ...for the fourth time in five fights... - [crowd cheering]
...we are heading back to the judges.
Mammoth shot out of the starting blocks
with that souped up drive module, Kenny,
but Ricky Willems settled in after that, found a nice effective rhythm.
[Kenny] I thought Ricky did an excellent job controlling the pace tonight.
Matt Spurk was smart to try and attack Mammoth's crossbar,
but it was Mammoth that landed with more power and more accuracy,
eventually disabling Kraken's weapon.
[Chris] Mammoth turned this into an old-school boxing match,
trapped Kraken in the corner, and pounded it into the ropes.
[Kenny] Well, we know Kraken's been struggling
to score points this season, Chris,
but it's still tough as nails.
Third decision in four fights for Matt Spurk.
[Chris] Mammoth looking to move to two in two on the year.
- Here's Faruq with the decision. - [crowd cheering]
- The results from the judges are in. - [cheering continues]
The winner, by unanimous decision, is...
- Mammoth! - [cheering]
All of you, please, get in.
Get more hugs. We need more hugs.
[laughing]
Yes, hugs!
Good job.
- Ricky Willems, you guys needed that. - Hi!
You improved to two in two.
I really, really did.
We all needed that.
Not just for the tournament, just for mental health.
[team laughs]
Like, we have worked so hard.
So f--
- That is such a... - [crowd laughs]
There's a Frankenstein of parts out there.
From every team in the pits,
both effort, parts, everything,
the fact it came together and we just... Ah!
All right, so you sit at two in two.
Do you think that Mammoth has done enough,
in the eyes of the selection committee,
to crack the top 32?
I think we'll sneak in,
and then I think we're gonna have a, you know,
a great opportunity for a big upset in the top 32.
[crowd cheering]
Well, you did have that big upset
against Copperhead a few seasons ago.
- Oh, well, bring 'em on! - [crowd cheering]
- Ricky, congratulations to you and your team. - Thanks.
[cheering continues]
That was great.
[inaudible conversation]
[Chris] Got to give it up for Matt Spurk and Team Kraken.
Not the way they wanted their season to go,
but we and the fans can't wait to see
what they'll have for us next year.
As for Team Mammoth,
the good news is they finished their regular season at 2 and 2.
The bad news is it was kind of a struggle bus to get there, huh?
[Kenny] Yeah, the robot has had reliability issues all year long,
but we've got to give Ricky credit here.
I think that was a near perfect performance,
but was it enough to make everyone forget
about the two big duds they had in their losses?
And keep in mind,
the two teams that they did beat are winless.
I'd hate to not see Mammoth in the tournament,
but this is a tough one.
[Chris] Well, we've still got two more fights left on the card,
including our marquee match up
- between Black Dragon and Riptide, - [crowd cheering]
where the Brazilians are looking to make history
by extending their epic no KO streak.
But up next, another 1 and 2 team, Valkyrie,
will try to keep their post-season hopes alive
against last year's co-Rookie of the Year, Glitch.
- Don't go anywhere. - [crowd cheering]
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots.
We are just one fight away from our prime time main event,
where we will see Black Dragon try to make history
by extending their incredible ironman streak.
But they got to do it against the most brutal bot we've seen this year,
Riptide.
It should be a good one. Let's dive in to tonight's main event.
[Kenny] This is ugly.
[Chris] No mercy!
[echoing] Mercy, mercy.
We took out Glitch in, like, ten seconds.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Oh! Glitch hit by Riptide.
Is this a one and done?
[screaming]
MaDCatTer we went weapon-to-weapon with,
and obliterated their robot.
[screaming]
Captain Shrederator sits in the corner of their pit.
They haven't even tried to repair that robot.
[screaming]
So, you now have three knockouts in three matches.
Up next, you face Black Dragon,
which has never been knocked out.
Can you guarantee one right here?
[shouting] We're gonna kill 'em!
Kill 'em, kill 'em!
[man] Black Dragon has still never been knocked out.
This is gonna be difficult to maintain this fight
because Riptide knocked out all the robots he fought this season.
We are kind of nervous.
I've been hearing, like, all week,
"Oh, Black Dragon's never been knocked out,
Black Dragon's never been knocked out."
When Riptide wins it's by knockout.
As soon as we start landing hits on you, you're usually dead.
We have a driving system better than Riptide.
He don't turn very well
because of the gyroscopic effect,
so when he will try to turn around I will get beneath him.
Hit him in the sides.
So, I think I should just, like, lose my mind
and just try to hit them to death.
Something takes over, and I'm just like,
"You're going to die now." [laughs mischievously]
We need to win to get on the top 32.
In Brazil, we always fight robots like Riptide.
We are very confident.
He will stay in this way, never being knocked out.
All I'm thinking about is Black Dragon.
[shouting] We're gonna kill him!
- [thunder rumbling] - [echoing] Kill him!
- [Chris] Both squads look like they're on a mission tonight. - [crowd cheering]
Cannot wait to see it.
Up next though,
we got a pair of teams ready to tango
in their final fights of the qualifiers.
It's the 1 and 2 Valkyrie taking on the winless Glitch.
Both of these robots have proven themselves to be destructive in the past,
but this season, they've been haunted
by mobility and durability issues.
Their weapons still pack a hell of a punch, though,
so there's certainly the opportunity for some fireworks here.
In fact, Valkyrie's post-season hopes depend on it.
This squad needs more than a win.
They need a buzz-worthy performance.
[robotic voice] Valkyrie, ready?
[Chris] Captained by Lucy Du,
Team Valkyrie thought they'd be coming in two in one,
but their last match was actually overturned by a successful appeal.
Either way though,
will the World Championship V Valkyrie
please stand up?
[Kenny] Yeah, a big step back
for a robot that won the Most Destructive award back in 2020,
but we know this bot's potential.
It just needs to be tapped.
As you said, the weapon's still deadly,
but Lucy's driving has been the opposite of aggressive.
She's got to come out here guns blazing.
[robot voice] Glitch, ready?
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Captain Kyle Miller,
I think he knows this fight is probably it for Glitch.
They're O in three, but no time like the present, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Absolutely.
It's been[chuckling] a nightmare sophomore
mainly due to drive issues.
But I just can't get over the fact
that they won seven fights in a row last season.
They shared co-Rookie of the Year honors with Riptide.
We know that 58-pound drum is a killer.
I'd love to see them turn back the clock
and let it fly here.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight...
- [buzzer blaring] - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Glitch, Kenny, once again struggling with the floor surface.
[Kenny] Yeah. Just kinda waddling side-to-side here.
Valkyrie lands a hard shot there,
opens up a gash on the right side of Glitch.
And Glitch is not moving, Chris!
[Chris] Uh-oh! Valkyrie gets round to the back side
and has Glitch lined up for the kill shot!
[crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] But Lucy Du is hanging back just hesitating.
What in the world is going on here, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah. Valkyrie has to capitalize here.
Lucy does not wanna win like that.
Glitch able to get going again,
but she cannot afford to hang back in a fight like this.
Valkyrie needs a big-time KO
and it was right there on a silver platter.
[Chris] Got that weapon up to full speed.
Just... Just get in there and touch it!
[Kenny] If Valkyrie wants to give themselves a chance
to make the postseason,
they have to win in impressive fashion tonight.
This is not a good start.
You cannot afford to drive conservatively
in a fight of this magnitude.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Well, Glitch seems to be doing better right now,
which isn't saying a whole lot.
Both bots trying to find a way to deliver their weapons
and score some damage points, though.
[Kenny] Both weapons fully spun up, Chris.
- [metal crashing] - [crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] Oh![chuckling] Oh!
Hang in back there.
Glitch ripped that front fork right off of Valkyrie.
[Kenny] That should even up the damage category.
[Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] There's a nice shot from Valkyrie, though.
Did some damage to one of the wedges, one of the sides on Glitch.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] I'm not even so sure that Glitch is moving.
They're gonna be in danger of being out and out
if they don't show any sort of movement.
[Kenny] Valkyrie content to hang back again.
There's a little movement from Glitch.
Its weapon is down, though, Chris.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Now Valkyrie looking to engage,
pushing Glitch behind,
that undercutter definitely cranking.
Can Lucy Du and Valkyrie find a way to finish the job?
Can they knock out Glitch?
Can they force the committee to take notice?
- [metal crashing] - [Kenny and Chris] Oh!
[Chris] Valkyrie sends itself face-first into the side of the box!
[Kenny] Some friendly fire there.
Glitch is really hurting now, Chris.
You can see that egg beater weapon
has been split down the middle.
My goodness!
[Chris] Glitch still struggling to move.
Getting ready to hear the closing bell.
Lucy Du running out of time
to make a statement here.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Less than 30 to go in this one.
Valkyrie. Is the judges' decision tonight against Glitch
good enough to get them in the round of 32
or do they need a knockout?
- [crowd cheering] - [metal crashing]
[Chris] Well, there's under 10 seconds to go,
so they're not gonna get that.
[timer beeping]
[Chris] A trying season for both bots
will conclude with a judges' decision
in their fourth and final fight.
[crowd cheering]
Holy [bleep], the weapon.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, it wasn't the fight we had hoped for,
but it was kind of what we've come to expect from these two teams.
[Kenny] Yeah, Glitch had trouble moving from the start
and, again, Valkyrie was just so tentative.
The Cal Berkeley team is giving you every opportunity
to go in for the kill shot
and you just kind of trimmed the hedges?
Disappointing.
[Chris] Valkyrie did manage one big weapon-on-weapon shot.
It actually split Glitch's drum right across the middle.
So you've gotta give damage to Valkyrie.
Control as well, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, the fact that Glitch lost function to its weapon
means this should go Valkyrie's way.
But, again, I'm confused by the lack of urgency
from Lucy Du's squad.
Your season is on the line,
you can't afford to hold back.
[Chris] Can you tell Kenny's a fighter, ladies and gentlemen?
Years of coaches saying, "Take the shot, Florian,"
coming out right there.
All right, let's go on over to Faruq.
[crowd cheering]
The results from the judges are in!
[crowd cheering]
The winner by unanimous decision is...
[crowd murmuring]
...Valkyrie!
[all cheering]
[all] Ah!
[crowd applauding]
- [Chris] Lucy! - Hi!
[Chris] Congratulations.
That was a huge win. You improved a 2-2.
What do you think?
Um, I was really nervous.
Um, I've seen Glitch dismantle
and completely rip apart a lot of robots,
um, so I was pretty nervous going in.
[Kenny] Yeah, it seemed like you were very cautious early on.
What was the strategy going in there against Glitch?
Um, well, so we put on the fork in the front.
And so the game plan was to slowly go at them,
try to not go up into weapon -
we were pretty sure our blade was gonna bend -
and then, if we got under, to spin into them.
But, uh, later on, their weapon seemed to have stopped spinning,
so we just kinda went at them.
[Chris] All right, Lucy, we'll see if you've done enough
to get into the top 32. Congratulations.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] So, Lucy Du and Valkyrie
are able to even out their record at 2-2.
But, hey, get in line in the eyes of the selection committee.
- Is that enough to get them in? - Oof.
It's tough to say, Chris.
They needed to reverse the narrative
of what we've seen all season,
but that just looked like more the same to me.
[Chris] And here's the issue.
We've already got 10 teams
who have finished the qualifiers with .500 records.
It's possible another eight could join this group of 2-2.
[Kenny] Yeah, and if Tantrum, last year's champs go 1-3...
Are they really not getting in with the schedule
that saw them face contender after contender?
I don't think so.
We've got a logjam here,
so someone's getting left out.
Maybe Valkyrie?
But, still, 2-2. Way better than going 1-3, right?
And way better than 0-4,
- which is where Glitch is sitting right now. - Yeah.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All right, folks, coming up,
the moment we've all been waiting for.
The sophomore juggernauts,
Riptide could become just the 13th this season to go 4-0.
But standing in their way,
the indestructible beast Black Dragon
has never been KO'd.
There's a first time for everything.
Or is there?
Find out next here onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots
where we have got a packed house
ready to see one of the most highly-anticipated
main events of the qualifying round.
Buckle up for safety.
This one is going to be very interesting.
We've got this season's scariest team, Riptide,
taking on the unkillable bot from Brazil, Black Dragon.
Light up the grill because we've got some massive stakes cooking in this one.
Let's start off with Riptide.
Now in its sophomore season.
Captained by Ethan Kurtz.
The kid talks a big game.
[shouts] Let's go!
Talks a loud game, by the way, on top of that.
So far, its play has spoken volumes.
3-0. Three knockouts.
- I mean, can you blame them for being confident? - No.
I mean, that weapon is hitting so hard.
Everything seems to be dialed in with this team
and it's only their second year here atBattleBots.
You just don't see that.
In terms of offense, I would go as far as saying
this is the scariest robot we've seen since prime Tombstone.
Another big victory tonight would almost certainly
lock up a top-four seed.
To me, they still have to beat
a Giant Nut contender
before they become a contender, but, either way,
this is a team no one wants to see come tournament time.
[Chris] And standing in the way of their perfect season
is Julio Cortez and the bot that does not die, Black Dragon.
And again, they're just one fight away
from tying aBattleBots record.
But credit to the schedule makers
because I'm not sure there's a team on the planet
who has a better chance at testing their streak than Riptide.
[Kenny] Yeah, Black Dragon's philosophy has always been about
outlasting their opponent.
And it's worked.
They're top 10 for wins since 2019,
which was their rookie season.
And tonight, forget surviving,
if they can take down Riptide,
it would send shockwaves through our fans' fantasy brackets
and could land them a top-10 seed.
[Chris] So, you've got this amazing weapon that Riptide's been running
against the immovable force that just doesn't die.
How's this gonna play out?
[Kenny] Well, for the first time this season,
the Brazilians are running their egg disc
which is heavier and has better reach.
But, as we've seen,
Riptide's weapon can end your night in one shot
and that means there's a ton of pressure
on Black Dragon driver Gabriel Bertozzi.
Riptide's one weakness is maneuverability
and Black Dragon does have the edge
when it comes to horsepower.
If Gabriel can get around to the sides
and keep Riptide off balance,
we could see an upset.
What's gonna happen?
Ah, let's get to it! Faruq?
[crowd cheering]
[Faruq] Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
[crowd cheering]
It's time for the main event!
[crowd cheering]
[siren blaring]
[crowd cheering]
[Faruq] In the red square,
this fighter's owners might all be Brazilian,
but he assassinates bots like a mobster Sicilian.
[mimics mobster] He'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
[normal voice] Get out of the box now or get ready to lose.
Kiss the ring of the Botfather.
It's Black Dragon!
[crowd cheering]
Yeah!
Let's go!
[Chris] Coming out for career fight number 25
and this one's special.
Captain Julio Cortez to the right of the bot.
Driver, Gabriel Bertozzi, the blond guy at the back.
They got a tiny margin of error for tonight, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, which is why they've added
those small wedges on the robot's sides.
They know, to win,
they'll have to take a few shots.
Those wedges should help feed Riptide into their weapon
when they do go head-to-head.
[crowd cheering]
[Faruq] In the blue square,
most of the members on this team
are part of Gen Z.
But I'm totally cool, too.
Here, check it out and see.
A highkey stand for this bot fam.
This thing definitely slaps.
This weapon just hits different.
It passes the vibe check. That's no cap.
Call it a BattleBot, their drip ain't sus.
See, I can relate to these teams.
No, I'm just kidding. I Googled all this.
[chuckling] I have no idea what it means.
Give it up for Riptide!
[crowd cheering]
Whoo!
[Chris] That is Riptide electronics guru Zak Hassanein
and another teammate's little sister
leading out this undefeated squad.
And they really wanna be the first team
to knock out Black Dragon, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, but they've got to make sure
that doesn't distract from the real mission,
going 4-0 and getting a top seed.
Let's see if the 20-year-old Ethan can stay on track here.
[Zak] Let's go!
Whoo!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Well, there's an electricity in the air, Kenny.
You can tell the tournament is almost here.
And let's see who the builders are going with in this one.
Wow! That is a surprise to me.
Viva Brazil!
[Kenny] Well, no one can match them when it comes to sheer power,
but there are still questions about Ethan's driving.
Riptide has still only faced one other robot
that can really move and that's MaDCatTer.
I think the pits wanna see if that weapon
looks as scary against Black Dragon
as it did against other opponents.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering]
All right, well, playoff seeding
and a spot in the pantheon of the sport
are both on the line here.
Can the Brazilians match Bite Force's durability,
or will Riptide slay the dragon and remain perfect?
It's history in the making
when we return onBattleBots!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] It was a fight that changed the sport forever.
[Kenny] Huge hits by both teams!
[Chris] How about this shot by Minotaur?
That's awesome!
A back-and-forth brawl
that sent shockwaves through theBattleBots universe.
[Kenny] Witch Doctor clearly thinks Minotaur should be counted out,
Junior de Souza arguing otherwise.
[Faruq] The winner by unanimous decision
is Witch Doctor!
[Chris] And next week,
it's the rematch everyone's waited a year for.
In the dramatic conclusion
of the World Championship VII qualifiers,
the bull from Brazil
and the voodoo children
both enter the arena undefeated
and are on a collision course
for the number one overall seed.
It's a chance to close a chapter...
[Faruq] The winner is Witch Doctor!
[Chris] ...and move one step closer
to hoisting the Giant Nut.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] We are back onBattleBots
where we've got a main event for the ages.
2-1 Black Dragon
is trying to tie the record for most fights
without getting knocked out.
But to do that, they'll have to survive three minutes
with a stone-cold killer, Riptide,
who, oh yeah, also has a chance
at finishing the qualifiers undefeated.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight...
[Chris] What happens when an immovable object
meets an unstoppable force?
We're about to find out.
[crowd cheering]
[buzzer blaring]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Riptide with that massive weapon...
- [metal crashing] - [Chris exclaims]
[Chris] ...sends Black Dragon all the way across the arena
and staying on him, Kenny!
[indistinct chatter]
[Kenny] Yeah, Riptide sends a message immediately.
[laughing] Oh!
No one's been able to escape the wrath of this weapon.
Keep close! Push him to the wall.
- Yeah! - [crowd exclaiming]
- [Kenny] Oh, no! - [Chris] Oh, the lights are shattering!
[Kenny] Oh, boy.
[Chris] Bits of Black Dragon being--
- Oh, my... Whoa! - [metal crashing]
Don't let up. Don't let up.
[Chris] The entire bot going in the flywheel as well.
- [Kenny] Riptide just so powerful. - [Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] Black Dragon...
- [Chris] Whoa! - Yes!
[Kenny] ...hasn't had one shot here in this fight.
[Chris] Unbelievable work by the 3-0 Riptide so far.
If you've got any tricks left, you've got 20 seconds.
[Chris] It's impossible!
The Black Dragon's not moving, Kenny!
[Kenny] Yeah, this is gonna be a knockout.
Goodness. Riptide, what a performance.
Ten, nine, eight...
[Chris] For the first time in 25 fights,
Black Dragon is on the wrong end of a KO!
...one, knockout!
- Let's go! Let's go! - [crowd cheering]
[Chris] Riptide remains undefeated
and has to be taken seriously
as a contender for the Giant Nut
in only a second season!
[all cheering]
[Ethan] 4-0, baby!
[Chris] Well, if there were any Riptide doubters left,
Ethan Kurtz just silenced them, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, this fight was over in four seconds.
And I think Black Dragon was hoping to make Riptide miss there,
but that massive drum just has such a wide base.
If it catches one part of your robot, it'll send you flying.
[Chris] And from there, Riptide did what Riptide does best,
destroy!
[Kenny] Yeah, that was absolute domination.
Look at this!
Riptide knocked Black Dragon way up those walls,
even went weapon-to-weapon a couple times.
Ethan Kurtz just never let up.
[Chris] So, Riptide, a perfect 4-0 with four knockouts.
They KO'd the Brazilians something no other team
has ever accomplished before,
while Black Dragon falls about two minutes short of history.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Ethan, congratulations.
You and team Riptide,
the first robot to ever knock out Black Dragon.
[shouts] Let's go!
[all cheering]
Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
Was that a part of your goal heading into this fight?
Yeah, man. We were here.
We were so nervous.
Black Dragon is a great team.
Their driving is spectacular.
They were about to get to our side
and we had to maneuver very well.
After that first hit, we got the advantage
and we were like, "We can't stop, guys."
If we gave them a second, they could win at any time.
So we hit them till they were dead
and we were the first ones to knock them out.
We heard that trivia all day.
We heard the trivia all day
and we were like, "Let's try! We're at least gonna try."
And I'm so glad we did.
That was a great fight
and we're so excited to go into the tournament.
I'm just, I'm pumped! [chuckles]
[crowd cheering]
All right, I gotta ask.
Do you guys think you should be the number one overall seed?
[Ethan] I think we should be the number one seed.
We are the best.
We have one 4-0 against four very hard teams.
We have done it in the shortest amount of time.
We are only a second-year team.
Our rate of improvement is unheard of in BattleBotshistory.
I think we're the best
and most likely to go all the way.
Ethan, you guys make a very strong argument.
Congratulations, man.
4-0 and heading into the top 32.
- Thank you, guys. - Thanks very much.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Guys, this is a first.
Uh, tell us how it feels to be knocked out.
So, I feel very sad because of that,
but Riptide is a robot, very strong,
so, uh, congratulations, guys, for this.
And I believe Black Dragon
is one of the most toughest bots in the BattleBots.
So let's go.
Let's go to fix the problems
and continue on the tournament.
So that's it.
Thank you guys for the... The...
- The show. - ...the show.
And that's it. Let's go. Let's go continue.
- [Ethan] Yeah, let's go. - Yeah. Yeah.
- [crowd applauding] - [Julio laughing]
[Julio] Congratulations, guys. Congratulations.
[crowd cheering]
Kenny, for somebody to knock out Black Dragon,
I mean, that's headline news.
It had never happened until tonight.
But for Riptide to do it the way it did,
I mean, it is unreal.
Everybody better be paying attention back there in the pits.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
When you talk about momentum,
nobody has it more than Riptide.
That was a big match
to show that they can steamroll another top team.
And I think that pretty much guarantees them
a top-four tournament seed.
[Chris] As for the Brazilians,
well, Bite Force can pop the champagne.
Not sure that record is ever gonna be broken.
Black Dragon KO'd for the first time and finishes 2-2.
They're locked to get in, though, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, and now that the dust has settled,
we can see that they had one of the toughest schedules.
But they did probably
fall out of the top 16 with this loss,
which means they'll have a tougher first-round matchup.
[Chris] Okay, so, we are one week away from the bracket reveal.
Here are the final qualifying records of tonight's teams.
Let's assume huge Riptide and Beta are in,
while Glitch, Kraken and Starchild are out.
Then it gets a bit messy.
[Kenny] Yeah, and I think a great way to look at it
is to forget the records,
which of those other teams could actually win
not just one but multiple tournament fights.
Black Dragon and Bloodsport for sure.
Maybe Mammoth and Shatter!.
The way the math is breaking down, though,
there are going to be a handful of 2-2 teams
who, unfortunately, will be left out.
[Chris] And here's a sneak peek
at next week's fight card.
Big-time seeding implications will be on the line
with the reigning champs and Whiplash feat.
We'll also see the undefeated Canadian flipper
try to finish the qualifiers 4-0.
And in the main event,
it is the battle for what is most likely
the tournament's number one overall seed,
Minotaur versus Witch Doctor, the rematch.
And then it's bracketology time.
So that'll do it for tonight.
For Faruq, my man Kenny Florian, I am Chris Rose.
We'll see you next time here onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering]