[Chris Rose] Some of the greatest stories ever told,
tell-tales of revenge.
Tonight, that legacy continues as Jake Ewert and Hydra find themselves
in a rematch with Tantrum.
In last year's semifinals,
Hydra lost a split judges' decision.
[cheering]
[narrator] One of the most controversial in the history of the sport.
Jake's waited patiently for his opportunity to even the score
and to prove the supremacy of Hydra.
Tonight he gets his chance.
Captain, Ginger Schmidt and Alex Grant,
meanwhile, went from defeating Hydra to hoisting the Giant Nut.
But will their legacy be tarnished by those who believe Hydra was robbed?
Victory tonight would be enough to silence the doubters once and for all.
Two hungry teams, two powerful robots,
one on a quest for vengeance,
the other attempting to dodge the target on their back,
both with something to prove.
It's our main event, Hydra,
Tantrum... tonight onBattleBots.
[robotic voice]
[audience cheering]
Welcome to BattleBots.
I am Chris Rose, joined as always by UFC legend
and the best robot combat analyst on earth,
make some noise for Kenny Florian.
[audience cheering]
[Kenny] Thanks, Chris.
This crowd is on fire tonight and with good reason.
[Chris] It is week six of the qualifiers
and we're about a quarter of the way through our season.
And tonight's fight card is all about redemption,
as a handful of top teams will be looking for big bounce-back wins
in their second fights here at World Championship VII.
[Kenny] And, of course,
it all leads up to one of the most highly anticipated rematches
inBattleBots history.
The fans have been lined up for hours
to see these two titans settle their grudge.
It's Hydra versus Tantrum, Part Two.
[Chris] Okay, let's keep that energy going because kicking things off,
we've got former champions End Game stepping into the box
to face a pizza that may leave you in need of anesthesia, RIPperoni.
And to help us break it all down,
we have a special guest,
an up-and-coming star in the combat robotics world.
His team is 2 and 0 here out of the gate.
Please welcome Ethan Kurtz from team Riptide.
What's up?
[laughs]
We could hear you loud clear over here, Ethan.
And that's okay that you have, like,
a built-in microphone even when you're not wearing a headset.
- It's kind of cool. - [Kenny] Yeah.
This is an effect, guys.
Okay, well, welcome. It's great to have you along.
We got a big time matchup here to start off,
Ethan. We know End Game,
winners of the Giant Nut and The Golden Bolt.
They're basically the BattleBots version of Iron Mike Tyson.
Rookie robot, RIPperoni on the other hand,
looked a little wild in its first fight.
But that team is trying to harness an energy unlike the BattleBots has ever seen.
The RIPperoni robot, I think is a really, really interesting concept
and I'm really interested to see how it goes tonight.
They had a pretty tough first fight against Gruff.
They had so much gyroscopic energy and their goal is to cancel that out...
the counter-rotating flywheel.
The flywheel turned off last fight.
So I'm excited to see how it does.
And maybe that'll allow them to be more maneuverable
and actually be more scary for End Game to fight,
because a maneuverable weapon of that caliber is pretty terrifying.
Yeah, we'd definitely be scared to fight them,
so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.
You ready to see how this thing unfolds?
Oh, yeah.
Send it on over to Faruq.
[audience cheering]
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's robot fighting time.
[audience cheering]
In the Red Square,
Italy's the place for good food and romance.
But don't let this bot lull you to a trance.
When this goon hits your eye with a big pizza pie,
it's not amore.
It's a time for you to die.
Ring-a-ling-a-ding, it's RIPperoni!
[audience cheering]
Pizza! Pizza!
[Chris] Hey, you're gonna love these guys and their massive weapon,
24 inches, 70 pounds that counterbalancing flywheel mechanism
behind the disc.
A lot of teams have tried and failed to bring
this kind of firepower into the box before.
Isn't that right, Ethan?
[Ethan] Yeah. Their tip speed is probably 250 on their weapon.
They're probably maxing that stuff out.
It will definitely be interesting if that works
and very intimidating for End Game to take on.
[Kenny] Oh, my God, the fork.
[Chris] The forks... [laughter]
[Kenny] Yeah.
Those in rehersal worked great.
[Chris] Yeah.
In the Blue Square, a kiwi is a fruit that is green you see.
It's healthy and sweet.
It tastes great on asahi.
But this TV robot sees only blood red
and sprinkles you with chia as it takes off your head.
Give it up for End Game.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] The champions of Season V,
the winners of the Golden Bolt a season ago.
Supremely confident.
Ethan, are they the team to beat?
[Ethan] Oh, yeah.
They're definitely the team to beat, Chris.
- They've really... - [Kenny] Oh, my God!
[laughter]
[Chris] The ultimate taunt job right there.
And check out those forks, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, you can see those great barbs.
These forks aren't just meant to keep RIPperoni away.
End Game wants to pop them up and get them to gyro dance,
which is what we saw Gruff do to RIPperoni last week.
End Game has two trophies.
They're an absolute powerhouse.
We are a little bit nervous for sure.
They're a very good opponent.
They're very durable.
Our goal is gonna be to just control the chaos a little bit and stay on our feet.
In order to win this fight,
we have to really hit End Game hard.
Fortunately, we have more weapon reach than they do.
So we're hoping to hit them before they hit us.
RIPperoni is a just incredibly large weapon.
We watched in their previous fight,
them just causing absolute chaos in the BattleBox.
We've gone for a long fork configuration,
hopefully to try and get under them destabilize them a bit.
They're already a bit unbalanced.
So if we can tip that a bit further,
it'll be in our advantage.
Normally our strategy when there's a lot of chaos
is to just wait for the chaos to end and then attack again.
We don't want them to come down on top of us
and cut through us when we're not armed.
So we'll wait and we'll wait for a more controlled attack.
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] So RIPperoni, the rookies, tough spot to be in, Kenny.
Not only are they trying to prove their bot actually works,
they have to do it against the number one team in the world.
That is a tough order.
[Kenny] Yeah. Just to put End Game's dominance into perspective here.
Since the start of World Championship V,
the Kiwis have only lost twice.
[robotic voice] Red team, ready?
- You're ready? - Go!
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Blue team, ready?
It's dinner time.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] End Game, RIPperoni.
It's the top team in the world versus a rabid rookie.
Let the bot battle begin.
Uh-oh.
End Game found the kill saw. Here's RIPperoni with a wide open window.
[Kenny] Oh, my goodness.
End Game is stuck, Chris.
RIPperoni might just leave 'em there.
I'm gonna count you down.
[Kenny] This could be the end of the fight.
[Chris] Holy smokes!
RIPperoni wants to keep it going.
[Kenny] Wow! What a shot!
Look at those two forks... are gone on the front side of End Game.
[Chris] Oh.
[Kenny] RIPperoni still going to work.
[Chris] Unbelievable!
Here's the End Game looking to reengage now.
Oh, another huge shot.
That's gotta hurt.
[Kenny] RIPperoni has gone from prey to predator,
much more stable than we saw in its first fight.
[Chris] And showing off some impressive reach with that disk.
[Kenny] But here comes the Kiwis getting underneath the RIPperoni, uh-oh.
End Game getting its swagger back
and RIPperoni fighting some of those
gyroscopic forces again, Chris.
[Chris] These two have done a great job of recovering after these massive shots,
but both bots looking a little punch-drunk right about now.
Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Kenny] RIPperoni struggling with that right side.
But End Game is not moving, Chris.
[Chris] Oh, my goodness.
The weapon... it's still spinning,
but the Kiwis appear to be frozen in place.
Whoa. No way.
The former champion is getting counted out.
[Kenny] This is gonna be a legendary upset.
[Chris] RIPperoni is gonna get its first ever win at BattleBot.
[cheering]
Right into the hole.
[cheering]
[Chris] Well, Jack Barker didn't panic when he got stuck in the floor.
But Kenny, he knew he was a sitting duck.
[Kenny] Yeah, that was not a good start to the flight.
And again, just another testament that anything
and everything can happen in thatBattleBox.
You can't take anyone lightly.
[Chris] Yeah. I just want to mention that RIPperoni had trouble
getting their weapon even started,
and they went to the biggest upset probably in history...
all in two minutes.
[Kenny] That's unheard of and ridiculous.
[Chris] They were not afraid to go weapon to weapon with the former champ, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, they have a lot of confidence in that weapon.
The power and the reach of that disk were on full display tonight.
And coming off of that first fight,
I don't think a lot of people had high expectations for this robot.
But man, what a turnaround from this team.
[Chris] Well, RIPperoni did take some shots
from the former winner of the Giant Nut,
but bounced off the upper deck and then End Game at some point
just suffered too much damage to continue on.
[audience cheering]
[cheering]
Anna, can you hear me?
No.
Do you have any idea what you just accomplished?
Yeah, I guess our fork game is better this time.
What just happened between you and End Game?
Man, everything worked just like we designed it to.
That was fantastic.
End Game, thank you guys so much.
You put up a great fight.
We had a really great time.
What was more surprising the fact that you had more forks than End Game
at the end of that fight or the fact that you upset them?
All of the systems worked.
Everything worked.
That's our second fight ever.
And my team is so fantastic.
I'm so glad we got this together.
[applause] Wow!
Anna, right out of the gate, End Game
got stuck in the floor.
When that happened, what was your reaction?
Oh, we gotta hit 'em. We gotta hit 'em.
We gotta give 'em the pizza.
We were so excited to see what our weapon could do and it did great.
Well, congratulations.
Savor your first ever victory as a captain here at BattleBots.
[laughs]
[applause]
Thank you so much.
Nick and Jack,
that was so nice of you to get yourself stuck in the floor like that.
- Yeah, that's... - That's the first time we've ever tried to box-rush,
so we probably won't do it again.
[laughs]
When that happens, how much panic sets in, Jack?
Look, it's not too much panic.
You know, they get a free shot on us,
so they got a couple good free shots.
They got real good free shots.
So... and they hit like a truck.
So, you know, you know, all credit to them.
They've got a massive weapon and yeah, mistake on our part.
Hey, Nick, you told us after your first fight
that you were the team to beat.
Do you still feel that way?
Yeah, we just...
We just won't drop into the killsaws again.
Fair enough.
We'll see you in your next fight.
- Thanks, guys. - Thanks, guys.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right.
Well, that's one of the biggest upsets we've ever seen.
RIPperoni just shot off the list of most feared teams.
Ethan, how impressed were you with that rookie bot?
I wanna fight RIPperoni.
I was like, I thought I could take him,
but now I'm doubting it.
- End Game was the preseason favorite. - Yeah.
Maybe somebody else could hop in there.
Maybe Riptide.
Yeah, I think it's possible for us.
It's really a toss-up this year,
and I truly say that.
I'm not like, "Oh man, this is not just fork game this year."
There's so much to bring.
I mean, it is fork game because I mean,
- RIPperoni had great forks. - [Chris] Hey, there's no question about it.
Hey, listen, man,
thank you very much for joining us here as a guest analyst.
Yeah. Always a pleasure.
It's always a pleasure seeing you and hearing you.
We can hear you from several exits away here in Las Vegas.
- Yeah. - And good luck in your next fight as well.
Thank you.
Let's go.
That was kind of a half-hearted let's go.
Coming up, can the Aussie bot DeathRoll successfully mess with Texas
or will the redesigned Switchback rise to 2 and 0?
Find out next onBattleBots.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we just witnessed a mind-blowing upset by rookie robot RIPperoni
over the top team in the world, End Game.
What a moment. And guess what?
We aren't slowing down, folks.
The night is just getting started.
Up next, we continue to see the march of DeathRoll.
This is a robot built back in Australia,
captained by Steven Martin for the last few years.
It's literally been sitting in a box
and it kind of showed that in its first round match against Cobalt
where it got knocked out.
But still, let's remember what this robot did in 2019,
making it all the way to the semifinals.
[Kenny] No doubt.
Look, the bottom line is that DeathRoll is an experienced team
with a terrifying vertical spinner.
And they're committed to their strategy,
which is weapon on weapon violence.
But it's true that raw power doesn't cut it quite like it used to in this sport.
Look no further than their first fight against Cobalt,
where they lost every single exchange.
You need a ground game.
You need to fight, fight, fight configurations.
And those aren't the Aussie strong suits.
They're always gonna give us fireworks.
But is DeathRoll built for a championship run?
That remains to be seen.
In the meantime, sophomore season four Switchback,
anchored by Greg Needel.
In week two, we saw the debut of their completely redesigned robot,
which they hoped would blow our minds.
Yeah, they got the win,
but I wouldn't necessarily say any minds were blown, Kenny.
Yeah, as good as it sounded,
their drum just wasn't effectively delivering energy now.
That was quite one of a brand new robot,
so growing pains aren't a surprise.
I just hope the issue isn't a design flaw like the weapon sitting too high.
We'll see what they can find out against a much tougher opponent.
Let's see how it goes, Faruq.
[audience cheering]
In the Red Square, from Dallas, Texas.
If you wish upon a Lone Star,
you might get your death wish.
It's Switchback!
[Chris] Captain Greg Needel there on the right.
Getting the crowd all pumped up for this Dallas-based bot.
And they say everything's bigger in Texas, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah.
They're going with their heaviest weapon tonight.
That articulating arm has a 40-pound egg-beater drum on it.
That gives them the best chance of surviving a weapon on weapon hit,
which is something they're expecting a lot of.
In the Blue Square from Brisbane, Australia.
Stay away and he might spare your life.
What's that old saying?
"Don't bite the hand that's holding a knife." It's DeathRoll!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] There are the Aussies led by Steve Martin,
who's pushing out his robot.
Now this thing's got chopped up in a loss to Cobalt, Kenny.
How's it looking tonight?
[Kenny] Well, that self-righter's been repaired.
They sewed the fingers back on.
But again, this robot doesn't have any other configurations.
No forks, no wedge.
All their hopes are in that 50-pound AR-500 disk,
which they believe is still one of the hardest hitters in the field.
[audience cheering]
I think we're gonna play this one a little bit safer,
cautious, maybe wait for our spots to attack rather than go to my standard,
just face-to-face style of fighting.
DeathRoll is an incredibly scary robot.
Their blade packs a massive punch.
So we're a little scared about, you know,
taking a full blow from that weapon.
Just got to make sure that Switchback isn't a snack for the croc.
Don't know a lot about Switchback.
Obviously, Switchback's a new robot in our years off.
I think our main concern with Switchback
is they can lift that weapon up and down
and we don't have that much armor on top of our robot.
Really what it comes down to after the first couple of seconds is can we keep
that blade pointed at our opponent?
We've come this year to see
if DeathRoll after a year's off still has what it takes
And if we have two losses starting out,
maybe it's time to go back to the drawing board.
Think about what we need to do and maybe join that wedge game.
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] We just heard Steven Martin reiterate
DeathRoll doesn't have any ground game.
Meanwhile, Switchback's doubling down, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, they've added some extra forks to pop up the Aussie's frame,
which should help their drum make contact.
DeathRoll's front end is almost concave...
the two opposite ends of the spectrum here.
[robotic voice] Red team, ready?
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Blue team, ready?
Ready.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Big questions about both designs,
which teams gonna get the answer they're looking for?
Let the bot battle begin.
The bots meet in the center of the box
for a little feeling out period.
Oh, nice jab by Switchback.
Oh, and a good countershot by the Aussies.
Switchback now inverted.
Self-right, but DeathRoll keeping the pressure on here, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think that big shot
may have knocked out Switchback's weapon.
And there goes the belt.
This is not good for Switchback.
[Chris] And neither is that.
Neither is that.
The croc has him cornered,
and that arm on Switchback has now gone limp.
[Kenny] This is vintage DeathRoll, Chris.
[Chris] Oh.
[Kenny] Big hit there.
[Chris] Oh, that may just be the end of Switchback.
[Kenny] The Texans are teed up on the rail with the pulverizer looming.
And the countdown is gonna be coming if they can't slip free.
[Chris] Yeah.
Adding insult to injury there... that hammer...
Greg Needel tapping out.
The countdown is officially on and DeathRoll is gonna claim a new victim.
He didn't do it with the knife.
He did it with the Red Death.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right, Kenny.
So after a rocky return to theBattleBox,
the Aussie assault was back in full swing tonight.
DeathRoll reminding the field that it is a natural born killer.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
DeathRoll doing what DeathRoll does.
That weapon is nasty.
It was nasty in 2019 and is still very powerful here in 2022.
[Chris] Yeah. Once the belt went out,
you knew that Switchback was living on borrowed time,
landed up on its head, got bullied around the box
and ended up as Texas toast. Teed up there, dead on the rail.
[Kenny] Yeah. And I love the killer instinct.
Once they had Switchback on the ropes, they never let up.
[audience cheering]
Steven, congratulations.
Your first knockout since 2019 that has been several years in the making.
Must feel pretty good, right?
Yeah.
After our first fight,
we took some serious damage,
and we weren't sure whether we could still do it.
It was really good to be back here
and show we can get a win in the box.
You were going to get a new robot in Switchback,
one that you haven't fought before anyway.
What was the strategy?
Look, DeathRoll is pretty simple.
It's got a big weapon blade on the front.
Really, the only strategy is keep it pointed at our opponent.
So that's the big red thing in front, right?
That's the strategy.
Point the big red thing at the opponent.
That's about all we got.
The sharp spinny thing. Got it.
- Yeah. - Got it.
All right, Steven, congratulations.
Thank you very much. Great to be back.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, when you haven't seen a robot like DeathRoll
for a few seasons now,
you forget how potent it can be.
Yeah, and they struggled in their first fight, right.
But coming back like that,
I think that's gonna be a huge confidence builder for that team.
[Kenny] Now, can a purely offensive bot like DeathRoll grab a spot
in the top 32 would make some noise in the tournament?
I know the fans will be rooting for them
and it's gonna be fun to watch as their season unfolds.
[Chris] Switchback moves to 1 and 1,
but when you look at their schedule, Kenny,
I can still see them finishing with three wins.
[Kenny] Yeah, though we keep saying
who you beat and how you beat them matters.
I don't care what this robot's record is.
They've got a lot of work to do.
[Chris] Coming up next, it's red, white,
blue versus hot pink.
And I don't think any of these colors are gonna run.
The titanium frame, Captain Shrederator.
We'll try to put the massive blade of HiJinx in a spin cycle.
That's when we return onBattleBots.
We are back on Battlebots World Championship VII,
while our next two teams get set up inside theBattleBox,
Let's check in on tonight's extra spicy main event
between Hydra and Tantrum.
Now in Tantrum's first fight here at WC VII,
their self-righter got completely gnawed off
and in anticipation of this upcoming match,
the team has been working around the clock
back in the pits to get it all dialed in.
And minutes ago,
with Jake Ewert of Hydra circling like a bird of prey,
they finally had a successful test.
[woman] Nice.
That went perfectly.
All smiles!
[Chris] Well, the champs will need that self-righter tonight
as they face the most powerful flipper in the world.
Remember, Hydra, Tantrum one was so controversial.
It's part of the reason why BattleBots has unveiled a new appeals process
that teams can now use in judges' decisions.
The rematch is coming your way later tonight.
And we can't wait.
But right now we've got Captain Shrederator,
and HiJinx ready to do battle.
And let's start with Jen Herchenroeder squad,
who enters with a record of 1 and 0, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, they won their first fight,
but it wasn't exactly an impressive performance.
HiJinx is still having issues with weapon reliability,
but if they can dominate tonight,
that'll be a step in the right direction.
Brian Nave, in the meantime,
just looking for any sort of win.
He is the captain of Captain Shrederator.
Always tough for him.
[Kenny] In week one,
Quantum carried them around like a dog with his favorite frisbee.
Definitely not the way you want to start the season.
And there's talk that this year may be Brian Nave's last.
So, you know, he wants to go out on a high note.
[Chris] The teams are in position.
They are ready to throw down.
Let's dive right into the action.
[robotic voice] Red team, ready?
Win, baby!
[Chris] There's Brian Nave in his all-American bot.
They fixed up all the bite marks from their last fight.
Looks like they've added some bricks to their frame, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, they call those their Thor teeth.
They're positioned a little higher up in order to make contact
with HiJinx's wheels and tail,
while also avoiding direct weapon on weapon hits.
But that will require some surgical driving for Brian Nave.
[robotic voice] Blue team, ready?
[audience cheering]
[Chris] A kiss of death there from Jen Herchenroeder,
driver, Orion Beach, standing next to her.
And Kenny, despite going up against a full body spinner,
this team is not gonna shy away from going to weapon to weapon.
[Kenny] Yeah, once that 71-pound bar is up to speed,
it's capable of delivering some frame rattling shots.
Five of HiJinx's six career wins have come by way of knockout.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Shrederator looking to spin up.
Oh, he drives directly into the screws.
[Kenny] Lovely.
[Chris] Oh, nice shot by HiJinx.
And the question with Shrederator is always
can it absorb shots like that and still stay functional?
[Kenny] Shrederator trying to get some space.
Trying to give it time to get up to full speed.
It's having trouble doing so though.
[Chris] Yeah, that... that shell looks a little uneven.
You can see it's trying to spin up, Kenny,
- but it's not working. - [Kenny] Yeah.
Captain Shrederator having more problems in a math book right now.
Give him a chance to spin up,
but I don't think he's gonna do it.
[Chris] HiJinx corralling Captain Shrederator into that short corner,
using that long tail to try to control the full-body spinner.
But, oh, no light from HiJinx's weapon at the moment either, Kenny.
[Kenny] You are not sure if they've lost function or if they've shut it down,
but we may have a pushing match on our hands.
All right. There it is. Now it's getting going.
[Chris] Okay. HiJinx clears after a hit.
What has it jammed on?
[Chris] The weapon is stalled yet again.
And that's been the story of this fight.
Two bots that have lost firepower
and now they have to find an alternate path to victory.
Will they?
[Kenny] Here comes Shrederator.
[Chris] Here it goes.
[Kenny] Here we go.
[Chris] And HiJinx starts spinning its weapon.
[Kenny] There we go.
Get the line. Pick your spot.
[Chris] This fight is still up for grabs.
Shrederator spun up and it deliver a shot.
HiJinx with a stiff arm.
[Kenny] That tail working out well for HiJinx so far, Chris.
[Chris] Oh, but Shrederator lands
a nice shot on the wheel of HiJinx,
scoring some serious points there.
That was nice.
[Kenny] Can Shrederator pull this out?
[Chris] Under a minute to go
and it looks kind of like the soul has left HiJinx's body.
Let's go! Let's go!
[Chris] Team Shred can smell a W.
HiJinx spinning just one wheel in vain.
And the countdown has started.
Orion Beach cannot get his bot to move.
So Captain Shrederator is gonna get the knockout.
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] Well, Brian Nave running himself into the screws to start.
Not great.
And then a big collision that seemed to cripple both bots' weapons.
It became a game of survival after that.
Shrederator able to pull it off.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely.
He was able to give himself enough space,
find a way, hang in there and get spinning again.
[Chris] And that's the key.
You better walk into the BattleBox with more than just one plan.
[Kenny] Yeah, 100%.
You've got to be able to adjust and adapt.
You know, this is not a perfect fight
for Captain Shrederator by any means,
but he did have the ability to adapt and get that thing going again.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Congratulations, Brian.
Thanks.
Hey, at least you were durable, if nothing else.
Well, I know.
You know, we're always fighting ourselves.
Once again, their first hit hit pretty hard.
That frame is already tweaked
and it tweaked a little bit more and pinned the shell.
But, you know, we got away enough to get past the stuck spot
and got some momentum going, so we could get it going.
Wasn't as fast as I'd like to see it spin,
but at least it was spinning and we were winning.
How in the world when something like that happens to you again,
do you kind of put it behind you and you're able to say,
"Hey, listen, we got to kind of rally here?"
What do you mean,
get it again where the frame is bent or?
- No, where you're... - Failing, the robot not working.
Is that what you're saying?
Why does that happen again?
Oh, thanks, man.
That's just what I need.
There goes my ego.
[laughter]
Well, I'm merely a facts guy here, Brian.
I just, you know, I report.
- You decide. - Yeah.
That's what it is.
Yeah. You know,
sometimes you can't get the optimal answer
when you're rushing to get ready.
Sometimes you just gotta get it out there and get down.
We both had trouble getting the robots ready to run.
We got lucky and just got it barely ready a little bit before them.
But there's never enough time.
There's never enough time to make it perfect.
You always want to make it better and you just never can, so.
You got the W.
So go celebrate with the rest of your team.
That's good. Thank you, guys.
Thank you.
Spin to win, baby!
[audience cheering]
Kenny, sometimes that happens like neither bot works to perfection
or in some cases doesn't work.
And you know what?
You got to scramble and survive.
That's right, Murphy's Law.
You've got to be ready for anything
and everything any time you go into comp.
But either way, it's frustrating to see
two seasoned teams struggling to keep their bots alive.
It's not enough to just win these fights, Chris,
it's how you win them too.
Both teams are one and one,
but if I were on the tournament selection committee,
they both looked like, 0 and 2 in my eyes.
[Chris] Okay.
Coming up, a rematch two years in the making.
Victor Soto leads the charge,
as Rotator collides with Jeff Waters.
And Las Vegas' own JackPot.
That's next onBattleBots.
We are back on BattleBots, World Championship VII.
That is Kenny Florian.
I am Chris Rose.
Up next, we've got Las Vegas's own JackPot
taking on the monster from Miami, Rotator.
And Kenny these two have met in the BattleBox before.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
They first met back in World Championship V,
where Victor Soto's hellacious horizontal spinner
knocked Jeff Waters' vicious vertical out of the match and the tournament.
Both teams were coming off a season
where they were top ten tournament seeds,
but right now they both sit at 0 and 1 and are desperate for a win.
[Chris] Well, Rotator got flipped to high heaven by Hydra in its first match
and JackPot got jacked up by Skorpios.
Let's see who can right the ship tonight.
Faruq!
[audience cheering]
In the Red Square, it takes 24 hours
for the Earth to rotate on its axis.
But spend 24 seconds with this Rotator and you'll fade to blackness.
You'd better give them space or the results will be morbid,
because with one big bang,
he can launch you into orbit, and Rotator.
[Chris] Here comes, Victor Soto marching out Rotator.
As we said the last time we saw this,
bot it was getting manhandled.
Courtesy, the team we'll see at the end of the night, Hydra.
[Kenny] Yeah, which is uncharacteristic.
It's one of the hardest bots to knock out.
Hydra did it in less than 90 seconds.
The upgrades Victor made in the off-season to improve spin-up time
have been giving them radio issues JackPot's
another team that isn't going to give them time to figure things out.
In the Blue Square, this,
this bot can eviscerate anything it touches.
And the captain is a plumber from Vegas,
so he knows all kinds of flushes.
A vertical spinner is this bot's plan of attack.
And when it slices through your armor,
let's just call that a plumber's crack.
Give it up for JackPot!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Uh, the hometown heroes.
On the left, Captain Jeff Waters,
your friendly Vegas plumber.
For the first time in their three-year career,
Kenny, they're coming off a loss in the qualifying rounds.
[Kenny] Well, their new self-righter,
which doubles as their forks,
got damaged in that first fight
and wasn't able to lift the robot.
That's an issue if they can't get it working.
No problems with that 52-pound blade, though.
Expect a lot of weapon to weapon and a lot of sparks.
[audience cheering]
So we've had a really rough start here in the Championship VII.
We've been doing everything we can today to sort out the radio issues
so we can get as prepared as possible.
We're still going to be running at 50% weapon power
just because we don't have time to investigate
and troubleshoot that portion of it.
We know what JackPot is capable of.
We fought them a few years ago in the round of 32, I believe.
I think if we can get up the weapon up to speed,
we can still cause damage.
We just need the time to do that.
And for that to happen,
I need to be in top of my game on the drive.
Rotator and JackPot actually uses the same weapon motor,
so I know exactly what they're struggling with.
The configuration that we're running with JackPot
this time is called Twin Peaks.
It is a two-split wedges.
It's a half version of our normal anti-horizontal wedge.
So we can change on the fly depending on
what they are going to be using.
Our winning fight against Rotator would be getting that ground game
when they're coming at us for a backwards
and making sure that we can deflect that spinner
when they come at us forwards.
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Okay.
Kenny, usually a vertical spinner has the design advantage
in terms of stability when facing a horizontal.
That didn't stop Rotator from winning when these two first met.
How does Victor do it again?
[Kenny] He wants to lead with the forks
and whip around with the blade,
which is what worked in their first fight.
That will also allow the weapon the extra time it needs to spin up.
But JackPot's ready.
The two red wedges on the sides.
That's the Twin Peaks armor Jeff mentioned.
They're designed specifically for undercutters like rotating.
JackPot! JackPot! JackPot!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right.
Can Rotator make it two in a row against the Vegas locals
or will JackPot hit big on its home turf?
These two heavy hitters will drop the gloves and go head to head
when the world's premier robot fighting competition continues.
We've got more battle lines coming your way, next.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where Rotator and JackPot are ready to throw down.
Last season, Rotator was the number six overall tournament seed.
JackPot, the number ten, but both now sit at 0 and 1 on the season
and are in dire need of a win here tonight.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Rotator got the best of JackPot in their first meeting.
Can the Las Vegas boys exact a little revenge here
in front of their hometown fans?
Let the bot battle begin.
JackPot lifts those front forks in the air like,
"What's up, bro?"
Both weapons up to speed.
Nice shot there.
Rotator recoils.
[Kenny] And Rotator loves that whip around technique.
[Chris] Oh.
[Kenny] Then lead with the fork and a whip around.
[Chris] What a nice combination by Rotator.
Victor Soto going to town with that undercutter, Kenny.
[Kenny] He's taking it to JackPot right now.
JackPot unable to really do anything
about that undercutter so far.
[Chris] Whoa. Jeez!
[Kenny] Okay, we got bot parts flying.
Rotator's ditched the ground game.
That is flinging that weapon into JackPot with no fear whatsoever.
[Chris] Yeah, JackPot lost one of those front wedges
and is having some mobility issues.
[Kenny] Victor, the surgeon on point tonight.
As soon as he turns right get that wheel.
[Chris] JackPot is hobbled. Can Rotator finish the job.
[Kenny] And Rotator
isn't gonna forgive from here and attack to the flank.
Now, this season, even if you're crab walking,
that's still okay.
You won't be counted out.
[Chris] Oh.
[Kenny] Nasty shot there.
[Chris] Takes out the BattleBot sign.
Rotator continuing its assault,
but JackPot's weapon is still spinning.
Kenny. Victor has got to be oh so careful.
[Kenny] There's no doubt as long as that weapon is active,
this fight is not over.
Rotator got about 90 seconds to hunt for a knockout shot and for JackPot,
can it find a way to deliver its weapon on one leg?
[Chris] Man, oh, man.
Lot of weapon on weapon there.
Now, Rotator just trying to pin JackPot.
He can hold him there for 10 seconds.
[Kenny] Victor targeting the underbelly of JackPot.
[Chris] And that big vertical disk on JackPot has now gone quiet.
That is bad, bad news.
Oh, right into the rail.
Under a minute to go,
which means now the killsaws are active.
Oh, boy.
JackPot is just falling apart piece by piece.
[Kenny] Yeah gone from JackPot to Jack parts.
[Chris] I think the hardest hit came from the killsaws on Rotator in this match.
[Kenny] Oh, and JackPot just sort of quivering like a wounded animal now.
[Chris] Yeah, it's got his hands in the air.
"Like I give up. I give up."
And the countdown begins on the Vegas crew.
JackPot really can't move.
And so it is DOA.
That is it.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, Rotator and Victor Soto had a game plan
and executed it to perfection.
[Kenny] Yeah, I mean, this was a great fight.
This was a nasty brawl.
JackPot is a very powerful robot.
Rotator was on point tonight though.
[Chris] Yeah, Rotator just used that blade undercutting perfectly.
JackPot... it really had nowhere to hide.
[Kenny] You know, Victor talked about that weapon maybe being an issue.
It didn't seem like it was an issue tonight.
Did a great job on taking off that right corner wedge off of JackPot.
[Chris] Jeff Waters and his team are gonna have
a serious rebuild to do because there is a lot of JackPot bits
all over theBattleBox.
Thanks to Rotator.
And then finally, one more crowning shot by Rotator,
and that will do it.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Victor Soto, that's how you bounce back from a crushing loss, right?
Absolutely.
So what is it that went right for you this time around?
We got the old radio. We threw it away.
[laughs]
We got a new radio. And now we can drive.
We're still tweaking the weapon a little bit.
We're not at full power,
so we're actually really impressed with how Rotator ran this time.
Again, we expected damage from JackPot.
It seems like, you know, we're 2 and 0 against JackPot,
but they keep cutting through our armor and our frame.
So we're gonna have some repairs now.
Thanks.
But I think it was an amazing match.
Both robots just gave it all their all.
[audience cheering]
Hey, Victor, I'm curious.
You seem much more relaxed and easy going today.
Is that because your wife, Dr. Bianca, has arrived?
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, she. She can carry... [laughter]
That away. Congratulations, Victor Soto.
Thank you.
[audience cheering]
Kenny, never count out Victor Soto.
He is way too smart and way too hardworking.
[Kenny] Yeah, this fight definitely is a step
in the right direction for his season,
which isn't going to get any easier against Bloodsport
and a really good-looking fusion.
[Chris] And in the meantime,
JackPot's running out of chips to play with Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, unfamiliar territory for them.
They'll see Ribbot next.
Both are now 0 and 2 that becomes an absolutely critical match.
Someone's tournament dreams may just go up in smoke.
[Chris] All right.
When we come back, it's a rivalry as old as time.
Pickles versus scorpions.
Don't fact-check me on that okay.
A newly redesigned Big Dill will be going in for the kill against Skorpios,
who's coming off a 55-second knockout victory in their first fight.
Who's taking home the W?
Let's find out next here on BattleBots.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where earlier tonight we witnessed
one of the biggest upsets in the history of robot combat.
Rookie bot, RIPperoni sliced and diced
the favorites to win the Giant Nut this year, End Game.
And check out the reception they got when they made it back to the pits.
Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!
[Chris] The only thing missing back there is the actual pizza.
Well, still two fights left in their season,
but RIPperoni just went from novelty to nah...
I don't want 'em on my schedule, Kenny.
We'll see what the second half of the season has in store for them.
But let's get back to our fight at hand.
Up next, a pair of veteran robot builders going at it.
You got Big Dill with Emmanuel Carrillo taking on Skorpios
and the husband and wife tandem of Zach Lytle and Diana Tarlson.
And let's start with the team from Oakland, California.
Skorpio's 1 and 0 after hitting JackPot
their first ever loss in the qualifying rounds.
And Kenny, tonight they need to continue to take care of business.
[Kenny] Yeah, no question about it.
The plow and hammer saw were working overtime in that first fight,
but Zach looked a little rusty on the sticks.
And tonight, against an opponent
who's still trying to figure things out,
it'll be important to come out and dominate.
[Chris] And that opponent would be Big Dill
led by Emmanuel Carrillo in their first fight of the season.
We got really excited when we found out his robot
had a vertical spinner attachment,
but then last minute didn't use it,
ended up losing.
So what's the deal, Kenny?
Well, you know, he's been making little adjustments,
little improvements.
You know, I'd like to see that next big jump.
And I think we're in luck tonight.
I got confirmation from the pits
that Emmanuel is going to debut the vertical spinner.
That's the team working on the new mechanism earlier today.
This is a big step, a step towards relevance.
[Chris] All right.
Time to see what this robot looks like
with an actual weapon. Faruq?
[audience cheering]
In the Red Square, from Seattle, Washington.
I like to order a mean green killing machine.
Don't hold the pickles.
It's Big Dill!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Always a delight to see this team.
Captain Emmanuel Carrillo there on the right
and bright red for the whole world to see
is that new weapon, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, they call it Chicken Head.
It's a 25-pound disc with asymmetrical teeth.
The idea is to use the forks to get under Skorpios
and then let Chicken Head slice up its underbelly.
[audience cheering]
In the Blue Square, from Oakland, California.
You can't spell his name without a KO.
It's Skorpios!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Yeah, lookit, Kenny,
Zach and Diana.
Skorpios feeling good.
Get the energy from the crowd.
And Kenny, take a look at their schedule.
I'd say winning tonight is pretty critical.
[Kenny] Yeah. No kidding.
They've got Sawblaze on deck.
Then they end the qualifiers against Ribbot.
They do not want to go into those final two fights sitting at 1 and 1.
Skorpios!
In our last flight, we didn't get to showcase our new weapon systems.
This is the first time you're gonna see the new Big Dill.
So this is the one that can fight back.
This is the one that can hit back.
I think our weapon stacks up fairly about equal with Skorpios.
They just deliver it from a different angle.
Getting a win, a statement win here will show,
hey, the new design,
it's way better than the old one.
And going forward,
that's what we're gonna be using.
Big Dill has a new vertical spinner on the front.
They have the long forks.
I think he will try some kind of wide set fork configuration
to give himself the best chance.
We need to be cautious. We need to be careful.
We need to go to his side and hopefully just outdrive him.
I hope to see fire.
I want to bury that blade through the top of Big Dill.
I want to hit a battery.
He wants smoked Pickles.
And I would like one more knockout on the record.
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] And Kenny, we're hearing Skorpios
is going with a different plow for fight number two.
[Kenny] Well, in their last match,
they tried out a new plow designed specifically for verts,
and it helped them get the win.
This classic plow is their go-to against horizontals.
Maybe they're thinking this one can counter Big Dill's forks better,
but it feels risky to me.
[Chris] And really quick,
let's see who the builders are picking in this one.
Over 85% in favor of Skorpios, Kenny.
It looks like they don't care what plow they're using.
[robotic voice] Red team, ready?
[audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Blue team, ready?
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Skorpios quick out of the gate.
Oh, but its Big Dill has got a piece of him and then releases.
[Kenny] And Big Dill able to get under with those forks.
[Chris] But here comes Skorpios looking to land
that hammer saw and does to the front forks of Big Dill.
[Kenny] That spin-up time on Skorpios looks way faster than last season.
Both drivers doing a bit of oversteering here,
to start just kind of swinging wildly out there.
[Chris] Skorpios trying to get some control, Big Dill the same.
[indistinct]
Emmanuel Carrillo driving this weaponized version of Big Dill
for the very first time here in theBattleBots.
You have to wonder if that's contributing to his lack of control.
Skorpios, whoa.
Takes a shot and ends up on its head
and there's a little plume of smoke.
[Kenny] Zach Lytle of Skorpios driving a little impatiently here, Chris.
[Chris] Yeah.
You don't see that out of Zach very often.
[Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] Nice shot there. - [Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] Skorpio's ended up on its head for the second time.
[Kenny] Big Dill having a great fight so far.
This could be a huge upset.
[Kenny] Oh.
Emmanuel Carrillo getting under
Skorpios and imposing his will.
[Chris] Yeah, you can sense the frustration
in the first minute plus from Skorpios, but uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
Big Dill is in serious trouble there with the screws
and Skorpios with a little bit of smoke.
[Kenny] I don't think Big Dill can move, Chris
Skorpio's just opened that jar of Pickles.
[indistinct chatter]
Oh, my goodness.
This is gonna be heartbreak for Emmanuel.
Here comes the countdown.
A disappointing finish for Emmanuel Carrillo.
Wow!
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, let's give Big Dill some serious credit.
They took it to Skorpios.
[Kenny] Yeah, listen,
Big Dill was in control this fight from the opening bell.
Emmanuel executed his game plan perfectly,
used the long forks to get underneath Skorpios,
then went to work with the new vertical spinner.
Big Dill was ahead on the scorecards
at the end of this fight, Chris.
[Chris] Yeah, there were a couple of times Skorpios landed on its head.
And I got to tell you,
it's no joke when you look at Big Dill.
This is definitely the best that it has looked in its few seasons here.
The ability to get under Skorpios to kind of dictate the pace.
That's big league stuff, Kenny Florian.
But if you can't keep your bot working for the full three minutes,
you are in big time trouble here at BattleBots.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
Durability is the difference between success and failure in this sport.
Design means nothing without functionality.
What a disappointing finish for Emmanuel Carrillo.
[Chris] So, Skorpios takes care of business,
moves 2 and 0.
And for Big Dill they're winless,
but that's the best they've ever looked.
Kenny, it's amazing.
Big Dill was winning the entire fight until they weren't.
It's unbelievable.
If you got in trouble and your mom said,
you know, you did this to yourself.
Well, that's what happened, to Big Dill.
Yeah. They only had like 364 days a year.
You know, I was the good kid in the household.
Coming up, a matchup between Norse and Irish folklore.
And I ain't talking about Thor beating up Ed Sheeran.
It's Valkyrie versus Banshee.
But before we get to that,
let's preview tonight's main event.
It's the rematch of a fight that changed the course of robot combat history.
You know, who you fight in your next match?
Oh, probably that champ, I guess.
Yeah. You get your shot at Tantrum and Redemption,
when you lost to them last season in the semifinals.
I'll just kick his ass again.
[laughter]
[producer speaking]
[Faruq] We're gonna have a new champion and its name is Tantrum.
Tantrum!
We have a split decision.
Tantrum!
Yeah!
[man] The judges gave them the win.
[Faruq] Tantrum!
I genuinely had no idea what was gonna happen.
...has split from Hydra. Nice shot there.
It was, to be honest, a 50/50 for me.
[Chris] And here comes Tantrum targeting Hydra's weapon.
Tantrum is really good at judge's decisions, I've to totally build the robot for.
That's what we did.
[Kenny] Tantrum scored some damage points with that shot.
It's disappointing to see people that were upset with our win.
Check out the boos.
[laughs]
Some of the messages from fans were really negative.
Like, it kind of diminishes the fact that we do have that banner up now.
But winning the one fight against Hydra,
some people might consider luck.
But winning seven in a row, it's not luck.
What a rockable shot by Tantrum.
[Jake] Tonight, I don't want even a contest.
I want to just set the standard straight...
who won that last match.
I'm not changing my strategy.
What I did last year worked.
While Tantrum took home the Giant Nut last year.
Every single part we redesigned then re-machined.
Last fight, the biggest damage we took was in our self-righting mechanism.
Obviously against Hydra,
that's the most important thing.
I think a winning fight here is getting under him right away
and just start plinking the front end.
Once you do that,
we can sweep around to their side and give him a punch.
They can try it.
See how that goes for him.
But honestly, I don't compromise my style at all.
[Ginger] This is a second chance for Tantrum to prove itself.
We're fully prepared to go in there
and play to the best of our ability.
But, I mean, I'm nervous.
Tantrum, I love you.
But you got to get beat.
[Faruq] Tantrum!
Tantrum!
[Chris] Welcome back to BattleBots World Championship VII,
where we are just one fight away from a rematch
that has the robot combat world chomping at the bit.
It's Hydra versus Tantrum in tonight's main event.
You cannot afford to miss that one.
But up next, it's the famed undercutter, Valkyrie
taking on rookie robot Banshee.
And let's start with Banshee.
Captained by David Small, by the way,
the first ever participant in BattleBots from the state of Arizona.
The robot's a pneumatic or air-powered flipper.
But in its first fight against Switchback,
we saw it get mauled and the desert dwellers weren't able to do
a whole lot of flipping.
[Kenny] Yeah, they were scrambling a bit before that opening fight.
Were only able to test the weapon once.
But since that loss,
they've been in the test box constantly trying to get
the flipper dialed in. If they can,
I do like the way this robot moves.
It's sturdy and quick.
Just needs to flip.
[Chris] And from a Celtic killer,
we go to a Norse nightmare.
It's Valkyrie, which again is now led by Lucy Du, they're 1 and 0.
But their victory against Mammoth comes
with a bit of an asterisk, doesn't it, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah.
Mammoth's self-destructed in that fight,
more or less handing them the win.
It's only Lucy's second time driving Valkyrie,
a former most destructive winner.
Here's hoping her first fight gave her the driving experience
she needs to unleash that power tonight.
Now let's see if she's improved with the stick handling.
Let's get to it. Faruq?
[audience cheering]
In the Red Square from Phoenix, Arizona.
Here's the cardinal rule.
Don't mess with this fool.
It's Banshee!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] David Small there on the right and yes,
don't let your eyes fool you.
That is indeed a six-foot four-inch man wearing a kilt.
And Kenny, assuming the sword doesn't come into play tonight.
Tell us what's up with the new front end of Banshee.
[Kenny] Yeah. That big wedge is exactly what Banshee
needs to counter and undercutter like Valkyrie.
It's meant to deflect the blade and protect
their flipper tongue, which broke off
in their first fight.
Looks like the rookies did their homework.
[cheers and applauds]
In the blue square from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Straight out of Norse mythology,
she'll give you a course in destructive technology.
Give it up for Valkyrie.
[cheers and applauds]
[Chris] And here comes Lucy Du,
her robot Valkyrie behind her.
No sword or kilt for this squad.
But the robot just kind of looks like
it's about to go jousting, Kenny. That's kind of cool.
[Kenny] Yeah. Flippers are a bad matchup for Valkyrie.
This single fork is designed to prevent Banshee
from having free reign to get under them.
It's the first time Valkyrie's ever used forks
in its five year career.
[cheers and applauds]
The Valkyrie has their deadly undercutter.
It's a very heavy and powerful blade.
To counter that, we're gonna use the wedge.
We're gonna blast out of the gate
as fast as we can with our wedge
and plow right into their spinner.
And then from that, we just flip them and flip them
and flip them until they either stop moving
or time runs out.
And it goes to an easy judges decision in our favor.
Best of luck to you, Lucy.
You best pray to your Nordic Gods, Odin and Thor.
You know what? You won't have to pray to them.
I'll send you to Valhalla myself.
Banshee is pretty fast.
They seem pretty maneuverable.
I think, worst case scenario for Valkyrie would be getting
flipped upside down and kind of corralled
into a corner.
But we have a little bit something up our sleeves
this time that we want to try, that's new.
We haven't really seen undercutters using forks
or any kind of ground game devices in the past.
So this is a completely new thing.
It could totally backfire.
But we... we have some faith that it'll work
and... and we'll just see how it goes.
[robotic voice] Robots, activate.
[cheers and applauds]
[Chris] Well, whether you got 'em or you don't,
tonight's theme seems to be Forks, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah. And credit to Lucy for trying
something different.
She's an MIT engineer, so I'm sure
she's thought this through.
[robotic voice] Red team, you ready?
For glory.
[Chris] Not quite braveheart, but, hey, I respect it.
[robotic voice] Blue team, you ready?
[crowd cheering for Valkyrie]
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
Ain't nobody here, just see the robot.
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Woah!
Okay. That was fast.
And she goes right at Valkyrie.
[Kenny] Yeah, that was the Banshee box rush.
- [Chris] Yeah. - [Kenny] Testing out that front wedge.
- [Chris] Oh. - [Kenny] Flip by Banshee.
[Chris] And he got Valkyrie up on the screws
and not letting her get away.
[Kenny] Yeah. Valkyrie pretty rocked right now
in a bad spot.
[Chris] Driving upside down now.
Oh, almost got flipped back over.
You can see Valkyrie's blade is still very active,
but this is not where they want to be, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah. Valkyrie still dangerous
while it's inverted, but Banshee should now
have free reign to go right at Valkyrie
and get underneath them.
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] And there goes that single fork on Valkyrie.
Too much for that strategy.
[Kenny] If I'm Lucy Du, Chris, I'm doing everything
I can to flip back over, hit the gas,
and run yourself into the wall,
if that's what it takes.
[Chris] David Small is doing a really good job staying
aggressive, though, forcing Lucy into the short corner.
Maybe he can pop her on to the upper deck here.
This is the time to strike when that blade is spinning.
Oh, another whip by David Small.
[Kenny] Yeah, a missed opportunity there.
But so far I do think Banshee is winning
both aggression and control.
[Chris] All right. The blade of Valkyrie is back up
and spin, and you can hear it humming.
Little hip check sends
Valkyrie's blade back into the floor.
But both teams kind of looking discombobulated now.
Let's remember, Lucy Du not only the new captain,
but the new driver of this bot,
doesn't have a ton of stick time on it.
[Keny] Yeah. The Valkyrie we're used to seeing
would be carving up Banshee like a Thanksgiving turkey
right about now, Chris.
That weapon is still dangerous,
but there's got to be something wrong
with the drive train.
[Chris] About a 1:20 left.
Let's see what Lucy Du's got down the stretch here.
Oh, Banshee just whiffed on the flip effort.
[Kenny] Yep. And that flipper is still working on Banshee.
Unbelievable.
[Chris] Another little love tab, but... Uh-oh,
the Greek goblin suddenly isn't moving.
Might be caught on the slot of the killsaws there, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it looks like part of its wedge
is lodged in there.
[Chris] Well, this might be perfect timing,
because we're about to be under a minute.
Which means the killsaws are active there.
Still stuck.
Got to wonder if it countdown to the start.
Oh, he's free. He's free.
Yeah!
[Chris] So Banshee gets a new lease on life.
Valkyrie still grinding away, though.
Remember, we've seen a final flurry of aggression
sway the judges before.
So do either of these teams have anything
left in the tank?
[Kenny] I think Banshee is having drive issues, Chris.
And I have to think Valkyrie is too.
Or else Lucy would be attacking right now.
[Chris] Well, we are closing in on the final ticks
in what was an evenly matched fight.
That was in like a lion and out like a lamb.
These Bots stare each other down, as Banshee delivers
one final attack.
But this one is going to go the distance.
[timer beeps]
[Chris] So for the first time tonight, we are heading
to the judges.
All three are former Battlebots participants.
Fon Davis, Lisa Winter, Derek Young,
scoring on an 11 point system.
Up to five points can be awarded for damage,
three for aggression, three for control.
Kenny, Banshee came out guns blazing in this one.
[Kenny] Yeah. Love the box rush against a spinning
weapon that takes a few seconds
to spin up and be dangerous.
Through two fights, David Small is proving
himself to be very aggressive on the sticks.
[Chris] And that box rush helped invert Valkyrie,
which kind of changed the dynamic
of this entire fight.
[Kenny] That's right. With the weapon on top,
Valkyrie couldn't deliver much damage, but lucky for them,
Banshee started having drive issues
about halfway through the match.
[Chris] So how do you think the judges
are gonna break this down?
[Kenny] Well, for my money, Banshee dominated
the aggression category.
They probably split control.
And on the damage front, Valkyrie provided some sparks,
but the most visible damage was Banshee ripping off
Valkyrie's front fork.
This is going to be close.
[Chris] Can Banshee, even up its record here?
Faruq is standing by with the decision.
The results from the judges are in.
We have a split decision.
Wow.
Judge Derek scored the battle for Banshee.
[cheering]
Judge Lisa scored the battle for Valkyrie.
[cheering]
Judge Fon scored the battle for the winner...
Banshee.
[cheering]
[crowd cheering for Banshee]
Yeah!
David Small, what is running through your veins right now?
I couldn't be more pleased that we can teach
a Valkyrie to fly.
David, your bot looked entirely different
than the first time we saw it.
What was the biggest adjustment you made here?
We put a big green thing in the front
and it worked great.
You kilt it.
- Good job. - Congratulations, David.
Thank you very much.
[Chris] All right, Kenny. Let's be honest.
Two fights into the regular season.
This is not quite what we expected
out of team Valkyrie, is it?
[Kenny] There's no doubt.
We have high expectations for this robot.
I'm sure Lucy and the team do as well,
whether it's a drive train issue or the learning curve
for a new captain, Valkyrie just doesn't seem
to be as aggressive as it once was.
Hopefully, Lucy can turn it around.
It's hard to see a bot this good struggle.
[Chris] And on the other side of the coin,
it may not have been pretty, but congrats to Banshee
and David Small on career win number one.
Didn't even need to use the sword.
Hey, listen, you've done a lot of world traveling.
Have you ever thrown on a kilt?
No. I haven't done it yet.
Okay. Dare to dream.
Up next, it's the fight we've all been waiting for.
The reigning champs versus the bad boy of Battlebots,
in a rematch of last year's highly
controversial semifinal.
Will Jake Ewert get the revenge
he's been waiting a year for?
Or will Tantrum prove the doubters wrong?
It's our main event when we return
onBattlebots.
[Chris] Welcome back to Battlebots,
where we got a packed house here in Las Vegas.
It's a playoff like atmosphere for tonight's main event,
Kenny Florian.
And that's because right now the defending champ
is ready to set foot in the box,
ready to square off against Hydra.
Tantrum's coming in 0-1. Hydra 1-0.
But as we previewed all night, this rematch
isn't just another qualifying round fight.
So who's there more pressure on tonight?
Is it Hydra or is it Tantrum to prove
that we are the baddest bot around?
[Kenny] Well, there's no question
that this was one of the most controversial fights
of last season.
But to me, the pressure's on, Jake.
He's been incredibly vocal about how he feels.
If you're going to do all that talking,
you better be able to back it up.
Or in this case, flip it 15 feet in the air.
Tantrum's got the nut.
They've got the banner in the rafters.
And again, they won seven fights in a row last year.
Talk about bragging rights.
[Chris] And here are the numbers
from their first fight, Kenny.
Do you think Hydra, Tantrum 2.0 will be any different?
[Kenny] Well, you can see Hydra landed a ton of flips,
but look at the difference between distances traveled.
Tantrum was zipping around, trying to get Jake to make
a mistake and he did, which allowed Tantrum
to damage Hydra's flipper tongue.
I expect a similar approach from Tantrum,
but look for Jake to take some risks in this one.
He was watching Tantrum work on their self righter all day.
That's like putting a steak in front of a hungry dog.
And if Tantrum can't self right, this dog is gonna eat.
In a word, this is spicy.
Let's serve it up.
- Let's go. - Faruq.
[cheers and applauds]
[Faruq] Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
[cheers and applauds]
It's time for the main event.
[cheers and applauds]
In the Red Square, this team is known as Villains,
but you want to know the truth.
Earlier today, I accidentally left my keys up
on the arena roof.
He offered to launch me up there
because I didn't have a ladder.
But I passed because I've seen
all his victims land and splatter.
Anyway, my keys are still up there if anyone knows
of a fire escape or something.
In the meantime, make it loud for Hydra.
[cheers and applauds]
[Chris] Jake Ewert has been waiting
for this match for over a year.
He's smiling on the outside.
He's is oh so competitive on the inside.
[Kenny] Yeah, he's completely reworked Hydra's front end
with those piano key wedgelets, Chris.
Again, because each piece is separate, they help
with the maneuverability and won't compromise
the rest of the front if one breaks.
It means, he could be more aggressive and chase Tantrum,
which is what he was criticized for not doing
in that first fight.
In the Blue Square, what's up?
I hope you're ready to fight, son.
This bot will come at you like he's Mike Tyson.
So beware to hit the hammer Thor
stay clear or suffer the fate of Holyfield's ear,
it's Tantrum.
[cheers and applauds]
[Chris] Careful, Faruq.
Everybody's got a plan till they get hit in the face
by a guy you're imitating. So here we go.
The champs trying to rebound from an 0-1 start.
Alex and Ginger, the co-captains
and driver, Dillon Carey.
He's the tall, bearded guy in the back there.
He was a big reason they went 7-0 last year.
[Kenny] Yeah, and he's in a tough spot.
If they don't trust that self righter Dillon,
basically can't let Tantrum get flipped.
That would mean a much more cautious driving approach.
So I think we'll know early on how confident
they are in that freshly repaired part.
[cheers and applauds]
[Chris] Kenny, in this battle of the big time beasts,
it's all about low man winning.
Hydra's ground game is about as good as it gets,
but the champs are stepping it up too.
[Kenny] Yeah, Tantrum has added some new forks
which actually have an extra mechanism to help
them articulate up and down, just like Hydra's piano keys.
They're hoping they keep Hydra's flipper tongue
from getting under them.
[Chris] Okay, Kenny, I'm holding your feet to the fire.
Who wins this one?
[Kenny] Well, it's tough not to pick Hydra.
I'm sure Jake has replayed that semifinals loss
in his head a thousand times over the last year.
But you can't underestimate the champs, either.
[Kenny] I think it's all gonna come down
to whether that self-righters works or not.
[Chris] How's that Switzerland passport coming along, Kenny?
[Chris laughs]
[Ginger] Let's go, Dillion!
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All right.
Buckle up for one of the most anticipated rematches
in the history of the sport.
Can the champs cut down Hydra for a second time
and silence their doubters?
Or will Jake Ewert finally avenge the loss that cost him
a shot at the crown?
We are gonna find out when BattleBots continues.
...three...
two...
one...
knockout!
[Chris] That is one of the biggest upsets we have ever seen.
[Anna] Endgame might have been off more than it could too.
And that might be the biggest upset in BattleBots history.
[Chris] This is unbelievable.
We haven't taken damage like that for a while.
- [man speaking] - At least the other half's okay.
[Nick] The way I view that loss is we messed up.
We're honestly very impressed with the sportsmanship.
It was incredible of them to free us.
They didn't have to.
The first thing that went through my mind when we got stuck
was to turn to their driver and say,
"Give us a big whack."
[producer speaking]
[bleep]
[laughter]
[Anna] We absolutely proved that this robot is not just a pizza.
The field is not prepared for the chaos
that RIPperoni is bringing.
And the robot has a chance at winning the Giant Nut.
I think you deserve it.
It's nice and sweaty.
Thank you. So...
[laughter]
[woman 1] Mamma mia.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we are mere moments away from the biggest main event of the season so far.
It's the reigning world champs.
Tantrum taking on the best flipper bot on the planet.
Hydra, it's a rematch of last year's
highly controversial semifinals.
For Tantrum, a win would prove the doubters wrong.
And for Hydra, it is all about revenge.
Let's see who the pits are going with.
And the builders think it's gonna be Hydra.
[Kenny] Remember, Tantrum lost their first match.
And they were still dialing in that self-righter today.
Two things I'm sure the builders were considering.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] A lot of words have been exchanged about this match up.
But now it is time for action, folks.
[crowd cheering]
Let the bot rematch begin.
Hydra quits.
Tantrum gets underneath and delivers a shot.
And here we go, the champs at low ground.
[Kenny] Oh, right at the prong on Hydra as well, Chris.
[Chris] Oh, man.
Oh, Hydra answers back.
Tantrum inverted, quick self-right by Dillon Carey's.
And it's no engines in that department apparently, Kenny.
And that is a great, great sign for Team Tantrum.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
That coupled with the fact that Tantrum
is clearly the lower bot here, Chris.
[Chris] Jake Ewert bangs on Hydra's ability
to get underneath his opponent.
Tantrum flipping that script in this matchup.
[Kenny] Oh that was a well-placed shot to the underbelly
by Tantrum in that last exchange.
And Hydra is not moving.
[crowd chanting] Hydra! Hydra!
[Chris] Jake is matching the controls.
But there's still life from Hydra.
You can see it.
And it's not stuck on the rail.
Here comes the countdown.
...six...
[Chris] Wow!
Wow!
For the second time in a year.
...two...
one... knockout!
[Chris] Hydra is done in by Tantrum.
My God!
[Kenny] How about that for a statement?
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, Obviously a ton of emotion and strategy
in the mix for both teams going into this big time match.
But at the end of the day, Tantrum have won the ground game.
And that was the deciding factor.
[Kenny] Yeah, no question about it.
I mean, Tantrum very low with those forks.
The forks ended up getting underneath those piano keys.
And that spelt trouble for Hydra from the very beginning.
[Chris] Hydra did land this big flip that puts Tantrum on its head.
A dicey moment for the champs.
But they were quick to self-right.
And from there it was pretty much game over for Hydra.
[Kenny] Listen, Tantrum is one of the toughest bots in the world.
And even though it has a banner in the rafters,
I still don't think we give it enough credit.
Offensively, you make a mistake against this team,
and they will tear you apart.
[Chris] Those repairs, that Team Tantrum made in the pits
obviously worked, set themselves up for success.
And this is where Hydra called it quits.
The champs victorious in this highly anticipated rematch.
Yes.
[Chris] Alex and Ginger, congratulations!
Thank you so much, Chris.
Do you feel a little bit,
Alex, like you just saved your season?
Yeah. I mean, saved the season?
It's... it's...
The momentum, it's gonna carry.
And, you know, it's interesting,
we walked in that first match.
And they revealed the banner.
And... and coming in and seeing that banner
and not getting that first win was really, really tough.
And like, oh, it makes you wonder, like,
we're the people on the Internet, right?
You know, did we not deserve that win?
Right? And like that...
that banner there is just so awesome.
Oh, God, I feel good.
This is the win that we needed.
Yeah. Case closed.
Ginger, though, you know, uh, what a lot of people said
after last year's semifinal win against Hydra.
There were a lot of people out there saying that
you guys may have lost that match.
So, Ginger, what do you have to say about this one?
This one's pretty definitive.
I think it was under a minute, Chris.
Pretty impressive. Congratulations.
- [Alex] Thank you... - Thank you so much.
...so much.
[applauding]
Jake, what happened there at the end?
Flippers don't work, if you can't get underneath the opponents.
So they won the ground game.
And I can't do much about that.
So it was a sitting duck from then on.
So they...
guys taught me a lesson that they're the true champions.
[crowd booing]
Hold on. Did I just hear that out of your mouth?
You did. Yes. I'll give it to 'em now.
They... they've won fair and square.
Could there have been another configuration
that you could have used against Tantrum?
We tried a new config with some moving teeth,
kind of like blip did last year.
And it didn't work out as well as my original wedges.
So we might be switching back now.
But I could drive a lot better.
But if you don't win the wedge war, it doesn't even matter.
Apparently, there's a little bit of hydraulic fluid on the floor.
Does that belong to you?
I'm peeing all over the place right now, so...
[laughter]
Yeah, a little too much there, Jake.
- But that's okay. - Little... little bit. Yeah.
All right. I'm sure you'll go back to the pits, repair Hydra.
And you'll get ready for your next fight.
- Thanks, man. - I hope so. Yeah. Thanks.
Hey-hey, good job.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, for all the trash talk,
those are two incredibly professional teams.
I know Jake wanted that win.
But for Tantrum, this is a nice smell of redemption.
Yeah. No question about it.
Not only within this season, but from last season
because of that controversial win over Hydra.
They proved they were the better team tonight.
No question.
This win will hold a ton of weight
for their tournament chances.
And for the one and one Hydra, up next,
it's Gary Gin and Free Shipping.
And then maybe the most impressive team so far, Jamison Go's SawBlaze.
Here are the standings for all of tonight's teams.
And I'm seeing a lot of one and ones in there, Kenny.
And that includes DeathRoll,
which got its first win here at BattleBots since 2019.
[Kenny] Yeah, don't sleep on the Aussies.
And we've been saying all night, all season,
no two of these bots are the same.
Despite what the records show, strength of schedule,
performance in each fight, it all weighs in on
how these teams truly stack up.
[Chris] And give it up one more time for the frickin' pizza,
Kenny, please?
[Kenny] Yeah. RIPperoni over end game
is one of the biggest upsets we've ever seen.
Can't wait to see where Anna and her team go from here.
As for End Game, I would not wanna be
the next team on their schedule.
It's rare for them to lose.
So I'm sure they're out for blood now.
Well, that'll do it for tonight, for Faruq,
my man, Kenny Florian, I am Chris Rose.
We will see you next time here on BattleBots.
[crowd cheering]