[robot announcer] Robots activate.
[all cheering]
[Chris Rose] What's up?
Hi!
Hey, everybody, and welcome to BattleBots.
I am Chris Rose, and of course I'm joined
by UFC legend and everyone's favorite robot combat analyst,
our very own Kenny Florian!
[all cheering]
Thanks, Chris. It is week two of World Championship VII,
and we've already seen some incredible events
take place in the BattleBox.
If last week was any indication of what's to come,
I think we're in for quite a season.
[Chris] Now, if you missed last week's big announcement,
this year really will be unlike any other.
In addition to being guaranteed four fights in the qualifiers,
every team's schedule has been made public.
[Kenny Florian] That means after every win or loss,
they'll be able to project just how important
a particular fight was or will be
to their tournament chances.
And the folks at home can live with every punch of every team
at battlebots.com,
where you can find the full schedule
and standings for the season.
[Chris] Teams are going into their matches
more prepared than ever.
But as we've seen before,
anything can happen on BattleBots,
and tonight is no different.
So let's take a look at our fight card.
Kenny, look, I know it's January,
but tonight has all the ingredients needed
to light up the box like the 4th of July.
We've even got the grill master himself,
Reese Ewert and Fusion here for the barbecue.
He'll be taking on a rookie robot
that already has the pits buzzing in Emulsifier.
Try not to light yourself on fire this time,
good ol' Reese.
[Chris] We'll also see one of the most surgical drivers on the planet,
Matt Vasquez and the 2020 runners-up, Whiplash,
go toe-to-toe, or rather toe-to-paw with the madman,
Martin Mason and his not-so-pretty kitty,
- MaDCatTer. - [cat meowing]
[Chris] And at the end of the night,
we have a monster main event.
It is Aren Hill and his flywheel flipper, Blip,
taking on world number one, End Game.
[Kenny] Last year in his rookie campaign,
Aren Hill's innovative machine
made it all the way to the top eight,
while Jack Barker and Nick Mabey
grabbed hold of the inaugural Golden Bolt trophy
to prove they are still the team to beat.
[Chris] But up first, last season's most destructive robot,
HyperShock, led by none other than Will Bales,
will put the pedal to the metal
against mister slash and burn himself,
Jamison Go,
and the perennial Giant Nut favorite, SawBlaze.
This is a dream mashup, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, two beautifully designed
but dramatically different machines.
Jamison Go's SawBlaze
is all about control and precision,
while Will Bale's HyperShock
is highly kinetic chaos from start to finish.
[Chris] While SawBlaze sports a career winning percentage
of 65%,
HyperShock has the second most knockouts inBattleBots history
behind only the legendary tombstone.
[Kenny] Truly two of the best this sport has to offer.
All right, we are ready. Faruq, take it away.
Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
[all cheering]
It's robot fighting time!
- [crowd cheering] - [siren blaring]
[Faruq Tauheed] In the red square,
this bots from the home of MIT,
and if I had to take a guess,
that stands for mutilating, impaling, and torturing
'cause that's what he does best.
He graduated magna cum laude at the top of his class
and earned a master's degree in kicking your ass
with a minor in communications of course.
Give it up for SawBlaze!
[all cheering]
[Chris] Jamison Go, the 30 year old from Cambridge, Mass.,
all the way there on the right.
And at the bottom of the screen,
you can see they have quite the schedule.
After tonight, it's Lock-Jaw, Skorpios,
and then they finish with Hydra.
Quite the murderer's row, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, not an easy path to the tournament,
which makes this fight even more important.
And we're getting a good look at one of the largest front ends in this sport.
Jamison's used that plow to perfection,
scooping up opponents,
pinning them up against the wall,
and then sinking his hammer saw deep into their chest.
In the blue square,
this bot's captain's a newlywed.
Mazel tov, my guy.
Now he's here to pronounce you dead.
You may kiss your ass goodbye.
Cutting fake bots like cake.
Like a wine glass, he'll smash them.
Call these hands the bouquet
'cause if you're next, you're gonna catch them.
You better not wear a white dress
'cause he'll get blood on it.
Here comes HyperShock!
[Chris] HyperShock in the building
for the first of its four fights in the qualifier.
Captain Will Bale is there on the left,
his wife Alex on the right.
Kenny, looking at their schedule this season,
ain't gonna be a honeymoon for the newlyweds.
[Kenny] Yeah, three teams that were in the preseason top seven.
But are you surprised?
In the Sin City Slugfest last year,
they had one of the most disruptive single-night runs
in BattleBots history.
That was a new Will Bales we saw,
so you got to wonder,
will he be showing up again tonight?
Historically, HyperShock doesn't have a very good time when he's upside down
and has a really difficult time
trying to get back up.
So if any point in time,
whether it's his doing or our doing,
we can get him upside down, the plan is to keep him there
and basically burn out the clock
while doing damage and issuing control.
Strategy for SawBlaze is very similar to everybody else,
avoid the front.
We need to make sure we're setting a pace,
just like we have in the past that's favorable for us.
Be chaotic, be stressful to drive against.
Uh, if we can get him, you know, just off his A-game,
that's good for us, it's a benefit for us,
and that's how we're gonna take this match.
[robot announcer] Robots activate!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] These two veterans have fought each other
in lighter weight classes,
but for the first time ever,
they're going at it in the heavyweight division.
[robot announcer] Red team, ready?
Ready?
- Yeah! - [all exclaiming]
[robot announcer] Blue team, ready?
All yours, chief.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Aw.
[Kenny] Such newlyweds.
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Two of the most popular robots on the planet.
Whose poster do you have on your wall at home?
Let's get it on!
Let the bot battle begin!
Big box stretch
- out of SawBlaze. - [Kenny] Woah!
[Chris] They go face to face.
[Kenny] Yeah, SawBlaze able to get underneath HyperShock there.
- HyperShock looking for some big shots. - [Chris exclaiming]
There's a good one, and he's got SawBlaze
on his side momentarily.
- [Kenny] Oh, uh-oh. - [Chris] HyperShock inverted.
He was worried about that.
That's exactly what Jamison Go wanted to do.
[Kenny] Absolutely, he's gonna try to keep him there, Chris.
- Keep attacking... - [Chris exclaims]
[Kenny] ...the inverted position of HyperShock.
[Chris] Will Bales has got to do whatever he can
to get back right side up.
He can function this way,
but he is at a serious disadvantage.
- [crowd exclaiming] - [Chris] He gets pinned into the rail!
[Kenny] Great shot by SawBlaze,
shredding the right front tire,
and Jamison Go is all over HyperShock.
[Chris] HyperShock's weapon still spinning
banging against the BattleBox floor.
Down to three wheels now!
Can it right itself and get back in the match?
[Kenny exclaims]
- [Chris] Wow. - [Kenny] Jamison Go
fighting very aggressive here against HyperShock
- as he gets the hammer saw going! - [crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] Oh! Big shot there!
Another tire's come off!
Oh! And let's see if HyperShock can move at all.
SawBlaze reengages.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] HyperShock's weapon still active and dangerous.
- SawBlaze is heated up... - [crowd exclaims]
[Chris] ...and delivers the pain,
sinking the hammer saw
deep in the underbelly of HyperShock!
[Kenny] That was a nasty shot by SawBlaze,
and it looked like that weapon may be stuck, Chris.
Jamison Go trying to back away.
What's up? Can you get out of there?
My blades stuck in there.
- [John Remar] Can you back up? - [Jamison Go] I cannot.
[Chris] So John Remar,
- our lead referee there... - [Jamison] We're stuck. We're stuck.
[Chris] ...asking Jamison to separate,
but that weapon does appear to be stuck.
HyperShock's disc still spinning.
- [whistle blowing] - All right, we got a time out! We got two stuck robots!
- [buzzer sounds] - Time out, we're gonna try to separate them.
Go ahead put your transmitters down now, please.
[Chris] All right, so a timeout's been called
in our very first fight of the night.
Hey, feel free to celebrate
if you had this bet at +1,200 going into this match.
This is crazy!
[Kenny] Yeah, we've still got 1:25 remaining.
The safety crew's gonna try and unstick them.
If they can't, this one will go to the judges.
[Chris] Speaking of, our judges are all former BattleBots participants.
Derek Young there on the left,
Lisa Winter and again,
back for the first time since 2016, it's Fon Davis.
[Jamison] It's wild.
[Chris] Gotta wonder if SawBlaze even needed
to strike that final time out there, Kenny.
[Kenny] Always go for the kill shot.
We've seen bots come back from the dead time and time again.
- [crowd cheering] - [Chris] All right, and just like that,
there you see it, this fight has indeed been called.
They cannot unstick these two beasts,
and Kenny, we're officially going now to the score cards.
We were just about to turn it around.
[Chris] Our panel will be judging
on an 11-point system.
Five points can be awarded for damage,
three for aggression, and three for control.
All right, Kenny, prior to the stick,
we were treated to some fireworks.
HyperShock came out swinging,
but mister slash and burn, Jamison Go,
called his shot before this fight,
said he wanted to invert HyperShock
and force it to try and self-right.
Mission accomplished.
[Kenny] Yeah, just a brilliant display of control,
aggression, and damage by SawBlaze,
took his time teeing up HyperShock,
then delivered the hammer saw
straight to Will Bale's tires.
[Chris] A weird and wonderful start tonight.,
two of the qualifiers.
Here is Faruq with the decision
that'll change the course of both of these team's seasons.
The results from the judges are in.
The winner by unanimous decision is...
...SawBlaze!
[all cheering]
- [Jamison] Yeah! - Good job, everybody!
[exclaiming]
[Chris] Jamison, congratulations.
You told us before the fight,
"Do not sleep on that hammer saw.
It can deliver a serious pop."
Uh, did it surprise you it was even that good?
Uh, yeah, well, definitely surprised that
we got, like, as stuck as we did.
Like, they were trying their hardest
to try and separate those robots.
But that was a really deep shot.
So chock me up as surprised.
Jamison, it seems like you executed your gameplan perfectly.
What was your gameplan, uh, and are you happy
with the performance of your robot?
We just wanted to stick one of the side forks
into HyperShock's weapon, disorient them a little bit,
and as soon as they flipped over,
we take a breather and try to just control them a little bit.
Think it was still a little too aggressive,
and they chewed up everything on the front.
Uh, so we're gonna see what is damaged
and see what can we replace and fix.
Jamison, congratulations. Nice start to your season.
- [crowd cheering] - Thank you very much.
[all applauding]
[Chris] Kenny, SawBlaze, so effective, so impressive.
Maybe this is the year they are actually gonna vie for the Giant Nut.
[Kenny] Well, HyperShock is a very good robot...
- Yeah. - ...and they made it look very easy.
[Chris] All right, coming up,
we'll see our old buddy, Reese Ewert
try to give one of the biggest vertical spinners you've ever seen
its welcome to the big leagues moment.
It's Fusion taking on rookie, Emulsifier,
when we return onBattleBots.
[Chris] Welcome back to Las Vegas,
the home ofBattleBots
and the backdrop for all of the action
here World Championship VII.
Up next, it's Fusion against Emulsifier.
Let's start with the veteran bot builder in Reese Ewert.
He's entering his third season atBattleBots,
and the 29-year-old, he's never made it past the round of 32,
which wouldn't be a big deal, but remember,
he's part of robot royalty.
His dad, Terry, is a Giant Nut winner from back in the day.
His brother, Jake, is a championship contender
year in and year out.
Now, that's full power, baby!
[Chris] But Kenny, the whole family
really believes in this robot.
[Kenny] This is a great robot.
It can beat any robot in here
as long as it doesn't go up in flames.
Which is at least half the time.
[laughing] Yes.
Well, Fusion's design is incredibly ambitious.
No one else in the sport is even attempting
a dual vertical, horizontal spinner.
And to keep both weapons going,
it takes a lot of power, hence the constant smoldering.
Now, I'm told Reese has a solution to his problems,
and if he does, this robot could be a dark horse this year.
[Kenny] A solution to the robot barbecue?
Huh, I'm intrigued.
We'll hear about that in just a few minutes.
In the meantime, Matt Bores is the rookie captain of Emulsifier.
It's a very different looking bot.
It's got the treads working,
but it also has a serious weapon out there.
Yeah, absolutely, it looks really impressive,
and that's partially because this isn't really a rookie team.
Matt Bores used to be on team Shatter! led by Adam Wrigley,
and in the same way that Aren Hill or Team Whyachi
has sort of franchised multiple bots
under the same ownership group,
Adam is doing that with Shatter! and Emulsifier.
And as we've seen, sharing knowledge and resources
can lend itself to stronger teams overall.
[Chris] But it also leads to some lofty expectations, Kenny.
Again, we've started polling the pits
before every fight this year and check this out.
Over 80% of the builders are taking Emulsifier in this match up.
[Kenny] It'll be interesting to see if Matt Bores
can rise to the occasion tonight.
Certainly will. Faruq?
In the red square, from Columbus, Ohio,
in 2022, this bot from Columbus pummeled you.
Give it up for Emulsifier!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] 37-year-old Matt Bores there on the left,
and as mentioned, there's 36-year-old Adam Wrigley,
who's kinda looking like a proud dad right now.
Kenny, we see all sorts of vertical spinners here onBattleBots,
but this one's a little different.
[Kenny] Absolutely, besides the giant 24-inch disk,
it's driving on omni track rubber timing belts.
That should give it unprecedented traction and pushing power.
And get this, it's double treaded,
so it's riding on not two, but four belts.
This thing looks like a tank.
In the blue square, from Dorchester, Wisconsin,
this Ewert boy is here to leave your bot in Reese's Pieces.
Give it up for Fusion!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Fusion led by the long-haired Reese Ewert,
and you can tell he means business tonight.
Well actually, he always looks like that.
But Kenny, it sounds like the solution
Reese came up with for Fusion's overheating problem
gives him reason to smile.
[Kenny] That's right. So all the fire's we've seen with Fusion
have been caused by overheated speed controllers,
and Reese figured out that if you move the speed controllers
right above Fusion's horizontal blade,
the weapon would double as a fan to cool them down.
[Chris] Ah, very clever, Reese.
Hope it works.
[all applauding]
It's exciting. Adrenaline's pumping.
I got Team Whyachi as my opponent right out of the gate.
You know, I've been watching them on TV
since I was a little kid.
We're hoping we might be able to get around them
and go straight on into their wedgelets,
maybe out-maneuver them a little bit
and get a good shot or two off.
I like to be relentless,
so, [laughs] uh, that's the goal.
Hit him until something breaks and, uh, win the match.
We've been plagued with fire issues in the past.
And this year, we really got them figured out.
Basic strategy with fusion is always just
disorientate them with the vertical weapon.
When you get an opening, use your gutting tool
to horizontally split them wide open.
I'm a hungry dog.
It's been two years...
...of [bleep] and nonsense...
...and I'm coming out hard.
[Chris] Ooh, Reese, you are calling in shots!
[robot announcer] Robots, activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All right, Kenny, in addition to possibly
solving the overheating issue,
something else is different with fusion this year, right?
[Kenny] Yeah, in a move that he hoped will improve performance,
Reese will now be operating both weapons and driving the robot.
He used to split those duties
with the older gentleman there to his right,
Dick Stuplich.
[Chris] Well, at the very least,
uh, Dick is around to hold the fire extinguisher.
[Kenny laughing] Yeah. Oh, my God.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
[Kenny] Fusion, you can already hear those weapons humming.
Uh-oh, a little gyroscopic movement.
Emulsifier out of control.
[all exclaiming]
[Chris] Oh! Huge hit, stuck the landing!
As Emulsifier went quiet.
[Kenny] Oh, look at that gash on the front wedge of Emulsifier.
[Chris] Oh, that thing is brutal.
Oh, my God!
[Kenny] Fusion, just nasty,
leading with that vertical disc spinner.
[Chris] Both weapons up to speed.
- [all exclaiming] - [Chris] Oh!
Big collision sends Emulsifier flying backwards!
Can it self-right?
[Kenny] Wow!
[Chris] Fusion on the attack and looking to take advantage!
[Kenny] Fusion is picking Emulsifier apart right now,
speaking of parts...
- [all exclaiming] - [Chris] Oh! Another huge shot
right into the drivers window.
[Kenny] Reese Ewert alternating between
the vertical and horizontal spinners,
like he's switching gears on a bike, Chris.
[Chris] This is what Reese told us he was gonna do before this fight.
[Kenny] Yeah, there are parts from Emulsifier
all over the BattleBox.
[Chris] Back on its feet
but way behind on the score cards.
Emulsifier can still move.
But can it do any damage?
[Chris] Ooh, going face to face!
- [crowd exclaiming] - [Chris] Launches him all the way to the upper deck!
- [Kenny] My goodness! - [Chris] Somehow Emulsifier works its way off of it.
[Kenny] The power of these robots colliding
has been something to watch.
Emulsifier hanging in,
but Fusion has looked durable and dangerous.
[Chris] Still on the attack...
- [Kenny exclaims] - [Chris] ...Reese Ewert keeps going, spinning,
chopping.
[Kenny] Here comes Emulsifier, Chris!
[Chris] Yeah, there is smoke on Reese Ewert's bot, yet again.
That is a real problem every time it fights,
and it keeps going.
- Uh-oh. - [men shouting]
- Uh-oh! - [man] Come on!
[Chris] 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining.
What a comeback this would be
if Emulsifier could find a way to turn it around!
The smoke is pouring out.
- [Kenny] Look at the fire! - [Chris] Now there's fire!
We've got flames on the front of Fusion!
Both bots' weapons still spinning, though, at full speed.
- [crashes] - [audience exclaiming]
- [Kenny] Big hit. - [Chris] Fusion on fire but throwing blows!
[Kenny] How is Emulsifier still moving in the BattleBox?
[Chris] I have no idea.
There's no tread left.
That weapon's still working.
- Still the attack. - [Kenny] Wow. Wow!
[Chris] Oh, it is a Thursday night barbecue
here onBattleBots.
Both robots beat up but still scrapping,
just refusing to die.
[Kenny] Smoke still pouring out of Fusion.
Can it make it to the bell?
[Chris] This is amazing. Amazing!
Count him out! Count him out!
[Chris] Matt Bores pleading with the referee to count Fusion out.
Can it move?
Emulsifier having drive issues, as well.
[Kenny] Oh, Fusion has control.
He's the one that can't drive. Count him out.
[Kenny] Both bots struggling.
Emulsifier missing the tread on the left side,
going around in circles.
Matt Bores has very little control of that robot.
[Chris] Unbelievable!
- Smoke, tread, fire. - [audience] Four, three, two, one!
- [Chris] This one had it all. Wow. - [buzzer]
[audience cheering]
Three minutes of complete mayhem,
and Team Emulsifier thinks they may have it.
Oh! And there's Fusion, bursting back into flames.
Wow!
[man] Yeah!
Yeah!
That's fire. That's fire!
Oh, my God.
[Chris] That's the Fusion you know and love.
Our panel of judges keeping a close eye on all of this madness.
God, you guys. What a fight.
- Good fight. - Awesome.
- [Matt Bores] Oh, my gosh. - [man laughs]
Good job, Reese.
- Hey, I could still drive. - Yeah.
[Chris] The teams making their cases to each other.
Well, we're gonna get the official word
on who wins this, uh, barn burner
whenBattleBots continues.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where these fans were just treated to a street fight
between Emulsifier and Fusion.
Reese Ewert's Fusion caught fire late in the match
and kicked up a plume of smoke
that the safety team is still trying to clean up.
Kenny, how are the judges gonna break this one down, in your opinion?
[Kenny] What a crazy fight.
Fusion dominated the first 90 seconds,
racked up damage points
with both the horizontal and vertical weapons.
[Chris] Emulsifier spent a ton of time in the air,
but that big, vertical disc never stopped spinning.
[Kenny] Yeah, that thing looked unstoppable,
and the action really turned about halfway through,
when Fusion started smoking.
[Chris] An all-too-familiar sight for our friend Reese Ewert,
and check out our new thermal camera.
This is about a minute into the fight there.
Fusion lands a big shot.
You can see the entire body of the robot start to turn
from yellow to white-hot,
and about a minute later, it's looking like a sparkler.
[Kenny] Fusion lost weapon function late,
but Emulsifier was clearly compromised, as well.
This is a close call.
[Chris] Did the rookies do enough to sway the judges
in the back half of this brawl?
Here is Faruq with the decision.
The results from the judges are in!
The winner, by unanimous decision, is...
...Fusion!
[audience cheering]
Love you!
Whoo!
[Chris] Reese Ewert, usually when we say,
"Hey, dude, you're hot,"
that's a good thing.
- [Reese Ewert] Oh. - But your bot is always on fire.
- It is. - Yeah.
When flames popped up again, were you thinking,
"Are you kidding me?"
No, 'cause, see,
we decentralized our speed controller so we could still drive,
and I really think that's probably what won us the match there,
is I could still drive and control him at the end.
So, you're telling me you liked being on fire?
I don't, no.
I prefer not to be.
Reese, uh, that was one of the best fights that we've seen from Fusion.
- Do you agree? - Yes. It was epic.
Three minutes, and I got the win,
which I never thought I'd see coming.
I, I always say, "If Fusion goes three minutes, it loses."
But, uh...
Man, I kicked the crap out of them
for a good while there, and...
...blew up, so...
- The fun fight. - Hey, Reese, I have...
I have a lot of trouble telling whether or not you're happy or not.
- I, do you wanna see my happy face? - Yes, please.
- Yes! There it is. - [Kenny laughs]
Let's hear it for the happiest guy
in BattleBots,Reese Ewert.
- Yes, sir. - Congratulations.
So, the grill master general, Reese Ewert,
is off to a hot start at 1-0,
and this was an important win.
Fusion has Witch Doctor on deck in fight number two.
All right, well, we've got only a couple minutes
to clean up the smog inside the BattleBox,
- so let's get to work, gang. - [coughing]
Good job in there.
In the meantime, let's dive into our next match-up.
We've got former Most Destructive award-winner Valkyrie
facing the prehistoric powerhouse, Mammoth.
And, Kenny, now in its fifth season,
Valkyrie actually has a brand-new captain.
[Kenny] That's right.
Former captain Leanne Cushing has passed the reins to Lucy Du.
Lucy Du, of course,
used to work on Team SawBlaze.
She's a mechanical engineering PhD student at MIT,
and she has a ton of experience driving at lower weight classes,
but no so much for 250-pound bots.
She's gonna try to make the most out of this fight.
Taking on Mammoth and Ricky Willems,
and we asked Ricky to describe last season in one word
- and he said, "Disappointing." - [Kenny chuckles softly]
They got knocked out several times
and only got one win across the entire year.
In fact, he thought about scrapping the entire idea of Mammoth
and building something new for this season.
And then he looked at that robot and he said,
"You know what? I didn't give you a fair enough chance."
Ricky, the robot's not gonna answer you back,
by the way, here.
But I think it's nice that he gives the big fella another shot here.
[Kenny] I'm excited about it.
I love Mammoth, and I think it's so unique.
It's so creative. I'm so glad that it's back.
And it's back to being six feet tall.
They simplified it a bit to hopefully make it more reliable,
and guess what?
Ricky Willems has never lost a season opener,
so let's see if he can keep that streak alive.
[Chris] The teams are ready for launch.
We are now just moments away from the start of this fight.
[audience cheering]
[automated voice speaking] Red Team, ready.
[Chris] There is Lucy Du,
the 29-year-old captain of the new-look Valkyrie.
This team has a bunch of different blades in their arsenal, Kenny.
Which one are they using for fight number one?
[Kenny] The blade they're going with is a 65-pound blade.
It's a single-tooth disc, and they call it Artemis.
It's their most powerful weapon.
They're hoping it will be able to launch Mammoth across the arena,
giving Valkyrie enough time to spin back up.
[automated voice speaking] Blue Team, ready.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Ricky Willems, trying to breathe out the nerves there.
What's his plan in this battle of big versus small, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, he thinks Mammoth's blade could get underneath Valkyrie
and invert it,
which would put a lot of stress on Lucy Du
in her first heavyweight fight.
Something to note,
Ricky's dialed back Mammoth's weapon motor
from 185 to 50 horsepower this season,
hoping to solve for overheating issues.
We'll see if it still has enough pop
to flip Valkyrie here.
[chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
As soon as it's in the arms...
[audience chanting continues]
[buzzer beeping]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
Here comes Mammoth on the attack.
[Kenny] Nice Box rush by Ricky Willems.
Didn't know Mammoth could move that fast.
[Chris] Mammoth punching Valkyrie in the face right now
with that big weapon.
Come on.
[Kenny] Oh, Valkyrie may be hung up there
at the feet of Mammoth.
Aw...
Wait for it. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait! Don't use the weapon.
[Chris] Oh, no, do we have two stuck robots here
in the first 20 seconds?
- They may be tied up. - Nothing down?
Maybe try reversing?
Are we good?
Now!
- [audience exclaiming] - [Chris] Okay.
[Kenny] There you go.
Good hit, good hit. Hit him again!
[Chris] All right, nice job by Mammoth,
- punching his way out of the stick... - [Kenny groans]
...and lands another shot on Valkyrie.
[Kenny] Yeah, Valkyrie has that undercutter
back up to speed.
[Chris] Mammoth denies Lucy Du with that big weapon, yet again.
Oh, but Mammoth may be having some issues here, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it looks like the weapon
and the left side of the bot are locked up.
Oh, there's a big hit.
[Chris] Can Lucy Du turn the tables here?
[Kenny] Mammoth really struggling, Chris.
Lucy Du just kinda driving in circles.
Valkyrie has to capitalize here.
- Oh. - [Chris] Oh!
[Kenny] Oh! Airborne Mammoth. Oh, no.
- No! - No!
[Chris] No, Mammoth just blew himself up like Wile Coyote!
- [audience exclaiming] - [Kenny] Oh, oh, oh...
We're dead. We're dead! We're dead!
[Kenny] Oh, the humanity!
Children, hide your eyes!
[Chris] Oh, gosh.
That's a bad way to go for the big boy.
And being counted out now...
- Seven, six, five... - [Chris] Not exactly a dominant performance,
- but Lucy Du has her first victory as captain. - ...four, three, two, one!
- Knockout! - [buzzer]
[audience cheering]
Good work. Good work.
I did not see that coming.
[woman exclaims] Lucy!
[Chris] Kenny, this was a strange one from the get-go.
Mammoth's fork got caught in Valkyrie's weapon
like a vacuum cleaner sucking up a LEGO.
[Kenny] Yeah, and a great shot by Ricky Willems
to unstick the two bots.
Can't say either team was really effective after that, though.
[Chris] Valkyrie looked tentative.
Mammoth's drive and weapon seemed to lock up,
and then Mammoth's head blew up!
[Kenny] Yeah, you can actually see
one tusk starts to bend on that last hit.
At that point, the weapon's carbon fiber hub gets compromised,
and when it tries to self-right,
the forces causes it to basically explode at the seams.
- [audience cheering] - Lucy.
[Chris] Well, tough to say that either team helped their chances
of making the tournament with that performance.
Either way, Valkyrie moves to 1-0,
and Mammoth has some major work to do in the pits
before its next match.
All right, coming up,
a special guest is gonna stop by
to help us break down our next fight,
Mr. Slash and Burn himself,
Jamison Go of SawBlaze.
He's gonna be sitting box-side with us
as MaDCatTer takes on Whiplash.
Do not go anywhere.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] We are back onBattleBots.
That is Kenny Florian, and I am Chris Rose,
and we are joined by a guest box-side.
Let's hear it for the team captain of SawBlaze, Jamison Go.
[all cheering]
[Chris] Hello, Jamison. How are you?
[Jamison Go] Oh, I'm fantastic. Great to be here.
[Chris] You can go ahead and spin around, Jamo.
Get comfortable.
[Jamison] It's, uh, it's a huge honor
to be back here with you guys.
[Chris] All right, you had a huge opening win over HyperShock.
We're hearing the two bots are still actually stuck together back there.
But you're off to a 1-0 start.
I imagine you're feeling great about it, you know,
working your way toward the Giant Nut
that you always won't tell us that you're definitely gonna get,
- but we know you're thinking it. - [Kenny laughs]
Yeah, we're definitely riding high.
We've got that momentum.
We're hoping to continue with it.
Uh, we took a lot of damage,
but the team's back there right now,
taking care of all that business,
which lets me be here with you guys.
[Chris] So now, let's talk about the fight we're about to see.
It's the 2020 runners up, Whiplash,
and the gritty kitty, MaDCatTer.
Whiplash, captained by Matt Vasquez,
is kinda like robot combat equivalent of Duke basketball,
but likable.
They're always gonna have a good spot.
MaDCatTer, of course, led by the greatest showman in our sport,
Martin Mason.
But their driver, Calvin Iba, is taking on a bigger role on the team.
He's somebody to keep an eye on this year.
[Kenny] Yeah, Jamison, you've actually fought both of these guys before.
How do you break this one down?
[Jamison] Ooh, it's gonna be a tough one.
I mean, what we're gonna see here
is a lot of fast-paced action.
Like, we already know Whiplash is a fantastic driver,
and Calvin Iba is a fantastic driver, as well,
and he's proven himself, certainly, in the lower weight classes,
the Beetleweights, in particular,
where he is a champion.
We're gonna see a lot of great action tonight.
And by the way, if MaDCatTer does win,
will you give us a little Martin Mason impression after we're done here?
[mimicking Martin] Oh, yeah!
- See, there we go. I knew Jamison had it in him. - Very good. That's very good.
Okay, let's get to it.
The, uh, bots are back there,
ready to march through the tunnel.
Faruq, take it away.
[Faruq] In the red square...
Hey, everybody,
Faruq Tauheed here.
Look, I just wanted to take a second to talk to you guys
about the importance of family.
See, it's imperative that we spend time with our loved ones
to create memories that will last forever.
Whether that's a family game night,
or a time you went to Disneyland,
or the time y'all built a 250-pound murderous robot
with a variety of deadly weapons
and entered into a series of competitions
where it dominated.
[mock crying] Because when you think about
all the robotic killing and maiming and torturing...
...that's what family's all about, damn it!
- [audience cheering] - [Chris laughs]
Please make it loud for the family robot,
Whiplash!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] There is Matt Vasquez on the right,
and his mean, green machine, Whiplash.
Together, they're a symphony of destruction,
and Kenny, looks like that vertical spinner is back.
[Kenny] Yeah, they didn't use that 20-pound disc at all last year,
opting instead to put that weight into armor.
But coupling it with the 2-foot-long articulating arm,
which Matty is surgical with,
allows him to use it as a typical vertical spinner
or an overhead attack,
which Jamison knows something about.
[Chris] Jamison, how difficult is it
driving against Matt Vasquez?
[Jamison] So, Matt's gonna be really aggressive.
He's got a very controllable, fast robot.
The difficult thing is to try to get around to the sides.
[all cheering]
[Faruq] In the blue square,
he's the Garfield of combat
who will give you blunt-force trauma,
then chew you up just like a tray of lasagna.
When it comes to killing bots,
he's got so many fun ways.
This grumpy cat's giving you a fatal case of the Mondays.
It's MaDCatTer!
[all cheering]
[men cheering]
[Chris] The always entertaining Martin Mason,
the engineering professor at Mt. San Antonio College.
There he...
[mimicking Martin Mason] Yeah!
[Martin roars]
Ooh!
[Chris] Got his students all working to design this bad boy.
How...
When you fight Martin, how do you not laugh at him, dude?
[Jamison] You gotta match him with equal energy.
That's the only way you can keep a straight face.
[mimicking Martin] You gotta go all in, man!
- [laughing] - I'm winning everything!
[Martin cheering]
MaDCatTer being a vertical spinner
is definitely going to be a very good test for us.
Fighting vertical spinners in the past has been our weakness.
This year, I've kinda shrunk the robot a little
and dialed some things back,
so we do have weight for our armor
that I think will be good enough, hopefully.
Our spinner hits probably twice as hard as it ever did.
It's going to perform a lot better.
This first fight is absolutely critical.
It sets us on a path for the entire event,
and you're gonna see us just clawing
over one broken robot after another
to get to the top.
Hi, Whiplash! I got a message for you.
When this is all over,
you're not gonna be Whiplash.
You're gonna be spread out like chocolate ganache!
[Chris] Oh, Martin going deep in the rhyming dictionary for that one.
[automated voice speaking] Robots, activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right, get ready for some serious fireworks, folks.
It's the world-ranked number 20, MaDCatTer,
squaring off against the world-ranked number seven, Whiplash.
Which team gets to add a huge first win to their resume?
We will find out
when we return onBattleBots!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we are just seconds away
from what should be an explosive match-up
between Matty Vasquez's Whiplash
and Martin Mason's MaDCatTer.
And here to help us break it all down,
we've also got Jamison Go of SawBlaze down here with us.
A little weird being on this side of the box, Jamison?
- Very strange. - [Chris chuckles]
[Chris] Do you wanna hold a controller or something while we do this?
[Jamison] Yeah, I might want...
I feel like I wanna get into my stance right now.
- [Chris] Yeah, okay. - [Jamison] But I'm sitting down.
Well, feel free to stand.
You'll burn your quads out real quick, though,
- if you do over here. - [Jamison chuckles]
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
And wow, here we go.
Serious Box rush from both boys.
MaDCatTer's weapons spun up.
Whiplash looking to push him around
with that powerful drivetrain.
[Kenny] Whiplash has that vertical disc
back in the mix this season.
But we know Matt Vasquez makes his money
by getting under his opponents
and dominating the control game.
[Chris] Nice call there, Kenny Florian.
Is Whiplash able to get under MaDCatTer?
Calvin Iba recovers it.
Now we got a little bit of a standoff.
MaDCatTer backs away, resets.
[Kenny] These two still just feeling each other out,
sticking and moving,
looking for the right angle.
MaDCatTer's weapons still at full speed, Chris.
[Chris] The kitty's always looking for that big power shot.
[Kenny] MaDCatTer has that lifting arm of theirs retracted now,
maybe looking to get that weapon in a little closer
and get a bite on Whiplash.
[audience exclaiming]
[Chris] Oh, Ken, he wants to get all over it.
MaDCatTer draws first blood, inverts Whiplash,
but look at the athleticism!
Matt Vasquez is so skilled at that sort of move.
[Kenny] And he does it so quickly.
[Chris] Oh, man, MaDCatTer trying to get in there at the right angle,
starting to work it in the corner.
Nice job, but look at...
- Oh! - [audience exclaiming]
[shouts]
[Chris] That was brutal.
[Kenny] Nice self-right,
but MaDCatTer underneath Whiplash again here.
And uh-oh.
- [audience exclaiming] - Oh!
Oh, my goodness!
That was some serious air time by MaDCatTer.
[Chris] Calvin Iba backs away.
Is there a touch of life left in Whiplash?
And remember, this season,
the rules state that any movement will stop a countdown.
But it looks like this one may indeed be over.
[Kenny] That was a devastating shot.
[Chris] And here comes the countdown!
- MaDCaTter, you are one Bad Kitty! - [referee] Five, four...
- ...three, two... - [Chris screeching] Meow!
[crowd] ...one!
- [referee] Stop the clock! - [buzzer buzzing]
[all cheering]
Yeah!
Whoo! All right! Whoo!
Yeah! Way to go, guys! Whoo!
Yeah!
[Chris] Kenny, this was a little bit
of a game of cat and mouse to start.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely.
I was surprised Whiplash never got that vertical disk spun up.
Both teams did a good job of staying patient,
and they waited for the right moment to strike.
[Chris] Once MaDCatTer was able to get underneath Whiplash,
that changed the complexity of this fight.
Calvin Iba landed some massive shots
and really never let up.
[Kenny] Listen, we've seen Whiplash lose its share of fights,
but Chris, we have never seen it take shots like this.
[Chris] One more look at this...
The guts spilling out of Whiplash in mid-air.
[Kenny] Good night!
Get that robot into concussion protocol.
[Chris] Mark Mason, congratulations.
That's the way you start off your season, right?
You know what?
I am so happy to hear it, but you know what?
We just did a CAT scan, folks.
And you know what?
That wasn't Whiplash, that was whip last!
[all chuckling]
[Chris] Mark?
What did your driver Calvin do so well out there?
You know what?
He brought 100 percent aggression.
But it wasn't just that, it was tactical.
You saw him about halfway through the fight,
we brought the arm up.
We realized we weren't winning the ground game,
brought that arm up, that took us under him,
and that's what brought those big hits, folks.
You saw Whiplash way up in the air,
that's what it's about!
Whoo!
Mark, congrats. Nice job.
Whoo!
Calvin, great job!
[Chris] All right, Jamison Go,
what'd you think of that performance from MaDCatTer?
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen MaDCatTer that strong before.
That was a fantastic show of power.
What's it like when you're on the wrong end of a shot like that?
[Jamison] Mentally, you're wondering, like, "How am I...
What's it gonna be like when I land?
When I finally land?"
And, like, in the case of the last hit,
sometimes you can still fight, sometimes it's lights out.
Yeah, so MaDCatTer gets a big win.
You know what that means?
Well, I guess I owe you an impression, don't I?
Oh yeah, no, well you gotta turn just to the camera.
Don't look at me!
Give it to the people that are watching this thing.
Let's do it, uh, big time.
Come on, everybody now.
[imitating Martin] I'll tell you what!
I'm gonna give it to the people!
I'm gonna tell you great things!
I've got great students and great experiences,
and you're gonna hear all of them!
Let's hear it for Jamison Go of Team SawBlaze!
That was pretty good. Hey, over here, bro.
Nice work.
All right, up next we've got a classic
sophomore versus rookie matchup
you do not want to miss...
...as Switchback welcomes brand new flipper bot Banshee to the big leagues.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where our next two teams are making their final preparations
inside the box.
Earlier tonight, our opening match between SawBlaze and HyperShock
was stopped when the bots couldn't be separated after a stick.
And we've got an update for you.
The bots are still fused together!
SawBlaze... SawBlaze's thing went straight through
the base, um, base armor of the robot
and got stuck in the chassis.
I think we're just gonna plasma-cut a square
around where their weapon went through.
Cut it right out, and then weld it back up
because at this point, it's so wedged in there,
there is... you know, hell or high water ain't gonna get that thing out.
[Chris] Well, if Will Bales doesn't win a Giant Nut this year,
at least he may walk away with a hammer saw.
Up next, we've got Switchback taking on a rookie robot named Banshee.
And let's start with the sophomore team from Dallas.
And remember when we talked to Greg Needel last season?
Right? For our pre-season meeting,
we were like, "Gosh, that guy is buttoned up!"
But look out for this bot.
It didn't do great.
So he went back into his shop,
kind of revamped things.
I think he's ready to go.
[Kenny] That's right, he took everything he learned
from his wins before, importantly his losses,
and completely rebuilt Switchback from the ground up.
Switchback 2.0 features robust new front forks,
a more heavily armored chassis,
and a beautiful new egg beater drum,
where that bulky multi-disc spinner used to be.
But in year two, the novelty of being unique
really goes out the window.
It's time for team Switchback to translate their unique design into wins.
And taking on a rookie bot, captained by David Small,
it's a Celtic-themed pneumatic flipper named Banshee.
David's a 29 year old software engineer out of Phoenix,
formerly a builder on Team Malice,
but now he's got his own BattleBots squad,
and boy, they look like a lot of fun, Kenny.
[Kenny] Love the outfits and the paint job,
but in terms of what to expect from Banshee,
I'd say a good comparison is SubZero,
which wasn't the most successful flipper,
but at the very least was durable.
A bot like this isn't built for the knockout.
It's built to control a fight.
That means David's driving skills are going to factor in heavily
to its success in the BattleBots.
[Chris] All right, the drivers are ready,
the box is locked.
Let's get ready for a fight.
[robotic announcer] Red team ready.
[Chris] There is Greg Needel, front and center.
Switchback 2.0 definitely looks more robust, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it's designed to be more durable
than its predecessor, which is good
because they've got a massive vertical spinner
in DeathRoll up next on their schedule.
Still has that articulating arm,
which also functions as its self-righter.
[robotic announcer] Blue team ready.
[Chris] Getting a good look at Team Banshee.
Kenny, what are you hoping to see out of the rookies?
[Kenny] Well, I think everyone wants to see how powerful the flipper is.
He's got enough air for about 15 flips,
so hoping he's not shy in fight number one,
and looking at his schedule, I think he's gonna have to win
one of these first two fights to have any hopes at the turn.
[crowd chanting repeatedly] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Banshee, up and ready to start their BattleBots career with a win.
Switchback, looking to make a leap in its second season.
Let's do this.
[board beeping]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
Oh, here comes the rookie,
trying to get the quick hitter,
trying to get under its opponent.
And it whiffs on the flip.
Banshee moving pretty well, though.
Getting around to the side of Switchback.
Oh, it rams into them head-first!
[Kenny] Nice shot, there.
[Chris] Oh, but it's Switchback
that draws first blood!
[Kenny] Now it's got that weapon firing.
[Chris] Now you can hear it, and it looks like maybe
the flipper on Banshee has got some serious issues, too.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Glad it could still cause a 250 pound robot...
...and follows it up with another one!
[Kenny chuckling] Whoa!
[Chris] Switchback lands a couple of good shots
with the arm inverted.
Banshee's staying aggressive, though.
Chasing Switchback into the corner...
Oh! And there's a little siren song.
[Kenny] And keep an eye on Switchback's arm.
Chris, I'm not sure they can move it,
which could be a huge problem if they get flipped over again.
[Chris] Oh, you can hear that drum getting up to full speed.
There we go!
Digging it right to the top of Banshee.
[Kenny] And Banshee actually flips Switchback's weapon
back into the upright position with that shock, Chris,
still not sure if they'll be able to self-right.
[both commentators] Oh!
[Kenny] Nice shot, there!
[Chris] Switchback did most of the damage so far,
but Banshee might just need one flip to end this thing.
[Kenny] And you can see the front of Banshee's flipper got bent up.
Tough to get under an opponent like that.
[Chris] But Banshee says, "Hey, our flipper still works!"
Now stop showing us that Texas two-step, please.
About halfway through this match between rookie and sophomore teams,
both bots keeping it tight.
All it would take is one big shot to change the direction of this fight.
[Kenny] Switchback's looking a little more aggressive now.
[clanging loudly]
- [Chris] Uh-oh... - [Kenny] Oh...
There goes the little tip of the nose on the flipper of Banshee.
[Chris] And of course, without a nose,
that means Banshee's gonna have to push their way to victory.
Welcome to the big leagues, David Small!
At BattleBots, you always need a backup plan to win.
Under a minute to go.
[Kenny] Switchback can't just hang back here.
You wanna put on a good performance,
not just for the judges, but for your season's resume.
[Chris] Ah! Nice pop there.
Switchback on the attack.
- [crowd] Oh! - [Chris] Big hit!
[both commentators] Uh-oh...
[Chris] We got some smoke on Switchback!
The key is gotta keep running the final 40 seconds!
[Kenny] Banshee's gotta punt her chance here, Chris.
[Chris] Switchback keeping the pressure on...
[Kenny] Win or lose, Switchback has never gone three minutes in a fight,
Chris, let's see how they finish this out.
[Chris] Switchback has stopped smoking,
and now it's Banshee that looks to be slowing down.
But they may get saved by the bell, here.
[Kenny] Both of these teams pitting like dogs in a corner
with their tongues out.
[Chris] Well, let's give a little credit to these two bots.
They will make it the full three minutes.
- [crowd chanting] Three, two, one... - [Chris] And force...
...the judges' decision.
[buzzer beeping]
[referee] All right, go ahead.
[Chris] Well, Banshee was aggressive from the get-go,
but in one of these early exchanges,
the team from Texas got in a good lick on that flipper.
[Kenny] Yeah, Banshee's flipper tongue
got bent up, which made it almost
impossible for them to get under Switchback.
The rookies were still able to land a few mini-flips,
but were essentially a push-bot after that.
[Chris] As for Switchback, its weapons sounded powerful,
but its bark was greater than its bite, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, they had some opportunities to land blows,
but the weapon just couldn't get it done.
Part of me wonders if that arm sits just a little too high
to effectively deliver a shot to their opponent.
[Chris] And this is the third fight the judges will be deciding tonight.
How do you think they're gonna score it?
[Kenny] Well, almost all the damage points
should go to Switchback here, and I'd say Banshee won
control and aggression for the first 90 seconds.
But after that, it was a toss-up.
[Chris] All right, well let's go to Faruq with the decision.
The results from the judges are in.
[crowd cheering]
[Faruq] And the winner,
by unanimous decision, is...
...Switchback!
[crowd cheering]
Nice job!
[crowd chanting] Switchback! Switchback! Switchback!
[Chris] Greg Needel...
Greg Needel, I know it wasn't perfect,
but you will certainly take the W.
Uh, what did you learn about your robot tonight?
You know, it was a brand new robot again this year,
so, um, we... you know, durability was a huge factor,
drive train was a huge factor, uh, the drive seemed super solid.
We have some tweaking to do, obviously,
no one likes to see a puff of smoke come out of their weapon blade,
but, uh, you know, we'll go back.
I've got a great pit crew as always,
and, uh, we'll assess the damage and be ready for the next one.
Greg, congratulations on win number one of the season.
Thank you.
You know, Kenny, sometimes we expect these robots from year one
to year two to make a monumental leap,
but it doesn't happen overnight.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
We're talking about a complete redesign here,
so there's going to be some growing pains,
but this team has lofty goals, and Greg won't rest
until he has Switchback dialed in.
[Chris] Well, they squeaked by with a win,
and as for Team Banshee, not the start the rookies were hoping for.
They will look to right the ship against Valkyrie in fight number two.
Coming up, Jen Herchenroeder brings the 48-inch horizontal blade
of HiJinx into the box to clash with
the most dangerous pickle in the jar, Big Dill.
And don't forget, in our main event tonight,
we have boy wonder Aren Hill at Blip,
facing off against the legend that is End Game.
That's all coming your way, here onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering]
We are back on BattleBots World Championship VII.
Our next two teams, Big Dill and HiJinx,
are busy inside the BattleBox getting their death machines ready to go.
And while they tighten up those last nuts and bolts,
we're gonna preview tonight's highly anticipated matchup
between the fearless fly wheel flipper Blip,
and the current pre-season world number one
and reigning Golden Bolt champions End Game.
Let's hear from the captains in tonight's main event.
[announcer] This is like Ali Frazier, two heavyweights.
End Game fighting for this tournament, live here, against the Brazilian bazooka!
Last season was a little disappointing,
going out in the round 16.
[shouting] Minotaur!
But the Golden Bolt made up for it quite a lot.
[announcer] Team End Game will add the first ever Golden Bolt
to its mantle!
We're coming in number one ranked again.
We're really excited about that.
But it does come with a lot of pressure.
Everyone's gunning to take us down.
[announcer] This is unbelievable,
the performance by Aren Hill at Blip!
I lead up a team that has both robots,
Blip and Tantrum.
[announcer shouting] We're gonna have a new champion!
And his name is Tantrum!
Taking home the title last year with Tantrum was amazing.
Blip went out in the quarter finals.
[announcer] Aren Hill is gonna take Blip to the round of eight!
And that was the first year for that robot,
so we're going for higher...
[chuckling] ...which is not that much higher to go.
[announcer] It's Blip!
[announcers] Oh!
Last year for Blip, there was a lot of learning curve happening.
It just drives differently each time you're watching it,
so all of our focus has been making it easier
from a driver perspective.
[announcers] Ah!
[Aren] Significant focus on improving self-righting,
wheel mounts are all redesigned...
There's zero reason Blip can't win the championship this year.
[announcers] Oh!
Aren Hill is a, like, incredibly talented bot builder.
[Jack] They play the same game as us.
If they get underneath you, they win.
We're gonna be running a full coverage front,
so it won't be able to get under us at all.
And we'll also be running some forks that are gonna be stuck to the ground,
to try and get under their front.
[announcers exclaiming] Oh!
[Aren] As a flipper, any fight against a spinner...
...you mess up once, and your fight could be over.
I gotta be perfect for three minutes.
No!
I gotta make sure to come at them at the right angles
to minimize exposure to that spinning weapon of theirs.
Trying to not get hit and only deliver the big flips.
[announcer] Aren Hill executing his game plan to perfection!
End Game can take as many flips as it takes to make it to three minutes.
But I'm not sure Blip can take too many hits from End Game.
[announcers] Whoa!
Big shot by End Game!
Blip is an absolute masterpiece of engineering.
And it'll be such a shame to rip it to pieces.
[announcer] The 2020 world champ is here,
and it looks angry!
Do you think he has a spare robot?
I hope so.
[Chris] A primetime opportunity for Team Blip
to prove they are ready to be contenders.
These are the matchups you live for.
Can Blip seize the moment against the former champs?
We're gonna find out right after our next matchup
between Big Dill and HiJinx.
Let's start with Team HiJinx led by Jen Herchenroeder.
I love her passion for this sport,
- I love the way that the bot looks. - Yeah.
It has performed very well.
The team made the tournament in both the rookie and sophomore seasons,
but they never made it out of the first round.
They were ranked 31 in the pre-season top 32,
so to move up and really get the respect Jen and crew think they deserve,
HiJinx needs some big wins this year.
Yeah, she is a sneaky competitor.
- Yes. - You know?
She's kind of known as, you know,
more of the artsy bot builder.
But robotics is her life.
She's a scale flight test engineer at a company
that's trying to crack the code on flying cars.
That basically means she designs, builds,
and flies slightly smaller prototypes of these vehicles
that then get scaled up.
And you can kind of see that influence on her robot HiJinx.
I can see that blade doubling as a propeller.
Now, they do have one of the biggest weapons in BattleBots,
but to make the tournament this year,
we're going to have to see it work a full three minutes.
Emmanuel Carrillo has been around this game,
and for an awfully long time working on several teams.
He was one of the key members of MaDCatTer back in the day.
He's really respected in the robot combat community,
for both his engineering and his driving skills.
But much like HiJinx, this is a squad that's still
looking to take that next step, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, frankly, Big Dill hasn't been effective
as a lifter bot, only winning twice in its first two years.
In the off-season though, Emmanuel said that ain't kosher.
He added a vertical spinner configuration which should make it viable offensively,
but here's the kicker.
I'm hearing he's not using it tonight.
In fact, both these teams have made big changes last minute.
Emmanuel swapped the spinner for a big wedge,
and HiJinx is now going with their heaviest bar to counter that.
We'll see how these last second changes play out here in the BattleBox.
[Chris] The teams are in position.
They are ready to throw down.
Let's dive right into the action.
[robotic announcer] Red team ready.
[Chris] There's Emmanuel Carrillo, and Kenny,
there's that big front wedge you were just talking about.
[Kenny] Yeah, I'm disappointed we're not seeing the vertical spinner,
but a big wedge is the way to counter a massive horizontal weapon.
So, I can't knock 'em for using it.
He's going to try to keep HiJinx from spinning up,
so look for a box rush here.
[robotic announcer] Blue team ready.
[Chris] Getting a good look at Jen Herchenroeder,
now that Big Dill has a big front wedge,
what is Team HiJinx's strategy, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, I mentioned they're using their heaviest bar.
It's 67 pounds, and it does have one-hit KO power.
The trick will be creating enough space to spin up,
which is on driver Orion Beach.
He's gonna try to lead with the tail, almost.
Backing down Big Dill, and then turn when the weapon is spun up.
[crowd chanting repeatedly] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] HiJinx... Big Dill...
The first of four fights for these squads
that'll determine whether they have what it takes
to break into this year's World Championship Tournament.
[buzzer beeping]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
Big Dill with the box rush, but HiJinx has speed.
There's Emmanuel Carrillo probing with that big front wedge.
Big Dill rides up the tail of HiJinx.
[Kenny] HiJinx doing a good job of leading with that tail,
getting underneath repeatedly.
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] Nice shot, there.
- [man] Yeah! - [Kenny] All right, oh,
Big Dill using its lifter to ram HiJinx into the rails.
HiJinx inverted, in helicopter mode, now.
Emmanuel Carrillo debating how to deal with it.
[Kenny] Ah, oh, well,
I'll tell you what, Big Dill has to be careful.
They could still get cut up from that position.
[Chris] Yeah, and that lifter will get sliced in half if it's not careful.
Come on in, come get a taste!
[Chris] Jen Herchenroeder inviting contact.
- Orion Beach pushing HiJinx forward. - [Kenny] Whoa!
[Chris] And lands a nice shot on Big Dill!
[Kenny] HiJinx doing a good job playing the aggressor.
- [audience] Oh! - [commentators] Oh!
[Chris] Like that one.
[Kenny] Power shot by HiJinx.
That one hit right in the area of the lifting motor on Big Dill.
And Big Dill having some drive issues, as well.
[Chris] The weapon on HiJinx slow to spin back up after that exchange.
Both bots a little worse for wear now.
Do we have a pushing match on our hands?
[Kenny] Yeah, it looks like both weapons may be out of commission,
and, Chris, it's Big Dill that's set up for success now, with that big front wedge.
HiJinx needs to try and right itself.
[Chris] Right on command. Kenny Florian, you're on point tonight.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] We've got some flames coming out of Big Dill.
[Kenny] Smoke leaking from the top of the bot, and it's not moving, Chris.
[Chris] No.
- This is gonna be it. - [referee] Ten, nine,
- eight, seven... - [Chris] Reliability issues again
- for Big Dill, as the countdown is on. - ...six, five, four,
- three, two... - [Chris] HiJinx walking away a winner.
- ...one. Knockout! - [audience cheer]
- [buzzer sounds] - [audience cheer]
I think something locked up. Yeah, I don't know.
[Chris] Not exactly an instant blasting, Kenny.
- [Kenny laughs] - [Chris] Big Dill surrendering
the low ground to HiJinx early.
But the dynamics of this match changed
when HiJinx got flipped on its head.
[Kenny] Yeah, obviously, HiJinx can drive inverted,
but that's not the position the team wants to operate from.
Unfortunately for Big Dill,
HiJinx did its best work in this fight while upside down.
[Chris] Big Dill on the wrong end
of a couple of big shots from HiJinx.
- And Kenny, this may have been the kill shot right there. - [Kenny] I think so.
The blade of HiJinx cut into Big Dill's lifting motor there,
and it was all downhill for Emmanuel Carillo after that.
[Chris] HiJinx did lose weapon function, but it really didn't matter,
as Big Dill treated the crowd to the smell of fried pickles and expired.
- Jen Herchenroeder, congratulations. - Thank you.
I know it wasn't exactly what you were looking for,
but sometimes, reliability is the key.
Reliability is everything.
What'd you learn about your robot tonight?
Well, we had... Both teams had some chaos coming into this fight.
There were some rapid last-minute changes.
And I think what we've learned is that the team I have with me
is intelligent and adaptable and ready to move, like, on demand.
And that's what it takes to get ready for a fight, get in, and win.
Jen, you had to deal with a little bit of chaos there in the battle box.
You got inverted, then you had to use the screws
to kind of get back right.
- Oh. - What happened there?
- Were you nervous? - That's probably planned.
- [laughs] - That's all intentional.
I was hoping that they would push us into the screws.
We had to do it ourselves, but that's okay.
- Jen, congratulations to you and team HiJinx. - Thank you.
[audience cheer]
- Great match. - Yeah.
[Chris] So, HiJinx gets another knockout under its belt
and starts the year off on the right foot.
As for Big Dill, hopefully it's not too salty about its o-in-one start.
Up next, we've got a main event you simply will not wanna miss.
It's End Game stepping into the box to face Blip.
The Kiwis already have one championship banner hanging in the rafters.
They're looking to add a second this season.
Can Aren Hill stop them in their tracks
with the most technologically-advanced flipper in the sport?
We're gonna find out when BattleBots continues.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots.
It is finally time for the main event,
and the match-up we've all been waiting for.
It's a pair of world champions.
End Game won it all a few season ago.
And Aren Hill leads the team, but there's two robots.
The flipper bot he drives, Blip,
and then his original creation, Tantrum,
which took home the Nut last year.
- But as a rookie last season, Blip made quite an impression. - [Kenny] He sure did.
- And Blip could have won the whole thing, as well. - Right.
Of course, they bowed out in the quarter-finals,
and Aren told us of his two robot children,
Blip is clearly his favorite.
And winning a championship with this meta-breaking, flywheel flipper
could be his magnum opus, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah. Aren's already one of the most respected engineers here.
Both of his bots are in the pre-season top 10.
But as the face of Blip, I think there's a competitive fire burning inside Aren
to not only prove this design can win but prove it's better than Tantrum.
[Chris] And on the other side of the box will be Jack Barker and Nick Mabey of End Game,
the 2020 Giant Nut winners who, oh, yeah,
also just won the inaugural Golden Bolt Championship.
They'll make no bones about it, particularly Nick.
When we said, "Are you the team to beat?," he's like, "Uh, yeah."
- [laughs] - "We are." Do you agree?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much.
A Giant Nut in 2020.
The Golden Bolt in 2021.
There's no other team onBattleBots
that's won more hardware in the past two years.
And you know, sometimes, when you get champions,
they tend to take their foot off the gas,
and they don't work as hard, and they kind of, you know, rest on their laurels.
This is not that team.
These guys are always working hard.
They still had that chip on their shoulder.
They're still hungry, and they're still very dangerous.
[Chris] And looking at the numbers,
how do these two bots stack up, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, they're both incredibly powerful.
End Game's disc hits with about 60% more energy
than the typical vertical spinner.
And 10,000 pounds of force means Blip is powerful enough
to launch a robot into the ceiling.
Now, Blip should be able to drive circles around End Game.
But that's not a concern for the Kiwis.
They just wanna stay square and let Blip come to them.
This guy's got a chip on his sh--
Actually, that was a little dandruff.
I just wanna clean that off for you.
Let's get to our main event. Faruq?
- It's a real problem. - [laughs]
[cheering and booing]
Ladies and gentlemen.
Are you ready?
[cheering]
It's time for the main event!
In the red square, they have a Monopoly on winning.
Setting all kinds of records.
If facing them's a Risk, this is chess, it ain't checkers.
Sorry. You tried to climb the ladder,
but now you're headed down the chute
because being this game is a Trivial Pursuit.
Give it up for End Game!
[cheering]
[Chris] Nick Mabey to the right. Jack Barker to the left.
And they didn't come out wearing their shades.
Oh... Oh... Oh!
- Wait. Wait for... Yeah. - [cheering intensifies]
[Chris] Much better.
All right, Kenny. What's up with the front of End Game?
[Kenny] Well, you see that piano-key setup there by End Game?
They're using that defensively to protect against the flips of Blip.
Then he also has forks, as well,
and those will be used offensively to try to bring Blip
into that devastating vertical disc spin.
In the blue square. Don't get too close.
He'll throw you up in the air.
Go ahead, try it.
Double dog dare.
Didn't listen? Hey, dummy. Look up in the sky.
It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's you about to die.
- Give it up for Blip! - [cheering intensifies]
[Chris] Aren Hill. The man in the back.
He is the designer of Blip.
What a rookie season it had.
They got the whole front end covered, though.
What are they cooking up here, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, this fight should be sponsored by Steinway
because I'm hearing they've also got a piano-key setup under there.
Each key is independent of each other.
So if one gets chipped away, it doesn't compromise the entire front end,
which is why we're seeing this new design more often.
[Chris] All right. It is the futuristic flipper
versus one of the best to ever do it.
How do you see this going, Kenny Florian?
[Kenny] Well, it's hard to against the Kiwis, but I will say this.
We saw how durable Tantrum was on their way to winning the Giant Nut last season.
Blip has the exact same drivetrain
and can take a punch just as well as Tantrum can.
Aren does have to control this fight from a driving perspective,
but do not count out the little boy in blue.
[robotic voice] Robots, activate.
[cheering intensifies]
[Chris] Oh, man. This is gonna be awesome!
It's the pre-season number-one-ranked bot in the world
and the creator of last year's world champion.
It is one hell of a main event
when we return here, onBattleBots.
That final hit on HyperShock was the worst stick we've ever encountered at BattleBots.
It took some strong folks and an angle grinder, a couple of hours
to get that thing out.
We ended up having to disassemble SawBlaze, take their arm off the robot.
- Y'all ready? - [man] Yes.
[man 2] Do it.
Yeah, there was a gash about this big,
and it was about that far into the robot.
Luckily, it didn't hit anything.
[woman] No. Almost there. Almost there.
[all cheer]
And stay out!
[Will] Having SawBlaze's arm dangling out the bottom of our bot
was definitely an interesting, "Well, what if?" kind of moment.
[Jamison] Well, we thought with Will a little bit.
You know, maybe we'll do a collab in the future.
HyperBlaze. HyperBlaze is pretty cool.
Oh, HyperBlaze sounds great. Slash and burn, baby.
What a combination. You put these two together.
- [laughter] - Aw.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we are now seconds away from the main event.
End Game looking to find out what a flywheel tastes like,
while Blip is looking to paint the ceiling orange and blue.
Let's get it going.
[robotic voice] Red team, ready?
Blue team, ready?
Let's fight. Middle of the fight. Let's go.
[crowd chanting] Fight, fight, fight, fight!
[chanting continues]
[Chris] We can see either of these teams
in the championship this season.
The time to make a case for it right now.
[buzzer sounds]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
[Kenny] Both bots so low to the ground
they could scrape a piece of gum off the battle box floor.
This is gonna be a chess match.
[both exclaim]
[Chris] Blip throws End Game into the side, and End Game takes advantage.
Blip whips back into the action, gets under End Game.
[Kenny] An early driving mistake by Aren Hill.
Blip lucky to get out of there intact.
[Chris] Blip leaning on End Game kind of like a boxer now.
[Kenny] I think that first exchange rattled Aren.
This is smart- using the pin to catch his breath and reset.
[Chris] Well, there we go. Backs away.
[both exclaim]
[Kenny] Huge shot!
[Chris] Uh-oh. Blip is in deep, deep trouble.
End Game chewing on it.
Oh! Team Blip lowers the pulverizer
and gives the robot space to self-right.
That is an awesome move.
[Kenny] An incredible use of the pulverizer by team Blip.
That is high-level stuff right there.
[Chris] Blip missing a few front teeth now.
Those piano-key wedges looked a bit stripped away.
Aren Hill, though, staying aggressive.
[all exclaim]
[Chris] Blip head over heels, landed on its head. Can it self-right?
- [audience cheer] - [Chris] Yes! Nice recovery.
[Kenny] End Game misses an opportunity to take Blip out there.
[Chris] Yeah. Uh-oh. End Game's weapon...
I don't know if they shut that down or if it shut down itself.
[Kenny] That disc just stopped.
Didn't even spin down. It just locked up. Very strange.
[Chris] Nearly halfway through.
End Game's still moving.
That weapon is not.
[Kenny] You have to imagine Blip is behind on the scorecards,
but this is a prime opportunity for Aren Hill
to turn the tables and get back in this one.
[Chris] End Game's still very much intact.
That fork and wedgelet combo on the front there looks solid.
But, Kenny, without an active weapon,
does Blip now have the space to get underneath the Kiwis and land a big-time flip?
[Kenny] Well, it was able to self-right by using that flipper.
It's gonna be tough for Aren to get the low ground here,
given the state of those piano keys on the front of Blip.
But if he can, maybe he can put the flipper back into play.
[Chris] End Game's self-righter is yet to be tested.
Can Blip find a way to flip End Game here in the final minute?
[Kenny] End Game doing a great job, though,
pushing Blip around the box and showing control to the judges,
even without an active weapon.
[Chris] Just about 30 seconds left to go.
Blip desperately trying to find an angle on End Game to exploit.
But the former champs-
they're doing a really good job
of staying squared up to this speedy blue flipper.
This obviously ain't their first rodeo.
Trying to make it to the closing bell
and send this one to the judges' scorecards.
[Kenny] Both of these guys are amazing drivers,
trying to find any edge they can in this pushing match.
[Chris] But with under 10 seconds to go,
this one is gonna end up going the distance.
- And maybe one final push and shove from End Game. - [audience] Three, two, one.
- [buzzer sounds] - [audience cheer]
[Chris] That'll do it...
[Chris] ...as this battle goes the full three minutes.
Kenny, in the beginning, End Game able to get under Blip and do some damage.
[Kenny] Yeah. It was a great start for End Game again.
I just love that fork, piano-key setup for End Game.
Their face is so wide. They're so low to the ground.
And they were winning the ground game here against Blip.
And if Blip isn't able to do that,
they're not gonna get any flips off.
- [Chris] Well, speaking of going airward... - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] ...that was impressive work by End Game.
That was probably the best shot of the match
because after that, End Game's weapon wasn't really working,
Blip couldn't get under End Game,
and so it just became a shoving match.
[Kenny] Yeah. Blip didn't have a ton of options the back half of that fight.
After the front of that bot got so chewed up,
End Game dictated the action and ran out the clock.
[audience boo]
The results from the judges are in.
[audience cheer]
The winner by unanimous decision is...
...End Game!
[all cheer]
I don't have mine, so...
- Where'd you put them? - I don't know.
I think they're with my jacket.
Jack, where are your shades? You just won, dude. You're ruining the skit.
It's a bit dark. Oh, here we go. Thank you.
We're away now.
Ah, there you go. Much, much better.
Nick, it wasn't picture perfect out there, but it was good enough.
- No. - What went on?
Well, I think at one point, we got a bit of Blip stuck in our weapon.
I'm, like, watching it. I'm trying to flick it on,
and I see it quiver every time I go.
It's trying to start, and there's something jammed right up inside of it.
Yeah. I think one of those pesky piano keys has probably been sucked right through
- and jammed behind it, so... - Yeah.
That's intentional fouling.
You told us before the season started you felt like you were the bot to beat this year.
Why is that, Nick?
Well, we're just the best robot here.
- [laughter] - [audience exclaim]
Well, what is it that makes you the best?
Just reliability, damage, performance.
- Ground game. - Ground game. [laughs]
Is there ever anything that scares you guys inside the battle box
at this point?
- Honestly... - This team.
- Yeah. - This team, though.
I was actually very scared by Aren.
Aren's robots have given us, like, some of the most trouble we've had
in our time at BattleBots, and we were pretty scared, yeah.
The self-righter still has not had to work,
so we haven't battle-tested it yet.
We've tested it many times outside of the battle box
but never inside the battle box, so we were worried.
When you guys are running right, Jack,
is there anybody that can beat you?
Look, this field is super strong this year.
There's a lot of teams that have improved,
and they've just stepped it up another level.
So we're back, and we're better
than we have been in the past.
It just depends on how everyone else is stepping up.
The answer's no.
[laughter]
Way to finish strong there, Nick. Congratulations.
- [audience cheer] - Thank you.
Thank you.
Aren, I know you were looking for a little more airtime from your robot,
but what went wrong there?
Every time... Well, flipper, most important thing.
Get underneath the opponent. Vertical spinner- usually pretty helpful, too.
So, it was all about getting underneath them,
and we weren't able to make that happen.
And obviously, stuff was strewn around the box.
Like, if your weapon sucks our parts into you and breaks, that's your fault.
- [laughter] - Not ours.
We are still happily fully-functional up here.
Our armor's definitely beat up, but did not get a KO.
So we'll keep that trend going.
You went with the piano-key setup.
Is that something you're thinking about changing up
for future fights?
It's definitely always an interesting game to play.
Back at our pit, we've got our tent sealed off.
As soon as they drew us as a fight,
they went and got one, too.
So everybody's preparing in secret, and who runs what...
There's a certain amount of the game you decide whether to play or not.
And we got different configs. That's one of them.
We have more of that one maybe.
All right, Aren. Well, good job out there.
We'll see you for your next fight in the near future. Thank you.
Thank you, guys.
[cheering]
Kenny, even when End Game is not at its best,
it is still a bad bot.
By bad, I mean good.
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Blip is a tremendous team.
They are very, very dangerous.
This is a case of the strong getting stronger.
And I kind of dug it, that Nick Mabey was like,
"No, nobody can beat us."
- [laughs] - You okay with that?
He's very confident. I mean, I'm not gonna argue against it.
They look amazing.
[Chris] Well, that being said, here are the teams that do have a shot
to beat them this year.
And Kenny, in their next match
the pre-season world number one
is going up against a pizza.
[Kenny] Yeah, it'll be interesting to see
how the rookies of RIPperoni
rebound after that chaotic first fight.
End Game wasn't exactly impressive here, though,
so a strong showing will be important
to maintain their spot at the top of the food chain.
[Chris] And for Blip.
Next, they'll be going up against Jonathan Schultz and HUGE,
who looked awfully strong in their first fight.
But then after that, it is a sibling rivalry.
[Kenny] Yeah, Tantrum lost their first fight, too.
Not the start to the season Aren Hill was looking for,
which could make the tournament implications of that match-up even heavier.
Hey, this was a fun night out there.
Congratulations to Lucy Du, now the new captain of Valkyrie.
She gets win number one.
Congratulations to Reese Ewert.
Yes, you are on fire yet again, but you got a W, as well.
And speaking of being on fire,
how about MadCatter tonight?
[Kenny] MadCatter is definitely a bot you gotta watch out for.
And SawBlaze looked as sharp as ever, Chris, in a big win over HyperShock.
[Chris] And thanks very much to Jamison Go for joining us a guest analyst
throughout one of the fights, as well.
That'll do it for us.
For Faruq, my man, Kenny Florian. I am Chris Rose.
We'll see you next time, here, on BattleBots.
[audience cheer]