[automated voice] robots, activate.
[theme music playing]
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] hey!
Hey, everybody, and welcome to battlebots.
It is the most popular television show
in the coveted 18 to 34 male robot demographic.
I'm chris rose, and I'm joined by a man
who's an expert in all types of combat.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai kickboxing and total robot carnage.
Please say hello to ufc legend, kenny florian!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[kenny] thanks, chris, and buckle up,
because at this point in the season,
it's time to find out what these robots are made of.
The winners tonight will build some major momentum
as we head towards the world championship tournament,
and the losers will have to wonder
if their bot can be renovated or if it's a total teardown.
[chris] that's right, and taking a look at tonight's fight card,
we have several 1-0 teams with a chance to separate themselves
from the pack here in the qualifiers.
That includes the super fly, flywheel flipper, blip,
a rookie bot, sporting some game-changing new technology
and captained by rising superstar, aren hill.
He'll be facing the ever-stout overhaul and charles guan,
who's driving angry after an opening loss to ribbot.
[kenny] also on the green side of the 1-0 grass,
the slithery slayer copperhead
and its unstoppable drum will attempt
to swallow whole the wombo-combo warrior, fusion,
with its dual primary weapons.
We've got two bots, loaded with three sticks of dynamite.
[chris] and in a main event, I'm calling celestial,
because two stars are about to collide.
It's whiplash taking on skorpios.
Matty vasquez, one of the greatest control drivers
in the history of the sport,
will need his evasive maneuvers working overtime,
against the upgraded stinger of skorpios,
led by the always aggressive, zach lytle.
It's a chess match from hell
where bots don't get checked, they get wrecked.
[kenny] oh-ho-ho!
[chris] but kicking off the action tonight,
we've got a cold-blooded matchup,
quite literally, as bloodsport faces subzero.
It's the sanguine spinner versus the frozen flipper,
a desperation matchup destined for destruction.
Thank goodness the battlebox is bulletproof.
Dude, it is going to be a crazy, crazy night.
Are you ready to get it started?
-I am always ready for it. -You guys ready to get it started?
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] we don't like to disappoint our fans.
Faruq, do your thing.
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's robot fighting time!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[faruq] in the red square,
this bot comes to us from massachusetts, so you know what that means.
[clears throat]
it's got a wicked overhead spinner kit.
You can park your car in harvard yard,
but this bot will leave you marred and scarred.
It's bloodsport!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] captain justin marple there, leading out his team.
Kenny, bloodsport went undefeated in the qualifiers last season,
but took an unlikely knockout loss to whiplash in their opener
this time around. Looks like we're seeing a different weapon
on bloodsport tonight.
How you like them apples?
[kenny] I like it, chris.
Bloodsport wants to get back to its winning ways.
So they're going with their classic tribar spinner from last season,
which has the most reach.
I love this one. This one is just pure evil.
Look at that thing.
[chris laughs]
[chris] it's nasty.
[faruq] in the blue square, from dallas, texas,
think beating him will be freeze-y?
Think again, there's snow way you're going to make it out in one piece.
It's subzero!
[chris] yeah! Battlebots, chill.
Thanks to logan davis, the man with the...
Tool chest over there, escorting subzero to the box.
Its flipper was pretty much a non-factor
in an unaired fight against shatter.
Subzero got chewed up in that match,
and we know from logan, when his flipper doesn't get fed,
it starts getting angry!
[kenny] yeah, he's got a new front wedge there.
They're hoping to deflect that energy off of bloodsport
and hope that it kind of kills itself.
The subzero is a, is a good flipper,
but they have a lot of juicy spots, they have exposed wheels.
They have exposed wedges, and I think that's going to go really in our favor.
We spent two days really tuning this thing in
so we feel better than ever right now going into this fight.
For this matchup, we're going to use our longest weapon
with the most reach and most bite,
and we're hoping that'll go into our advantage
for clipping edges or wedges and wheels and whatever else we can hit on the robot.
There's no room for error for this match.
We've got to win it.
We're definitely worried.
We think they're also a bit worried.
We saw before in their previous match against whiplash,
they were having some self-righting issues.
Going up against a flipper, that's...
That's got to have them a bit spooked.
I feel like if we can take a few hits on the chin,
we could possibly win this match.
We're both 0-1 right now,
and this is so important for each of us
to try to get this first win of the season.
Either it's going to be a bloodbath
or we're going to find we got ice in our veins.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[chris] and parked behind subzero on the ledge is the drone spitfire
that'll be run by logan davis's dad, brady.
For more on logan's opponent tonight,
we bring in the third member of our broadcast team,
the bot whisperer, pete abrahamson.
Pete, what do you got on bloodsport's weapon choice?
Well, what I got is they decided to go back to their og blade.
It creates a lot more engagement
and gives them a much harder hit.
But what's really been important is over the past couple of days,
they've been in the test box over ten times,
really trying to work out any of the bugs they were having.
And so they are ready to knock [bleep].
I probably shouldn't have said that.
[all laughing]
[automated voice] red team, ready?
[automated voice] blue team, ready?
Let's do it, let's do it.
[chris] bloodsport and subzero,
so critical to avoid that 0-2 hole.
We got a high stakes matchup to kick off the night.
Let the bot battle begin!
Nice box rush by subzero, but bloodsport is spun up.
Lands a shot to the wedge,
but subzero goes face first into bloodsport
and bot parts go flying all over.
[kenny] subzero able to get underneath bloodsport.
You see logan davis mistiming that flip right there.
[chris] bloodsport speeding up.
Lands the shot to the front of subzero with that heavy tribar spinner.
[kenny] subzero trying to stay squared up to bloodsport
and protect its exposed wheels.
[chris] here comes bloodsport. Oh!
Subzero tries to flip and a huge missed opportunity there, kenny.
[kenny] yeah. Had him up on the flipper
and just couldn't pull the trigger in time.
[chris] about 45 seconds in.
Subzero misses the flip and misses again.
Bloodsport continuing to stay aggressive here.
That's a good one.
[kenny] he got the timing right on that one.
[chris] and bloodsport trying to get that weapon back to full speed
and do some damage.
[kenny] nice shot by bloodsport.
Subzero looking a little woozy.
[chris] something you always have to keep your eye on with subzero, their drive issues.
[kenny] yeah, and they're slowing down big-time right now.
Bloodsport chipping away bit by bit.
[chris] yeah, there's another shot to the front side.
Uh-oh.
Subzero triggers the flipper, but it's bloodsport that's in control now.
[kenny] oh, this is not good here.
[chris] uh-oh, we got some smoke here
in the first fight of the night.
Get that. Back wheel!
[chris] subzero is trying to work its way back,
but you can see that left back tire is not hitting the surface.
Bloodsport daring subzero to move.
Oh! Are you kidding me?
[kenny] that tire went right by your head!
[chris] unbelievable!
[kenny] nice job, bloodsport.
-Watch out, chris. -[chris] yeah, thanks, kenny.
What is going on in here?
[kenny] oh, this is over, chris.
[chris] it is. The countdown has started. Bloodsport.
-And now, what did we do to you, man? -[kenny] yeah.
-What did chris do to you? -Three, two, one.
Knockout!
-Yeah! -Whoo!
[chris] justin marple, all smiles as he should be,
getting that first win of the year.
Okay.
I think we lost a motor pretty early on.
[chris] well, kenny, logan davis had a clear plan
that he simply could not execute.
[kenny] yeah, logan stayed aggressive,
but he just couldn't time that flipper correctly.
For most of the match, bloodsport was playing with fire,
going head first into subzero,
but logan only managed this one flip here, just couldn't take advantage.
[chris] and then bloodsport started to go to work, chipping away piece by piece.
[kenny] justin marple, eventually,
found the angle and landed this crippling body shot,
and that seemed to do in the drive.
And then to make matters worse,
they started picking off tires
and they were flying right by your head, chris.
[chris] yeah, I got a sneaking suspicion
I owe justin money or something.
[kenny] there it was right there.
-Thanks, boys. -[chris] uh-huh.
-[chris] hi, justin. -Hey.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Why the heck were you throwing tires at the broadcast booth?
Oh, man, we were just going out there, aiming for those tires.
Like I said before, we were... Those are the tires we want.
When we get those tires, they can't move, so.
I mean, we accomplished our goal.
You went with the classic blade.
Are you happy you made that choice?
Obviously, you guys caused a lot of damage out there.
Yeah, that seem to do exactly what we wanted it to do.
Were you feeling a little bit of pressure?
Last season, an unbeaten regular season, a number two overall seed,
you were in danger of falling to 0-2 had you lost here.
Yeah, this was definitely a must win for us.
You know, subzero isn't an easy opponent by any measure.
So we were definitely nervous going into this knowing we really had to win it.
All right. Congratulations, justin and team bloodsport.
Thank you.
[chris] well, kenny, after a tough opening loss to whiplash,
this is the bloodsport we saw a season ago.
[kenny] without a doubt.
They had great hits, they were precise,
their driving was on point,
and they beat a really tough bot in subzero,
who got off to a great start, just couldn't finish the job.
[chris] all right, up next, will ghost raptor haunt the earthly plane
with earthly pain and get their first win?
Or will fellow 0-1 team cobalt bring its elemental forces to bear
and bust ghost raptor?
Find out next on battlebots.
We are back on battlebots.
And up next, a pair of veterans in dire need of a win
because both check in at 0-1, it's cobalt versus ghost raptor.
[chris] we start with chuck pitzer and ghost raptor.
Chuck earned some good karma in his opening match.
You'll recall he helped team glitch get ready for their fight,
even unstuck them in the fight,
but, kenny, karma ain't the way into the top 32.
[kenny] that's right. We'll never speak ill of good sportsmanship,
but in the end, this is a fighting sport,
and with a name like ghost raptor,
you'll want to see some killer instinct.
For a veteran, chuck made some rookie driving errors against glitch,
and that's not going to fly against a bot as dangerous as cobalt.
Brent rieker told us he was super excited to take over cobalt this year,
and first fight out,
they lasted a minute and 15 seconds before fusion got him,
and I think it was kind of a jarring experience for them.
[chris] cobalt has left a trail of destruction all over the world.
This team had to have been expecting more out of this bot.
[kenny] well, I'm going to cut this team a little slack
because there's a learning curve
when you're starting out with a new bot.
Matt maxham is an experienced, aggressive driver,
which should pair nicely with a primarily offensive bot.
Last time out against fusion,
they tried to mix in a defensive configuration with an elongated fork.
To me, that's not what cobalt's about.
If I'm matt, I'm taking the kids' gloves off this time around.
Yeah, in seasons past, we've seen cobalt,
it can deliver with a serious weapon.
Faruq, take it away.
In the red square, this jurassic assassin's ready for the fight to start.
His team has spared no expense and he'll turn you into spare parts.
Tears opponents asunder, like prehistoric prey.
It might seem impossible, but death finds a way.
It's ghost raptor!
[chris] there's chuck pitzer, new hair and everything.
Yeah!
[chris] kenny, this once-upon-a-time
semifinalist is looking to recapture some of that early magic
and show the fans, "hey, there's still some bite left in ghost raptor."
[kenny] that's right. It feels like ages ago when we saw chuck
dancing with the legend bite force and taking out icewave.
This is put up or shut up time for ghost raptor.
It's got the more powerful head on for this fight,
which can top out at 20 horsepower.
That'll give the horizontal a better shot at dishing out damage against cobalt.
In the blue square, you know a bot's a killer
when it's chemical element 27.
Twenty-seven is the very age all those rock stars went to heaven.
Did this bot kill all those musicians?
Is it one to blame? Of course it did, you idiot.
It killed the entire hall of fame.
It's cobalt!
[chris] and there it is, cobalt, a bot synonymous with knockouts,
either it's going down or you are.
And it has one of the most entertaining drivers, matt maxham,
pushing that thing out, that dude is uber-intense.
[kenny] oh, my gosh, he is so intense.
I like watching him almost more than I do the bot.
Cobalt is rocking its 45-pound disc
designed specifically for horizontal spinners.
Matt maxham looking to make this the first stop on his revenge tour.
One thing that's nerve-wracking about cobalt is that it's a hard robot.
I mean, I'm not going to crack that shell.
We have a sticky bar that we're going to try to hit him with.
So we'll just stay up close to him and just keep...
Keep pumping on the bar as fast as we can
and just stay away from his weapon,
just keep trying to spin him if we can.
If we don't win this one, we're not making it into the round of 32.
That's bottom line. We're going to do everything we can.
We have the machine to do it.
We just have to set it up right to make this win.
Chuck, he's a, he's a formidable competitor.
He's... He's got a great bot
and we're going to try to go in with some forks
and get up underneath him and get him delivered to the weapon
and see if we can't take him out.
I think matt, my driver, probably resembles this bot a lot.
He's very intense, and they don't call him plumbcrazy for nothing.
And I asked him about what his strategy was going to be,
and he said he was going to stop their weapon with his face.
So we're looking forward to seeing that happen.
[chris] cobalt, ghost raptor, their seasons sit on a knife's edge.
One of these teams is going to fall to 0-2.
[crowd chanting] fight! Fight! Fight!
[chris] let the bot battle begin!
-[kenny] oh! -[chris] oh, a nice shot there.
Ghost raptor. Cobalt, near the upper deck.
[kenny] oh, ghost raptor staying very aggressive.
-[chris] whoa! -[kenny] cobalt with a nice counter shot.
[chris] oh, man! Ghost raptor on its heels.
Cobalt goes face first into the screws of the upper deck.
And you know what, kenny? It might be stuck.
[kenny] yeah, and ghost raptor has an open shot here.
Chuck pitzer chooses to lay off, though,
and cobalt is back in business.
[chris] ghost raptor shows cobalt its back side.
Cobalt capitalizes.
[kenny] cobalt going right back to work.
[chris] yeah, cobalt now, knocking ghost raptor on its dome.
Matt maxham now looking to finish the job.
Oh, scooped up ghost raptor. Here we go!
-Oh! -[kenny] oh!
[chris] oh, my gosh! What a shot!
Ghost raptor's in raptor bits.
[kenny] oh, my goodness!
That is the cobalt we've been waiting for.
And ghost raptor is in about, I don't know, eleventeen parts.
[referee] ...Three, two, one. That's a knockout!
[kenny] wow!
[chris] un-be-lievable.
Whoo!
[chris] kenny, ghost raptor drew first blood in this match,
and much like in his fight with glitch,
chuck pitzer was given an opening,
but he chose to keep the fight going,
and that ended up costing him his robot in this one.
[kenny] that's right. Once matt maxham unstuck his bot,
the tiger was out of the cage
and ghost raptor was basically a ball of yarn.
[chris] and then watch him run the fast break
-like magic johnson back in the '80s going end-to-end. -[kenny] oh!
[kenny laughs]
[chris] although I don't think the phoenix suns
ended up like that back in the day.
[kenny] oh, my goodness!
Just brutality there from cobalt.
[chris] ghost raptor is a well-built machine,
but now it looks pretty much like legos.
Oh, my god. You busted it in half.
[chris] brent rieker, matt maxham.
Hey, matt, you okay there, buddy?
Whoa!
And, matt, when you were dragging ghost raptor from end-to-end,
is that the finishing thought you had?
I wish I had a camera from that view.
It was frickin' awesome.
I'm an old lifter guy, control bot and having a weapon,
I'm so used to breaking other people's fist with my face,
now I get to break someone else's face with my fist.
So this is new. I got some stick time.
Have you ever hit another robot that hard?
-That was ridiculous. -No, man.
My old bots were just, you know,
like to give people hugs, lift them up,
throw them out of the arena or get thrown out of the arena.
That was, dang!
[kenny] I guess that's a yes.
-All right, matt, congratulations. -Thank you.
-[chris] brent, congratulations. -Thanks.
[chris] kenny, I think we just had our moment of the year.
That was just ridiculous.
You know, ghost raptor is a beautiful robot, but not anymore.
Cobalt just, I mean, split it in, what?
Fifths, fourths, thirds? I don't--
I loved matt maxham's intensity, too.
He's banging the glass after the win with his hand.
[kenny] it seems like he took all his frustrations
-from his first fight onto ghost raptor. -Oh, yeah.
That was an impressive performance.
All right. Coming up, the creatine-crushing deadlift
takes on the gas-guzzling break icewave in a do-or-die match
where tournament dreams hang in the balance.
That's next on battlebots.
[chris] we are back on battlebots,
and we've got another pair of teams,
looking to jump-start their season with a win, it's icewave versus deadlift.
And let's start with icewave.
Marc devidts has brought his robot back into full-time competition
for the first time since 2018.
He used to be known as the boy genius.
He's going to have to use those brains to try and figure out
what is going on with his robot.
[kenny] well, icewave came into this season,
revamped with a completely overhauled engine, and it was a total bust.
So marc is actually subbing in the version of icewave
from previous seasons with its original motor.
Icewave is a legendary striker who admittedly is fading,
and that makes this fight even more critical.
If icewave can't chop down a bot like deadlift,
it might be time to throw in the towel.
[chris] as for deadlift, you'll remember them
as the college bros flexing their bis and tris.
This is a control bot that struggled in its rookie season,
finishing with a 1-2 record last year.
And in their first match in 2021,
they took the l in an unaired fight
with the hometown team jackpot.
[kenny] well, deadlift will definitely need to flex those muscles,
facing a deadly horizontal like icewave.
Whether this bot is grappling or lifting,
it's all about controlling the action
and mitigating those knockout blows.
Didn't go so well in their first fight,
but they're still trying to dial it in.
Somebody's picking up that all-important first win of the season,
both are trying to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
Faruq.
In the red square from indianapolis, indiana,
when the pallbearers lower you into your grave,
he'll be there giving them a spot.
It's deadlift!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[kenny] oh, yeah, deadlift time!
[chris] down with my pre-workout, got my reps in,
did some complicated math and engineering,
and now I'm yoked for some robot combat.
[kenny] I can maybe relate to half of that.
Ryan shulski here with team robogym.
And deadlift's got its grappler fist this time around.
They're going to want to jam up icewave's weapon
and toss it around like a medicine ball.
[chris] do you even grapple, bro?
In the blue square, from burlingame, california,
the wizard of blizzards, the boss of frost,
it's icewave!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] here is icewave, got knocked out
in just over a minute in its first fight of the season.
And as you noted, kenny, marc devidts
has gone with the old bot this time,
albeit with a nice new paint job.
[kenny] yeah, absolutely.
Again, you know, it was a few seasons ago
where they were recognized
as one of the most devastating horizontal spinners in the game.
This og icewave is deadly.
The bar's got a tip speed of around 200 miles per hour.
Can they regain that same sort of reputation tonight?
I'm not sure. We'll find out.
For icewave, we decided to use our grappler configuration.
And this configuration will allow us to grab icewave and flip him over on his back.
From there, we'll be able to use the flame and hopefully win the match.
If icewave can get away from us
and spin up to full speed, uh, it would be scary for us.
It might do a lot of damage to specific parts of our robot.
We need this victory if we want any chance against the round of 32.
And so we're coming out, you know, as hard as we can.
In our last match, we got beat pretty bad.
We had a lot of things go wrong.
We've been putting together the old robot
that we've been using for the past few seasons
and getting that up to speed here.
If he stays on us, like a lot of these robots have been doing more recently,
we won't have time to spin up
and then they can grab us and pick us up
and bring us wherever they want.
This is definitely a must win for us.
That's why we're putting in the old trusty robot
that we've been using for the last five seasons.
We know it works. I think we're-- we're pretty confident
that we can actually put on a good show with this.
I feel much better putting in the robot that I know and trust.
So I think we'll do all right.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] and for those of you that may have forgotten,
the ice in icewave stands for internal combustion engine.
It is a gas-powered robot, and when this thing fires up,
everyone from fremont street to the strip
is going to know who's inside the box.
[crowd chanting] fight! Fight! Fight!
[chris] let the bot battle begin!
Box rush by deadlift. Oh-ho!
Marc devidts with some slick driving here to start.
[kenny] icewave getting some space, getting up to full speed.
This is where deadlift needs to be really careful.
Big hit by icewave.
[chris] yeah, that would hurt. Can the gym bros shake it off?
[kenny] all right, another pop.
[chris] uh-oh. Uh-oh.
[kenny] that might be it, chris.
[chris] is that it?
Icewave's just waiting for it, saying,
"come on, bro, what do you got?"
and once again, it looks like deadlift
is putting its head down and it's getting counted out.
Wow!
It was just two solid shots and icewave is going to move into the win column.
Nice driving. Good job.
[kenny] icewave is back.
[chris] you know, kenny, in boxing,
it's not always the uppercut that knocks you out.
Sometimes, it is a perfectly placed body shot,
and that's what icewave delivered right here.
[kenny] that's exactly right.
These are complex machines,
and hits like this rattle the internals so severely,
it's like a shot to the kidney or liver.
[chris] and speaking of liver,
icewave's weapon ate up deadlift
with a side of fava beans and a nice chianti.
[kenny] yeah, I can't...
That is a bar that is spinning at 200 miles an hour.
That is no joke, and I think it's important
to highlight the driving of marc devidts as well.
There were very precise shots in the right spot,
at the right time.
[chris] marc, nice to get that first win in three years?
Yeah, it feels good. Feels good to be back.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] how challenging has it been for you to try and play catchup?
Yeah, I mean, it's been tough.
You know, the robots here are so much better
than they were even just a couple of years ago.
And, you know, we actually just have the same robot,
but we keep trying to upgrade it year after year,
but it's hard to know if we can hang with these people.
So it's good to know we're still in it
and we can still put on a good show for everybody.
Marc, how important would it be for you to make the round of 32?
I think, I think we have to make the round of 32
if we want to still be a contender in battlebots.
Otherwise, we're going back to the drawing board.
Meaning you would retire icewave if you don't make it?
Or maybe just build something new
and, you know, send these guys with icewave next time or...
Or form a second team or something.
You know, as long as icewave exists, I think we'll still compete.
But, you know, if there's ever...
There's never a better time to make something new, too.
So if we, if we can do that, we will.
All right, marc, congratulations on getting that w.
Thanks.
Nice job, guys.
[chris] well, you heard it with marc devidts.
If they don't make it into the round of 32,
they're going to have to kind of zig or zag,
and they can't stay in the straight line that they've been in.
-Well, that's why that fight was so important. -[chris] yeah.
[kenny] clearly, marc made the right choice,
swapping in the old bot, after a showing like that,
don't bury this legend just yet.
[chris] coming up, can aren hill
make his flywheel flipper, blip,
the hottest attraction in las vegas?
Or will charles guan and overhaul tear them down like an old casino?
Find out when we come back on battlebots.
[chris] we are back on battlebots,
and sin city is buzzing after three straight knockouts to kick off the evening,
including the total decimation of ghost raptor, courtesy of cobalt.
And I got to tell you, no one is more fired up
than cobalt's white knuckle driver, matt maxham.
Literally, I was looking at my bot coming at me,
so I just went full stick forward,
the robot just drove right into me.
That is the best view I have ever seen of a robot dying.
It was awesome.
This is why I've been in this sport for 20 years.
I've never applied carnage like that to another robot.
That was literally a pile of parts.
Oh, that's got to hurt.
In the heat of the battle, I don't remember all the turns and hits.
I want to look at that fight.
I want to look at that fight in slow motion.
I want to study that fight and do that every time.
[chris] and not many teams will be eager to fight cobalt after that performance.
Okay. Up next, we've got blip taking on overhaul,
and boy, is aren hill feeling good.
He is living the good battlebots life.
You'll remember he was the captain of tantrum
when they went all the way to the semifinals a season ago.
He is still the leader of a 16-person pit crew
that splits time between tantrum and aren hill's new bot, blip,
which is off to a great start after they upended rusty.
[kenny] that's right. In that fight, we got a small taste of
what this new compact flipper bot can do.
Aren looked like he was having a lot of fun with it.
I don't think he has any regrets ceding control of tantrum in favor of blip.
But listen, this is new tech,
and with that typically comes some speed bumps and a bit of a learning curve.
It hasn't had a chance to stretch its legs just yet.
Still, this is an exciting rookie bot
with a great captain in aren hill.
He's taking on overhaul
which is back in battlebots full-time for the first time since 2018.
Captain charles guan received a rude welcome back
from ribbot in his first fight.
Overhaul was looking pretty maneuverable
but couldn't stand up to the damage as it was ko'ed in under a minute.
Even so, overhaul is a major step up from rusty,
and blip should have its hands,
or should I say, flipper full, kenny?
[kenny] yeah. Overhaul is a beautifully designed grappler,
and historically it's been ultra-durable.
It's taken the best shots from punishers
like beta and witch doctor and hung in there.
Facing a flipper, charles won't have to be as cautious, getting in close.
The trick will be to avoid driving on top of blip,
or else it might do a mary poppins over our heads.
[chris] that's it.
[chris laughs]
faruq, take it away.
In the red square, from mountain view, california,
by the time he shows up on your radar, it's too late.
You're already dead. It's blip!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] kenny, aren hill told us about blip,
that it's on par with hydra for flipping power.
Rusty, I think, would probably say yes.
Sounds about right.
[kenny] yeah, I mean, everything went perfectly for blip
and it's going to try to do the same thing here against overhaul.
If it can get underneath it, I think we're going to see some beautiful flips.
In the blue square, from atlanta, georgia,
what are you guana do when charles guan runs wild on you?
It's overhaul!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
whoo!
[chris] here comes overhaul,
led by its half-feline captain.
Nice ears, chump.
Kenny, what's the plan here against blip?
[kenny] well, he's going to try to clamp down on blip,
perhaps try to get him up on the upper deck.
Maybe ram him into some screws.
I think he's going to try to use the battlebox
and try to box rush as quickly as possible,
but he needs to get around to the side.
We're preparing a little bit by adding some additional top armor there, a clamp...
Clamp type control bot, and there's a chance
we might be grabbed by them
and then actually fire our flipper into their claw
and see if that breaks their claw open.
We feel like we've got a pretty good drive train
and should be pretty nimble with regards to getting to the sides
or getting around or getting underneath him
to send him flying rather than us getting clamped.
We really want to make blip this year just as competitive
or more than tantrum was last year,
and tantrum is also doing great, so we got to catch up.
Overhaul is probably the best it'll ever be at this point.
It's a lot more mobile than past season,
it has these giant bouncy wheels.
The lifter and clamper both twice as powerful and twice as fast.
We have a little bit of a different front support leg setup.
They have a little roller tips for this match.
So ideally, we'll be able to carry blip
and still have traction to drive around.
So we should be able to give him a little ride around the arena.
Or if not, I'm going to get a little ride around the arena.
-Fun, fun, party time. -Fun, fun, party time.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[kenny] I don't like giving predictions on fights.
I got the blue bot, though. Put your bets in now.
[chris] charles guan and aren hill,
two engineering wizards with a healthy addiction to upending robots.
Blip's ready to flip, overhaul's ready to brawl.
The fight when we return on battlebots.
[chris] we are back on battlebots.
Aren hill's flipper, blip, and veteran grappler, overhaul,
are inside the box and now moments away from a mid-season clash.
[crowd chanting] fight! Fight! Fight!
[chris] let the bot battle begin!
Blip with a box rush. Trying to find its--
[kenny] oh!
Flips blip over, now it's going to pin it.
[chris] uh-oh, blip's got to get out of there,
get back to the center of the box, which it does.
[kenny] overhaul with a great opportunity there, couldn't capitalize.
[chris] trying to get under overhaul.
-[kenny] he's underneath. -[chris] uh-oh.
Trying to ram it into the rails, lost its grip.
[kenny] uh-oh, this is not where overhaul wants to be.
-[chris] nope. -Come on, come on.
[chris] short corner is a rough place to go.
[kenny] oh!
[chris] nice flip by blip, and there goes one of the tires on overhaul.
The back right tire is gone, kenny.
[kenny] sure is, and charles guan is in trouble.
Blip trying to get underneath overhaul.
He does!
[chris] oh, that was impressive!
[kenny] how about overhaul taking those flips like a champ?
[chris] that is a sturdy bot.
[kenny] how many more can he take, though?
[chris] overhaul has got to drive away,
get some distance, but it is really struggling without that back right tire.
[kenny] oh!
[chris] nice work by blip.
[kenny] oh, there's a fire going on inside overhaul.
I don't mean the good kind.
[chris] yeah, is there a good kind?
Goes up tight to--
[kenny] oh!
Blip has figured out it's the lower robot, chris,
and it is open season on overhaul now.
[chris] this is nice.
Blip has got overhaul pinned on the screws,
and overhaul is like, "get me off. I want off."
oh, it landed on blip, though.
[kenny] we know aren hill has been looking for stick time with blip.
Well, he's got it. This is a flip fest.
[chris] overhaul is hanging tough, though.
[kenny] yeah, I'm really impressed with durability of overhaul.
Not all robots can take that kind of punishment, and look at this.
[chris] oh-ho! Trying to self-right.
Unbelievable. Oh, no. There you go.
And you got to get going, make sure you can still drive and it can.
[kenny] oh! Wow!
[chris] oh, that was nice, that was the stick and move,
by going to flip and move, I guess you could say.
[kenny] yeah, tony hawk would have been very impressed.
What is that, a 720?
[chris] whoa! What are you doing?
Are you trying to show off now as the countdown's going on?
You already got this thing wrapped up.
[kenny] they're trying to crash test blip.
That's a knockout!
[chris] that is it!
Whoo!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] aren hill's bot improves to 2-0.
[kenny] man, that is one entertaining robot.
[chris] very impressive.
Once aren hill got himself righted after that early flip,
he did pretty much what he wanted with overhaul.
[kenny] he did.
But I tell you what, overhaul is one tough bot.
They hung in there.
I was impressed with their durability,
but this was a great run for aren hill.
Getting in that stick time with this new bot
and a real showcase of blip's weapon,
which flipped overhaul a half dozen times.
[chris] it's amazing because you totally forget sometimes
when you're watching battlebots,
these are 250-pound pieces of metal
that are flying 10-12 feet in the air.
[kenny] yeah, absolutely.
And they're flung up in the air in like a half a second.
It's crazy how fast they are, how powerful they are.
What a performance here from team blip.
-That's a good match. -Yeah, it was.
Hey, aren.
-[man] we love you, blip. -We love you, too!
Hey, guys.
Hey, aren, how much fun is it having a flipper bot?
Oh, it's really fun, especially
when it's right in front of me.
So, this was kind of crazy.
You did great damage to overhaul,
but, dude, you were flipping yourself
it seemed like for no reason at times.
There might have been a broken controller in there.
We got some stuff to look into.
But yeah, we ended up right, did some sweet breakdance moves.
2-0, man, how would you rate your bot's performance?
We're doing great so far.
The really complicated flipper thing,
still working, so I hope that trend keeps going.
Are you--
[crowd cheering and applauding]
I know you've only had two fights so far
for a total of maybe three and a half minutes so far.
Are you a better flipper bot than hydra?
[crowd exclaiming]
do not say that.
I'm going to say there's four flippers in this competition,
and we need to stick together to some level.
Too many spinners.
That didn't answer my question.
That's... That's the answer you're getting.
Aren, congratulations.
[aren] thank you, guys.
Whoo!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] kenny, aren hill won't bite.
You have to answer the question.
Is that a better flipper bot this season than hydra?
I mean, as far as results, yes.
It's still early, but for blip to have the compact, durable
and drivable frame of tantrum,
blended with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of flips in that mechanism,
this is a game-changer.
[chris] tantrum and blip, now a combined, 4-0, kenny,
this is a legit top five program back there in the pits.
When we come back, will huge fall to 0-2?
Or will they turn back the clock against retrograde
and get back to their winning ways?
And all roads lead to our main event,
featuring two all-star drivers in zach lytle and matty vasquez.
Whiplash and skorpios, waging war,
that's later tonight on battlebots.
[crowd chanting] huge!
[chris] we are back on battlebots.
You can hear the crowd chanting it already,
because they know, up next is the return of huge.
Jonathan schultz admitted 2020 was a frustrating season,
2021 ain't off to a great start either.
In a shocking upset, huge lost to the rookie, riptide,
in a match you can actually call a screw job, kenny.
[kenny] yeah, huge's big wheels
were they're undoing as it got caught up in the screws.
This bot is nearing a crossroads.
Whatever success they're having in testing
isn't translating into wins,
and jonathan is growing more and more frustrated.
That opening knockout was a real gut shot for huge,
and another loss to a rookie bot here,
and jonathan may need to make some hard choices.
[chris] well, let's take a moment to introduce his rookie opponent, retrograde,
captained by aaron lucas.
Aaron is a member of team bloodsport.
He's gaining a reputation as a talented driver,
and he's off to a great start after a convincing win
over rampage in an unaired fight.
This, though, is a big-time step up.
[kenny] that's right, but also a big opportunity for them
to nab a statement victory.
Retrograde has a lot of versatility.
It can sport an undercutter or a powerful lifter,
which we'll be seeing in this fight.
Curious to see how the rookie fares against a highly motivated huge.
Let's check it out. Faruq, take it away.
[faruq] in the red square, from south windsor, connecticut,
the wheels on this bot go round and round all over your face!
It's huge!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] oh, those menacing eyes,
I always feel like they're staring kenny down,
they want him to step inside the box.
Instead we'll let retrograde do the damage today.
So, kenny, what's the key for huge here?
[kenny] well, they went with their shorter bar.
They believe they're going to be able to strike from above.
They think that that lifter mechanism on retrograde is vulnerable,
and they're rocking the darker
tegris wheels this match.
Huge is looking serious.
In the blue square, from venice, california,
he's here to read your horoscope!
It's retrograde!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] there's aaron lucas on the right,
holding the controls for retrograde.
Kenny, this bot's giving me batmobile vibes.
[kenny] yeah, definitely stealthy
and retrograde hugs the ground.
It's one of the reasons it drives so well.
They've ditched the undercutter in favor of the lifter
and added some top armor.
Smart move, if huge does end up swinging down on him.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
we've spent a lot more time running the weapon in the test box,
it's running great.
Best that it's ever run.
In game planning for retrograde, it's all new.
I don't think it's going to break itself.
I think we need to break it.
And that kind of changes our strategy
because with riptide, we were fishing for that big hit,
to let them break themselves
and then go to town, in this we just need to go all out.
We think that this is an amazing huge
and one of the best ones we've built.
It just needs that opportunity to show it
'cause getting blown into the screws in one hit is like...
It never got a chance to stretch its legs.
We had a configuration planned for them going into this competition.
We're adding extra top armor to the top of the robot.
Their blade can hit from above,
but they can also spin it upwards and hit it from below.
We have to be prepared for both of those options.
The plan is to...
To head in straight and stop their blade as quickly as possible
and just control them around the box,
try to push them up onto the screws
and get their wheel jammed in sideways,
like they lost their first match
and potentially use the hammers to our advantage to score those damage points.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[chris] the stakes for huge could not be any higher, facing another rookie team.
This is still a bot with title aspirations, kenny.
[kenny] that's right.
Jonathan schultz does not want to become
a steppingstone in this league.
He needs this win.
[automated voice] red team, ready?
Whoo!
[automated voice] blue team, ready?
[crowd chanting] fight! Fight! Fight!
[chris] let the bot battle begin!
Retrograde trying to figure out a way to get into huge.
Get in line on that one.
Looks like huge spinning its blade
in an upward motion here against retrograde.
[kenny] I love these
tegris wheels that huge is running.
You typically see with... See them with their uhmw wheels.
You'll see it on some f1 cars,
thousands of dollars invested in them.
They're always stepping it up with new materials, and huge now goes...
[chris] with their short bar landed big shot!
[kenny] whoa!
Patience paying off here for huge.
Oh, there goes the armor. Oh, and the flames.
Huge!
[chris] oh, huge is off to a great start.
Forty-five seconds into this fight.
Oh, huge trouble.
[kenny] oh, my goodness.
I think that is knockout shot. Huge, already celebrating.
And listen to the crowd.
Oh, man!
[chris] whoa, huge, where are you going?
[chris] ...On the upper deck.
I see you, bro. I see you.
[kenny] jonathan schultz is fired up.
[chris] and he should be.
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[chris] kenny, this is how the big boy is supposed to work.
[kenny] yeah, listen, he was very patient.
He was waiting for his moment to get up above retrograde.
It's exactly what he wanted to do.
Beautiful execution.
We saw that vulnerability there.
The top armor flew off of retrograde, and it was all huge.
[chris] and just finishing it up, just to make sure
that the rookie doesn't go anywhere.
And then maybe my favorite part of the entire match
wasn't huge scoring the touchdown,
but rather the end zone celebration afterward.
He goes and finds the upper deck, and he says,
"you know what, I'm going to be king of the hill.
Nobody's going to knock me off that pedestal."
[kenny] just drives right over the screws.
"excuse me, get up there."
whoo!
[chris] kenny, you're responsible for putting olympic gold
around huge's neck.
-[kenny] no, thanks. -[chris] if you can find it.
[kenny] gotta shut that weapon down first.
It finally works. It finally works. You got it.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[chris] jonathan schultz.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
jonathan, why were you so emotional right then?
It's, I mean, like with everything the last couple of years have been
and how hard last year was
and then to really have a good feeling about it and the first fight,
just to end so quick, to come out
and make a statement like that, I am so relieved.
I'm so excited. Oh, my god!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
that... That is how it has been intended to work
since the day we walked in here four years ago.
Jonathan, I know you wanted to not only win,
but you also wanted to learn a little bit about your bot.
What did you learn?
It hits really hard.
That's a good lesson.
So you sit at 1-1.
You know you got to get to 2-1 to impress the selection committee.
How much pressure are you feeling in that next fight?
Quite a bit. We need to go make sure
everything is ten out of ten dialed for our next fight 'cause it's a can't lose.
But I feel a fair bit better than I did before this one, so I'm feeling excited for it.
Jonathan schultz, I can't see ya because of the mask,
but I know you're smiling. Congratula--
there you go, buddy.
Congratulations to you and team huge.
Thank you, guys.
So, kenny, it's always interesting,
we only get to see a couple of minutes of a robot fight.
What we don't get to see are the countless hours,
you know, the blood, the sweat,
the tears that come with engineering a battle bot.
No question, and all the frustration that they've experienced.
You know, again, so many hours goes into it.
Jonathan and his team have been working very hard since last season.
They really wanted to redeem themselves.
That was his emotion from last season.
And at 1-1, he is very much alive for a berth
in the round of 32.
All right. Coming up, copperhead slithers back into the battlebox
for a bout with reese ewert and the ambidextrous assassin, fusion.
That's next on battlebots.
[chris] welcome back to battlebots,
where we have seen nothing but knockouts tonight.
And up next, it's another pair of deadly strikers,
copperhead and fusion, both checking in at 1-0.
And let's start with reese ewert's bot, fusion,
which last year had some good fights.
It had a bunch of fights where it was on fire,
but it kicked off 2021 by absolutely dominating a killer in cobalt,
who as we saw earlier tonight, is ridiculously destructive.
And after being marred by so many technical issues last season,
this bot is looking very impressive.
[kenny] well, they're a very complicated robot.
You know, they have a vertical spinner,
they have a horizontal spinner.
And last season, I remember how much you doubted them,
and this season you were doubting...
[chris] no, no, it's wasn't me. Oh, that's right, it was me.
But now I'm a believer, okay?
And now the ewert family has two very devastating bots, so they're doing great.
Uh, tonight's going to be a challenge, though,
they're taking on copperhead,
which you will remember was actually the number three overall seed
heading into the round of 32 in 2020.
Zach goff was the captain back then.
It's now the merry tandem of robert and kimberly cowan.
And they had to go all the way to the judges against lock-jaw.
I thought they were really, really impressive in that first fight.
[kenny] yeah, listen, they know they have a great bot.
They believe they can go all the way.
From what we've seen, very devastating weapon.
They're durable.
They have the experience. Watch out for these guys.
And do not talk trash about them.
Because remember, kimberly walked out of the tunnel
last time with a live snake.
Chris is... You're scared of snakes.
I am. Because I keep looking around every corner.
If y'all put a live snake near me, I'm out.
-It's his kryptonite. Yes. -I'm out.
Faruq, take it away.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
in the red square, muggsy bogues, yoda and that dude, peter dinklage,
three total powerhouses despite their shrinkage.
Don't be fooled by his size.
He'll still rip you to tatters.
He might not be big, but he's huge where it matters.
What?
I... I meant his motor.
What do you all think? Man, you guys are nasty.
Give it up for copperhead!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] there is team copperhead, and there it is,
kimberly cowan holding cuddles the snake.
Yeah, right, that snake's about
as cuddly as copperhead itself.
This is a vicious robot, kenny.
[kenny] yeah, this is a serious contender
for the number one overall tournament seed,
even with the decision victory over lock-jaw.
So remember, in that first fight,
their drum never stopped spinning and it was hitting hard.
Fusion's gonna have its hands full with copperhead.
In the blue square...
Welcome back, class.
Today, we'll be discussing the difference between fission and fusion.
The first is the splitting of atoms.
The second delivers a nuclear contusion.
Fusion is a pro. It has no cons.
There's no confusion, no illusion as to
who is giving you a radioactive bruisin'.
Until your life comes to an unnatural conclusion.
Thank you. Class deceased.
It's fusion!
[chris] oh, yeah.
Reese ewert, nobody quite like him pushing out fusion.
It seems like this team has finally moved on from those flameouts
and we can get back to focusing on its deadly dual primary weapons.
[kenny] yeah, and in that first fight with cobalt,
reese only used the vertical spinner.
When that horizontal comes into play, it can be even deadlier.
It's tough for opponents to game plan for fusion.
Kind of a pick your poison scenario.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
I think we're going to exchange a lot of heavy blows in the beginning there.
Um, I think we're going to probably have to,
you know, recalculate sometime after that.
I think around that two-minute mark,
we're going to start to see who...
Who comes out the victor.
So we actually sat down and talked with cuddles here,
and cuddles had some really good insight.
She noticed that every time their weapons come up to speed,
then slow down and come up to speed again,
that's where they have issues with fire.
So what we're going to try and do is use the weapon on copperhead
to jam them up as much as possible,
hoping to create that classic fusion fire scenario.
This bot has potential because it has a vertical weapon,
which is not huge by any means compared to other people.
My horizontal has three times the energy of it.
It compares directly with son of whyachi.
It can do a lot of damage.
Luckily, in the last fight, I didn't have to use it,
so it's still in mint condition.
Best of luck to copperhead. They have a big, beefy drum.
It's going to be a slugfest.
I... I hope I come out on top.
That's about it.
Ooh!
-We got it. -We got it.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] it's about to be raining sparks in las vegas.
Will it be copperhead or fusion that weathers the storm?
Find out when battlebots continues.
[chris] we are right back into the action here on battlebots.
Fusion and copperhead putting their perfect records on the line
in what could be a season-defining fight.
[chris] for fusion, a chance to fast track its path
to the tournament.
Copperhead ready to say, "s-s-sorry, rees-s-se."
let the bot battle begin!
Oh, nice strike by copperhead.
It sends tiny bits of fusion flying across the box.
[kenny] no action from fusion's vertical spinner so far, chris.
[chris] fusion trying to figure out which way to go.
Oh, a big shot!
[kenny] yeah, fusion's vertical disc is down.
[chris] oh!
[kenny] they're gonna have to engage
with their horizontal spinner for the rest of this fight.
[chris] copperhead on the attack in the first 30 seconds,
including with that little mini snake bot.
[kenny] there's just no slowing down that drum spinner
on the copperhead, as much as fusion is trying.
[chris] oh, that thing is terrifying.
That's why it was a top three seed heading into the tournament a season ago.
[kenny] let's see if fusion is able to attack those tires, chris.
[chris] can reese ewert turn the tide with only one weapon.
Oh, that one got a little air.
[kenny] copperhead really starting to pull ahead now.
[chris] fusion's feeling it. Still two minutes remaining.
Kenny, I think both of fusion's weapons have been shut down.
[kenny] yeah. I mean, there's been some massive--
-[chris] oh! -[kenny] oh, no!
Speaking of which-- oh, another!
[chris] and now, a plume of smoke coming out of fusion.
How much life is left in this bot, kenny?
[kenny] copperhead just bullying fusion here in the battlebox.
[chris] reese ewert's bot is lifeless, and it's on its head.
Won't spin up.
[chris] fusion's weapons aren't working, its drive isn't working.
And I can smell a countdown coming.
[referee] ten, nine--
[kenny] there you go, chris rose.
This is going to be curtains for fusion.
[chris] copperhead is going to improve to 2-0 after dismantling fusion.
-Knockout! -Whoo!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
it was looking great.
[bleep] him up.
[chris] kenny, talk about dominant start to finish.
[kenny] yeah, absolutely.
And again, reese might be upset that
he didn't get the win here, but man, it was a great fight.
He had some good licks on copperhead.
That horizontal spinner went head-to-head with copperhead,
but durability for me was the difference here.
Copperhead just wouldn't stop spinning.
It was hitting in the right spots at the right time.
[chris] kenny, there's a lot of weapons
that can do damage, but maybe it's for 15 or 20 seconds,
it's not for a straight 90.
[kenny] and that's the key for copperhead.
They stayed spinning, they stayed aggressive.
I mean, I don't really see many vulnerabilities there,
maybe the tires, but even then those things held up really well.
[kenny] some huge shots at the end.
They were patient, and once they saw weakness, they really went for it.
[chris] robert and kimberly cowan, congratulations.
[both] thank you!
So, robert, I imagine that's the way
the copperhead is supposed to work, right?
That's how copperhead is supposed to work.
Smash, smash, smash.
What impressed you most about your robot
against a really tough opponent?
We were actually able to drive it where we needed to.
This year, we got traction, we got control.
So we were happy.
Congrats to the team for getting everything ready.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
and, guys, I was blown away by the durability as well.
Where do you think this puts you as far as the top teams?
I think we're similar to last year.
I think we're, you know, maybe top five seed,
somewhere around there, hopefully.
Hoping.
Kimberly, does she like, you know, when copperhead does well?
I... I think she really likes it.
She's going over to give robert a little kiss.
Oh, that is...
I don't want to break up the family love here.
So you guys go about your way.
Congratulations on improving to 2-0 with the ko.
-Thank you. -Thanks.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[crowd chanting] copperhead! Copperhead! Copperhead!
Kenny, copperhead had such a great run in 2020,
a perfect regular season and number three overall seed.
So what's this team's ceiling this year?
[kenny] blessed with a weapon this powerful and consistent,
I don't think it's a stretch to say copperhead
is a legit contender for the giant nut.
[chris] and for reese ewert,
sometimes you get unlucky and sometimes you just get your bot kicked.
This was a serious beat down, kenny.
[kenny] we've talked about all the weight on his shoulders,
the stresses of living up to the family name
of performing at a championship level.
Reese is now looking at a pivotal must win scenario in his third fight.
A lot of pressure on this kid.
[chris] all right, up next, last year's runner-up,
whiplash continues its quest for championship redemption in a bout with skorpios
and its savage stinger.
We'll see if zach lytle can outdrive matty vasquez,
who year after year leads one of the most successful teams
in battlebots' history.
Let's take a closer look at the main event of the evening.
[kenny] oh, my goodness!
[chris] what a dominant performance by matty vasquez!
Record-wise, whiplash is one of the most winning bots
in the history of battlebots.
Whiplash!
We did it! We did it!
[matthew] we had made the quarterfinals, we had made the semifinals.
Last year, we made it to the finals.
The only place to go after that is winning the giant nut.
My level of confidence this year is higher than it's ever been.
There's not a single robot here
that I don't think we have a chance against.
I know skorpios has really wanted to fight us.
I'm just going to take what I've learned in all of our past fights
and, you know, get the win, hopefully.
[chris] oh!
[kenny] whiplash says, "is that all you got?"
[faruq] it's skorpios!
Last year, we really proved our armor could take anything.
We fought tombstone.
[kenny] skorpios bearing down on the legend
and delivers another body blow.
We fought witch doctor.
[kenny] and skorpios right back on the attack.
And these are real legend robots.
And at the end of the bounty tournament,
chris and kenny even said skorpios is a new legend.
[kenny] it's a new era, chris.
To live up to this title, we came back
with a whole lot more weapon power.
The blade is two pounds heavier.
It's four times faster, and hits with eight times the power...
[chris] oh! That's amazing.
...Leaving holes and gashes in our opponents.
[kenny] skorpios's saw is stuck in blade's skull.
Chris, that is medieval.
[zach] if the competitors aren't sweating, they should be.
This fight against skorpios will really be a battle of drivers
and a battle of strategy.
We have very similar driving styles.
Really good instincts for feeling out an opponent
and finding the weak point for us to take advantage.
[chris] skorpios totally dictating the pace of this fight.
[matthew] I think we're going to win this fight
because skorpios is better suited to fight the big spinners.
That's not who we are. We're a control robot.
We're more experienced, we're more prepared.
I don't think they know what's coming in this match.
[chris] what a sequence from whiplash!
I'm about to lay the pain on whiplash.
He's going to get a taste of skorpios's new stinger.
[zach] get back here! And stop running away!
I want to just plunge the blade in,
throw him on my back and huck him onto the deck.
-[chris] oh! -[kenny] skorpios' digging in.
[matthew] I'm hungrier now than ever to get that giant nut.
Skorpios, if you go up against us,
the odds are you'll probably lose.
As it comes down to the giant nut,
I think the vasquezes have a great chance to get it,
but they're going to have to go through me if they want it.
[chris] football has the end zone.
Boxing's got the top rope, but battlebots has more refined sensibilities.
I present to you the winners' waltz.
[chris] oh!
[kenny] wow!
[chris] uh-oh!
[kenny] oh!
[chris] I see you, bro. I see you. Yeah!
[kenny] oh!
[chris] oh, yeah!
[chris laughs]
it is time right now for tonight's main event.
A pair of undefeated teams.
It is whiplash, it is skorpios.
And let's start with last season's runner-up.
Engineered by the vasquez family,
in his first fight back at the controls of whiplash,
matty vasquez took on bloodsport,
a bot that went undefeated in the qualifiers last year,
and he pretty much just picked them up
and planted them in the loss column.
[kenny] yeah, it was an upper deck knockout for whiplash,
which is actually amazing considering
they didn't knock out a single opponent all of 2020.
He'll have a tough time managing back-to-back kos
against the likes of skorpios.
And zach lytle, boy, he had a great run in 2020.
He upended tombstone, he won a bounty as well,
and it became crystal clear to us that he and his bot, skorpios,
they're a real threat to win this giant nut.
They made quick work of south korea's blade in their first fight.
A win over whiplash, though,
would be something else entirely, kenny.
Well, zach says his weapon is at least eight times as powerful as last year.
Skorpios has the ability to make these matches
feel less like a fight and more like a sacrifice.
Zach had that stinger on full display against blade.
His bot looks very destructive right now.
This should be a fantastic main event.
Oh, this is a good one. Faruq, get it going.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[faruq] ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's time for the main event!
In the red square, that sly "I'll kill you" stare,
that driver that lures them there.
He'll rip all your circuits bare and you'll crash.
Now you're dead, there's no defense for it.
Saws you in half and you're past tense for it.
What good when making amends for it do?
It's whiplash!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] here we go, whiplash!
Starring in yet another main event.
Front row tickets for mom and pop.
That's jeff and debbie vasquez.
Matty's feeling incredibly confident this season.
So what is his path to victory for tonight?
[kenny] well, priority one is avoiding that nasty weapon on skorpios.
Whiplash wants to get around at the sides,
use its lifter to put skorpios up onto the screws, onto the upper deck.
Matty has taken off his disc spinner and added some extra armor.
We'll see if that was the right move.
In the blue square, this next bot has a weapon that I find very spooky,
because it's a saw like all those scary movies.
So if you hear "I want to play a game,"
your life is at stake and you're not going to live
no matter what choice you make.
It's skorpios!
[chris] zach lytle, first out of the tunnel for team skorpios.
His wife and co-captain, diana, there on the left,
hyping up the crowd, and there we see skorpios
with a completely new configuration, kenny.
[kenny] yeah, some pretty severe looking forks
added to the front on skorpios,
as though this bot didn't look scary enough already.
Clearly, zach wants to get underneath whiplash
and put that hammer saw to work.
Let's do it!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] kenny, have you noticed,
it's been kos up and down the fight card tonight.
Are we about to get a clean sweep?
[kenny] well, listen, whiplash is typically all about control,
but hey, maybe matty's got a taste for the knockout
after shutting down bloodsport.
[chris] and of course, we know skorpios
and that hammer saw can bring the sting.
[automated voice] robots, activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] let us gingerly touch our tips.
[automated voice] red team, ready?
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[automated voice] blue team, ready?
Ahh!
[chris laughing]
[chris] two of the best heavyweight robot drivers in the world.
The winner moves to 2-0.
Let the bot battle begin!
Quick draw by skorpios, trying to get right in whiplash's grill.
Oh, we got a tugging match here.
And look at the strength of whiplash,
setting skorpios on its head.
And puts it right in...
Oh, no!
Oh, my goodness. Are they going to get stuck behind the screws?
[kenny] wow! Those things will reverse.
[chris] they will.
And look at whiplash, right there to try and push him back.
[kenny] amazing control by matt vasquez here to start.
[chris] and skorpios now sitting on top of the rails.
Can zach lytle get his robot back into the field of play?
[kenny] will matty vasquez let him escape is the question.
Whiplash bearing down like a hungry predator here, chris,
but zach lytle is off the screws.
[chris] but not out of harm's way,
because whiplash has got him,
it's going to take him for a ride.
Skorpios breaks free.
He's got to get all the way, out of there.
Nice work by zach lytle.
[kenny] keep an eye on the battle for low ground here
and which bot can get underneath the other and wrestle away control.
[chris] whiplash ticking that box right there.
And here it is again, using those front forks to upend skorpios.
And now skorpios takes whiplash into the screws, right near the upper deck.
How about taste of your own medicine?
[kenny] skorpios trying to drop that hammer saw
and score some damage points, chris,
but those long front forks may actually be hurting them in that department.
[chris] yeah, skorpios can't get close enough to use the weapon.
Ah, there's whiplash with a nice lift.
[kenny] matty vasquez, so quick with that lifter.
[chris] gets ready to go.
Remember, the winner of this match
will be on the fast track to the tournament.
The loser will have some serious work to do.
Heck, can skorpios even the scorecards here
after being dominated in the control department to start.
Whiplash still giving chase.
Once again, skorpios spinning out
and whipping at full speed, but unable to land any sort of damaging blow.
[kenny] yeah, it just can't get in close enough, chris.
But here's a nice opportunity for skorpios to attack from behind.
[chris] oh! But that hammer saw suddenly no longer spinning.
That is some terrible timing there for skorpios, a real missed opportunity.
[kenny] you saw some smoke rising out of skorpios during that exchange, chris.
It may have burned out a weapon motor.
[chris] zach lytle takes whiplash into the rails.
Matty vasquez, though, with a nice counter, as whiplash regains control.
[kenny] yeah, matt just smothering
with that driving style, very oppressive.
Skorpios, trying to counter here, getting underneath whiplash
this is a good opportunity for him,
but they just haven't been able to capitalize.
[chris] closing in on ten seconds left to go.
These two behemoths are going the distance.
Skorpios underneath whiplash,
now showing the judges a nice stretch of control to finish out this match.
[chris] well, matty vasquez clearly thinks
he's done enough, but nothing is final
until the judges render their decision.
They are...
Lisa winter, jason bardis and derek young,
scoring on an 11 point system.
Five points for damage, three points apiece for aggression and control.
[chris] kenny, you said before the fight,
it was going to come down to the driving skills of vasquez and lytle.
[kenny] I mean, matt has so much experience with this platform.
He knows how to get it done and get it done against a variety of robots,
and he was just on fire to start this match.
That opening exchange really set the tone for the rest of this fight.
[chris] you know, both bots went with their long forks,
but skorpios' setup seemed to hinder its weapon.
Zach was able to regain some control down the stretch,
but just couldn't deliver any meaningful shots with that upgraded hammer saw.
[kenny] that's right, and skorpios had a great opportunity
late in the fight, but its weapon motor gave out
and zach couldn't get that new stinger up to full speed.
Even so, he bounced back from a rough start
and did all he could to make matt sweat.
[chris] meanwhile, matty vasquez cool as ever under pressure,
but was it enough?
Here's faruq with the decision.
The results from the judges are in.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
we have a split decision.
Oh!
Judge lisa scored the battle for skorpios!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
judge derek scored the battle in favor of whiplash.
Judge jason scored the battle for the winner...
[man in audience] come on!
Whiplash!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[chris] matt vasquez...
When you heard it was a split decision, how nervous were you?
Uh, I was definitely pretty nervous
when I heard it was a split decision.
I mean, they did a great job, you know,
getting us pinned a couple of times in this fight.
But I felt like, you know, we got them into the screws a couple of times.
We got, I don't know, more flips than I remember.
So I felt like we got the win, but it was pretty close.
We were definitely damaged.
So I'm sure that's why, you know,
one of the judges scored in their favor.
But yeah, I'm just happy we pulled it out.
Yeah. Matt, you got off to a great start.
It seems like you controlled most of the match.
Do you think that was the difference?
That was definitely the difference.
I mean, we had some issues.
I know in our bloodsport fight, one of our wheel,
we broke like a chain super early.
We were on three wheels, and this fight, the same thing happened.
We were on like two or three wheels most of the fight,
and I was barely able to push him when I was under him.
So I mean, it's-- it's good we're getting these problems out of the way
and the fight cards, and I would hope
we're in the tournament after two wins.
So we're going to fix the problems we had in this fight,
fix the problems we had in bloodsport,
and hopefully have another deep run.
Matt, congratulations. You're off to a 2-0 start.
Great.
I know we talk about it a lot around here,
but every time matt vasquez and whiplash gets inside that box,
I just got to watch that dude drive because he is so darn special.
He put on a clinic out there.
I mean, listen, zach lytle is a tremendous driver,
but I think matty vasquez showed
he's at a completely different level.
That was unbelievable.
[chris] and speaking of unbelievable,
how about six knockouts in seven fights tonight?
And congratulations to jonathan schultz and huge
for their emotional victory over retrograde.
Icewave, also with a sigh of relief in its win,
but no question, the biggest hit of the night
was delivered by matt maxham and team cobalt.
They might have some cops waiting for them after that one.
I mean, that was crazy.
Just straight out assault there by cobalt.
So for faruq, our bot whisperer, pete,
my man, kenny florian, I am chris rose.
We'll see you next time here on battlebots.