[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Hey, everybody.
And welcome to BattleBots.
I am Chris Rose,
joined as always by the one and only Mr. Kenny Florian.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Kenny] Thanks, Chris.
So far, this season has featured
some of our most heavy-duty action yet.
We've seen big hits, bigger surprises,
and we're getting closer and closer to the round of 32.
[Kenny] And week eight of the qualifying rounds
promises more of the same as tonight's fight card
is stacked with heavy hitters who are already jockeying
for top tournament seeds.
[Chris] And that includes the metal breaking
monstrosity HUGE
who's looking to move to 3-0
against Reese Ewert and Fusion.
The last time Jonathan Schultz fought Team Whyachi,
it led to one of the most controversial fights inBattleBots history.
You might not see a cow catcher in this one,
but we should see some fireworks.
[Kenny] And how about a crusher bought
that could put the jaws of a great white shark to shame.
The UK's Quantum sports 35,000 pounds of crushing force,
and it'll be stepping into the box
to keep its perfect season intact
versus the unkillable Black Dragon.
[Chris] And in our main event,
we have got a fight the fans
have had circled since the schedule
was first announced.
A sibling rivalry.
Two bots designed
by the same builder will collide
when the reigning champs Tantrum
enter the box to face their sister team,
the flywheel flipper, Blip.
[Kenny] You can't afford to miss that.
Blip is backed into a corner at 0-2
and Aren Hill's first born could effectively
end his latest creation season with a win here tonight.
[Chris] But up first, it's flipper versus flamethrower.
As Hydra tries to deliver a win via airmail
against the redesigned Free Shipping.
Gary Gin is hoping to shore up his season's resume,
while Jake Ewert is out for blood
after a stinging loss to Tantrum.
It's two fan favorites looking to move to 2-1.
All right, let's not waste any more time.
Faruq, take it away.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's robot fighting time.
In the red square,
an old wise man once said to me
that everything has its cost.
A drink comes with a tab and a win comes with a loss.
So don't trust the bot when it tells you
that there are no hidden fees.
Sure, it'll be there in two to three days,
but you have to take off both your knees.
It's Free Shipping!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Kicked off the season with a win over Gigabyte,
then dropped one to Minotaur a few weeks back.
Gary Gin is bringing up the rear.
That's just how they drop 'em off at my house too, Kenny.
Come on, pick it up.
[Kenny] And a little history too.
Hydra actually scored its first career win
against Free Shipping back in 2019.
But this is a brand-new design.
Free Shipping couldn't self-right back then.
Now it can drive inverted,
and it has that new vertical spinner.
This is a much more competitive robot.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
In the blue square,
this bot is a mythical beast
like the monster from Loch Ness.
But you don't have to be Mothman to prophesize,
he's the best.
when you're flipped by this crypted.
It'll be legendary. Just watch!
Don't give him any sass,
or he'll kick you in the crotch.
It's Hydra!
[Chris] Here is Hydra,
of course led by the bad boy ofBattleBots Jake Ewert.
Kenny's he's 1-1, but you could see
he'll finish his season against SawBlaze.
So just how important is a win here tonight for him?
[Kenny] Well, making the tournament
is less about record
and more about overall performance.
Hydra might also have one of the toughest schedules
of any team this year,
which the selection committee takes into consideration
for seeding, though a dominant performance tonight
would certainly help his case.
Tonight, we're going against Hydra again.
So this time we actually have a weapon
to try to do some damage to him,
try to break his drive train or something like that.
As long as we stay away from that flipper,
you know, that's his only way
of doing any kind of damage to us.
We've got to try to get to the sides,
get to the back, possibly,
try to get under him, which will be tough.
But, you know, it's something we've got to give a shot.
Free Shipping and Gary Gin
are known for their ground game.
So it's gonna be a driving battle.
And his new little spinner underneath is small,
but it resembles Tantrum.
And Tantrum just got to my bottom side.
So we just have to win the ground war and then,
you know, just keep on pushing at them
and not letting them get at us.
I'm hoping to see him go up in the air and not win one
ground war engagement.
And I can just toss him where I want at will.
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowds cheering and applauding]
[Chris] So the first time these two met,
Jake flipped Gary upside down for the knockout.
How can Free Shipping win the rematch?
[Kenny] Well, if Free Shipping can use its big front wedges
to get under Hydra, Gary's got a shot here.
But if Hydra gets around to those wide flanks
on Gary's bot, watch out.
Jake could have a field day.
[Chris] All right, Kenny, I'm setting the over-under at 11.5 flips.
Which way are you going on this?
[Kenny] Coming off that loss to Tantrum, give me the over.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
[Kenny] Instantaneous flip from Hydra.
[Chris] Oh, boy. Gary Gin better get out of there.
That's two flips already.
[Kenny] We said the ground game
was the key for both of these teams.
So far, Hydra is the lower bot.
Oh!
[Chris] It appears that way, Kenny Florian.
That's flip number three, four.
[Kenny] Hydra getting under Free Shipping with ease
and puts it on its head.
[Chris] Oh, man.
How much can Gary Gin take is the question?
[Kenny] Oh, he's rocked.
[Chris] We know it won't stop him
from driving like a mad man.
In fact, it may even make him crazier.
[Kenny] He's trying to ram into Hydra,
see if he can cause some damage that way.
Might not be a bad strategy
if he can attack from the side there.
[Chris] Jake Ewert doing a nice job
of keeping that flipper pointed
directly at Free Shipping.
[Kenny] Hydra just so low to the ground,Chris.
And he's just kind of waiting for Free Shipping.
He's trying to use the aggressive
Gary Gin against him.
[Chris] Ooh, that flip lands Free Shipping right side up.
All right.
There it is.
[Kenny] Big one.
[Chris] I didn't think that Free Shipping
could get any flatter.
Wow!
Unreal.
Oh, onto the upper deck and off of the upper deck.
[Kenny] That is a massive shot.
How was Gary still able to drive that thing?
[Chris] We've reached the halfway mark.
Free Shipping inverted,
missing one of its front wedges.
And we are sitting at nine flips for Hydra.
Kenny, if I remember correctly,
you took the over at 11.5.
[Kenny] Oh.
[Chris] And I understand why.
[Kenny] Make that ten flips, Chris.
[Chris] Add two more, you cover that
wager my man.
- Oh! - [Kenny] Oh, my God.
[Chris] Approaching a minute remaining.
Kenny, talk to me.
What can Gary do at this point
to kind of switch up his strategy
and maybe even stop the bleeding here?
[Kenny] Oh!
This is gonna be tough, Chris,
Gary needs to think about using the arena hazards at this point.
- [Chris] Whoa, wow! - [Kenny] Oh, man.
That almost landed right on Hydra's zone.
He wants the lighting grid Kenny.
[Kenny] Oh, my goodness. Oh, that's it.
That's gonna be over, I think.
[Chris] Oh, no, no, no.
[Kenny] The screw just spitting him out.
[Chris] Keep going Gar.
Yes!
[Kenny] Oh, my gosh.
Somebody throw in the towel.
Jake Ewert, have you no mercy, sir?
[Chris] Free Shipping is frozen stiff.
And there's the countdown.
[Kenny] Stop. Stop.
He's already dead.
[Chris] 20 flips by Hydra tonight.
But how about Gary Gin
and Free Shipping able to survive.
Wow!
Saved by the bell there at the finish.
Which means, of course,
our judges will have to render a decision.
They are Derek Young, Lisa Winter and Fon Davis.
Well, Kenny, Gary Gin came out spitting flames,
but Hydra was in the mood for inflicting pain.
There's a shot from our thermal cam.
Free Shipping, getting tossed around like a rag doll.
Jake Ewert dominated the ground game in this one.
[Kenny] No doubt.
Hydra just so fast, so low to the ground.
I mean, we've seen that flipper do damage before,
but this was a whole new level.
Free Shipping had no answers.
[Chris] But can you believe
that Gary Gin kept humming along.
[Kenny] Yeah.
I mean, Gary Gin, he only knows how to drive one way.
That's aggressive. Go right at you.
Got to love that.
[Chris] And take a look at this, 20 flips from Hydra,
breaking Jake's personal record of 17.
The biggest one sent Gary Gin's bot
more than 15 feet high.
All told, Free Shipping spent 54 seconds.
That's nearly a third of the fight in the air.
Unreal.
All right, let's send it back to Faruq,
who has the judge's decision.
The results from the judges are in.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
The winner by unanimous decision is...
Hydra!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Jake, I think your bot worked.
It did. Yeah. Yeah.
[Chris] You got to... You got to 20 flips tonight.
Did you impress yourself?
Um, I'm glad it kept working.
I actually wrecked some of my forks
in the very start
before I even got out of the square,
so I thought it was gonna be a little bit different.
But it ended up pretty good.
I mean, he paid for ground shipping.
I gave him free air instead.
[laughter]
Well, it was flippin' awesome.
I'll tell you that.
I know you're a perfectionist.
What did you want to see out of your bot?
Did you want to see something else
or was it not a perfect performance?
I just wanted to go twice as high as Blip.
Anybody think that? Anybody?
You guys liked it?
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Yes. Okay.
We're here to make the fans happy.
And that's what we're gonna do this year.
What do you do when the other robot
is flying through the air?
Um, I try not to get hit on the way down.
Good strategy.
Way to put on a great show.
That was a lot of fun. Congrats, Jake.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
I'm telling you, Jake Ewert's gonna get his opponent
up in the lighting grid at some point.
I thought it was gonna happen tonight.
I'm sure he will. What a performance.
Perfect way to rebound from that loss to Tantrum.
Exactly what he wanted before his fourth
and final match against Jamison Go and SawBlaze,
who will also be gunning for a top tournament seed.
[Chris] Yeah. He wants to peak come playoff time.
There's no question about it.
But can we give some credit
and a round of applause to Gary Gin
and Free Shipping and that entire pit team.
The fact that he got flipped 20 times,
landed that hard on the surface
and kept going for a full 3 minutes,
that's unreal.
He's such an entertainer.
I love the way he drives.
Very aggressive.
It takes two to tango.
And that's why Gary's one of the best.
Put up great efforts against Minotaur and Hydra.
Next up, it's Big Dill with a big win.
He could break into the top 32.
[Chris] All right.
Up next, we've got Jake's brother
Reese stepping into the ring
as his duel vertical horizontal spinner Fusion
will try to end the perfect season
of Jonathan Schultz and HUGE.
It's compact killer versus colossal creature,
when we return onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
We are back here on
Battlebots World Championship VII.
That is Kenny Florian. I'm Chris Rose.
Two of our favorite bot builders about to square off.
Reese Ewert and Fusion taking on Jonathan Schultz and HUGE.
And, you know, in seasons past
HUGE has certainly hit hard with its weapon.
But there's no question
they found another gear this time around.
[Kenny] Absolutely. HUGE is 2-0.
And their weapon has looked terrifying.
In fact, they've lodged it
into Blips face in their last match.
And take a look at their schedule.
If HUGE can pull off a win here against Fusion,
going undefeated in the qualifiers is a real possibility.
That could lead to a top seed, and in theory,
a much easier path to the Giant Nut.
And no easy feat today
taking on Fusion that sits at 1-1.
But that loss was against Witch Doctor
in one of the best fights we've seen in the entire season.
[Kenny] Yeah.
This is the most impressive version of Fusion
we've seen in its three years here at BattleBots.
The overheating issues have at least been mitigated,
and offensively both its horizontal
and vertical weapons
have been racking up damage points
another strong performance tonight.
And we should be seeing two Team Whyachi bots
in this year's tournament.
[Chris] And remember, the last time HUGE
went up against a Team Whyachi robot
was when Reese's brother
Jake used the infamous cow catcher attachment.
And I think Jonathan Schultz is still a little ticked off
about how that fight went down.
[Kenny] Yeah, I don't think there's any bad blood between
Jonathan and Reese,
but don't be surprised if those eyes on HUGE
look a little angrier tonight than they normally do.
Well, let's find out.
Faruq.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
In the red square,
from Dorchester, Wisconsin,
the greatest lake of all will be the pool of blood.
He leaves you in.
It's Fusion!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Let's look at that big old smile
on Reese Ewert's face.
He said that's his happy face.
[Kenny] Well, I think Reese may actually crack a smile
if all of his prep work translates to a W tonight.
He's added extra top armor
to protect against the overhead attack
and also spent hours
sharpening Fusion's horizontal blade
in hopes of chopping
down the wheels of HUGE piece by piece.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
In the blue square
from South Windsor, Connecticut.
Do these wheels make my bot look fat?
Yeah, baby, it looks HUGE!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Oh, yes.
One of the most popular bots over the last five seasons.
And this time,
Jonathan Schultz and his crew mean business.
[Kenny] Get going with the 40-inch Tigris wheels tonight.
These are harder to slice through and damage
than the UHMW set.
And check out that nasty S bar blade.
It's curved in the direction it swings,
which should give it a bigger butt.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
HUGE is a big gangly son of a bitch.
And he's hard to corral and wrap up.
This is a fully horizontal match here.
In fact, I put on a smaller vert
just so it's easier to drive around.
It's gonna be a lot of driving skill.
And I'm not...
not the best driver in the world not even close.
So it'll be a challenge for me.
I'm pretty happy with Fusion so far.
Both of my fights have been pretty destructive.
And let's hope for a third.
Winning a fight against Fusion is fast, honestly.
Like, I don't know if we win if it goes for three minutes.
It's gonna be trying to get a hit and then stay on them,
chase them, because they take a minute
to get everything spooled up and hit the body.
There's not a lot of room in there for all the guts.
So the hope is we can rattle it a little bit
and burn them up.
I have that driving style down pat now
on HUGE is gonna kill you.
And I'm gonna do it really fast.
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Kenny, Fusion is the type of robot HUGE
was designed to beat.
How does Reese win this fight?
[Kenny] Well, he has to be careful
to not let HUGE drive right over Fusion.
A rotator style spin attack could be effective here.
That would mean evading HUGE's weapon
while staying close enough to whip around
and slice up the wheels.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Fusion leading with the horizontal draws first blood.
Oh!
And HUGE returns fire.
Oh, Fusion's already seeing stars.
[Kenny] Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh!
Reese Ewert in serious trouble here, Chris.
HUGE going in for more.
[Chris] Oh my!
Wow.
Jonathan Schultz giving out free haircuts
takes the top right off of Fusion.
And I'm no doctor, but I'm not sure
the patient's gonna survive this one, Kenny Florian.
[Kenny] Oh, my goodness.
[Chris] Folks, this is a new and improved HUGE
that now sit and spins and 3-0.
KO!
Yeah!
[Chris] Wow!
Paging Dr. Schultz.
Dr. Schultz, please, please report to surgery.
[Kenny] My goodness.
HUGE got this done in just three shots, Chris.
The first one knocked out half of Fusion's drive
and loosened that top armor.
The second sent it flying into the screws and the third.
Well, that one ripped Fusion's head off
and turned its lights out for good.
Absolute domination.
[Chris] HUGE is 3-0.
HUGE is on a mission.
Jonathan Schultz.
[Jonathan] Hi.
[Chris] Hi, Jonathan.
[laughter]
[crowd cheering and applauding]
How nice is it to hear those cheers
after improving to 3-0?
3-0 is my favorite part,
but the cheers aren't bad either.
I'm so happy right now.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
You know, two years ago,
you probably had your most frustrating fight
against Reese's brother Jake,
where he used that cow catcher type thing.
Yep. Yep.
Did that play a role in your emotions
as you got set for this fight at all?
It did a little bit just knowing
that the pressure is on.
You know, it's a narrative
that needs to die a little bit.
I like to think that we just put it to bed.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Jonathan, you've made some serious changes to HUGE
you and your team.
Did you know that your weapon
could hit that hard that quickly?
It's like, I mean, every year you look at the other guy
and you say, "I'm gonna hit him right there
and I'm gonna do that,"
and then he's gonna explode and I'm gonna win.
It doesn't always go like that.
You know, this year it's been going like
that a little bit more than usual.
And I'm so excited because, yeah,
I looked at the top and I said,
"You know, I might be able to pop the lid on that can."
And there it was.
[laughter]
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Jonathan, in the preseason,
you told us you put
so much work into your robot in the off season.
You invited your team members
that don't live in the northeast
up to stay at your home.
Was it all worth it?
Oh, it is now, yeah.
Oh, if...
if we hadn't been doing great, I would have regretted it.
The airfare was a mess, you know?
But, uh, 3-0.
I mean, there's nothing better than that right now.
All right, buddy. Congratulations.
Thank you, guys.
Good job, man.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Kenny, I would say that
S blade on HUGE earned straight As today, right?
Oh, my gosh. That thing is hitting hard.
And again, HUGE is gonna be
difficult for a lot of teams out there
just because they have such an unorthodox
approach to the robot.
And I think it's such a nice story.
You know, he...
he kicked it around that he might retire HUGE.
And I think that would have made
the entire BattleBots community so sad.
But he decided to go the other way,
try and figure out a different purpose for it.
[Chris] And it has worked so far here in season seven.
And for Fusion, it's another tough loss.
And they have Rotator
to finish the qualifiers, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah.
Given the strength of schedule
and the incredible performances
in those first two fights,
Fusion is still sitting on a solid resume.
Barring a disaster in that final fight,
I have a feeling we'll see Reese in the tournament.
[Chris] Okay.
Coming up, it's experience versus youth,
as grizzled veteran Donald Hutson
and his vertical spinner Lock-Jaw
take on last year's co-Rookie of the Year Glitch.
Can the college kids from Berkeley bounce back
from an 0-1 start?
Find out next onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we've already got our next two teams
getting loaded into the arena.
Lock-Jaw looking to move to 2-1
against one of the rookies of the year from last season.
Glitch.
Let's start with theBattleBots
OG Donald Hutson.
Again, last season was the first time in his career
he didn't make the tournament,
but with a victory over Malice
and a solid performance against the top tier bot
SawBlaze,
we can at least see Lock-Jaw's
path to the postseason.
Another victory tonight
and maybe he's smelling the round of 32.
[Kenny] Well, I'd say Lock-Jaw is a bubble team right now.
And looking at their schedule,
they're finishing the season
against a ferocious looking feline in MaDCatTer.
That means a dominant victory against Glitch.
Wouldn't just help their tournament chances,
I think it's necessary for them to get in.
Taking on a bunch of kids from UC Berkeley
captained by Kyle Miller.
The name of the robot is Glitch.
In their first match, Kenny,
it didn't look like the same bot
we saw shocked the world last season.
[Kenny] Yeah, they had problems
just getting into the arena.
And we're hearing they had similar issues tonight.
This was earlier, again, scrambling to get ready.
Now, they did make a handful of changes in the off season,
like, trying to make that weapon twice as powerful.
Did they bite off more than they could chew?
Maybe.
Another poor showing tonight, though,
would be a serious hit to their sophomore GPA.
[Chris] Well, despite those issues,
Glitch is in the box,
ready to rock, as is Lock-Jaw.
So let's get this one going.
[robotic voice] Red Team, ready?
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Donald Hutson with the controller in the background,
more than 20 years of experience in robot combat.
And he feels like this is actually
the best version of Lock-Jaw that he's ever had, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, that 45-pound vertical disc on Lock-Jaw
is still one of the hardest hitters in the game,
but one of the biggest upgrades
has been a shock absorption system
that helps it take the big hits.
Also, keep an eye out for their drone Spitfire,
courtesy of Logan Davis,
who used to be on Team Subzero.
It's there to try and distract Glitch.
[robotic voice] Blue Team, ready?
Yeah.
[Chris] Team Glitch full of Cal Berkeley College
gets looks like an entire engineering class down there.
How do they rebound tonight against Donald Hutson?
[Kenny] Well, last year they mastered the quick pivot attack.
They would get the weapons spun up
and use those omni-wheels to turn toward their opponent
at the last second.
It was and can still be a very effective maneuver.
What they can't do tonight,
though, is let Lock-Jaw get behind them.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
And here comes spitfire buzzing around.
Donald Hutson, already up to full speed.
But you can see Glitch able to turn on a dime
with those omni-wheels moving well so far.
[Kenny] Donald Hutson trying to circle around,
trying to look for an edge.
Very difficult to find on a bot like Glitch.
[Chris] Both weapons humming now.
That eggbeater drum on Glitch delivered
so many violent one hit KOs last season.
Donald Hutson does not want to suffer the same fate.
- [Kenny] Uh-oh. - [Chris] Oh, we have contact.
And Lock-Jaw puts Glitch on its head.
Impressive!
[Kenny] Glitch doesn't have a self-righter, Chris.
[Chris] Is this gonna be another quick loss
for the college kids?
[Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Look out now we got fire inside
of Lock-Jaw, Kenny.
[Kenny] Oh, boy.
Lock-Jaw is really starting to smoke.
Weapon's still working?
[Chris] Weapons operator Reggie Wilson saying,
"Hey, we're good to go."
And they do a little twitch to prove it.
The countdown, meanwhile, has started on Glitch.
[Kenny] Oh, they're trying to use the pulverizer
to flip themselves over.
[Chris] But it's gonna be too late for that.
Donald Hutson and Team Lock-Jaw pick up
their second win of the season
while the kids from Cal Berkeley
may have just entered a sophomore slump.
Well, Kenny, we know Glitch has one hit KO power,
but this is two fights in a row
that it's been knocked out in the blink of an eye.
- Very disappointing. - [Kenny] Yeah.
You know, I thought Donald Hutson did a nice job
of staying patient and waiting
for the right moment to attack in this fight.
[Chris] Here is that fateful shot.
Sent Glitch flying, put it on its head.
- A one hit smack down. - [Kenny] Yeah.
I mean, it was pretty much over after that.
And also, you know, that shot, their own weapon
hitting the BattleBox floor
did some serious damage as well.
[Chris] Saw some fire there inside of Lock-Jaw.
But Donald Hutson said, "Not to worry, guys.
I will be moving on with the W."
Great play. Great play.
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Well, Kenny, Donald Hutson is so smart.
There are so many bot builders that if they need a win,
they just want to go rush, rush, rush.
He's like, "Patience.
I'll strike when I'm ready."
[Kenny] Yeah, 20 plus years of experience versus one.
That's what we just saw in that fight.
And that performance was exactly what Donald needed
going into his final match of the season.
[Chris] And where does Glitch go from here?
After a rough 0-2 start to their sophomore season?
[Kenny] Well, they've got a rookie up next,
and then a Valkyrie team
that has been anything but impressive.
They've got some time to right the ship,
but they better come out in those next two fights
looking like the Glitch from World Championship VI.
[Chris] All right.
Well, up next is a matchup that I think Thor himself
would be excited about.
It's the battle of the hammer bots,
as John Reid and Beta
look to bludgeon their way
through Adam Wrigley and Shatter!
Who's got the strongest hammer in robot combat?
We're about to find out when we return onBattleBots.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] All right. We are back onBattleBots.
That is Kenny Florian.
I am Chris Rose and we are super excited
for this next fight
because it is hammer against hammer,
one of the legends of the sport,
John Reid and Beta
taking on Adam Wrigley and Shatter!
And Adam's been looking forward to a fight
with John for years.
Absolutely.
I mean, again, he inspired the whole design of his robot.
It's what got him into the sport.
Adam has watched Beta compete in combat robotics
all over the world since 1999 and said, you know, what?
Anything you can do, I can do better.
This match is an opportunity to prove that
he has the world's premier hammer bot.
How tough is it, though,
when you're looking at a guy
who's standing a couple of feet
from you and you're like,
"That's one of my heroes."
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, it can make you a little gunshy, you know?
[Kenny] But Adam's got to put all of that aside.
Taking down his idol is bucket list material, for sure.
But more important
is breaking into the win column.
Shatter! got pummeled
in fight number one against HUGE.
The team had to replace the entire chassis
ahead of this match up.
On the other side, Beta is coming off a win over Kraken.
So you got to think momentum is on John Reid's side here.
This is a tough spot for Team Shatter!
[Chris] Now let's see how these two hammer bots
stack up on paper.
[Kenny] Yeah, a couple of key differences
while Shatter's hammer is electronically powered,
Beta uses a pneumatic air tank
that gets beat of the edge in pure weapon power.
But it limits how many times they can fire it.
Something else to look at is wheel type.
Shatter's! omni wheels
allow them to move in any direction,
but they do have less traction.
We'll see if that comes into play.
Let's find out what happens.
Faruq.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
In the red square,
this bot with the Greek name
hits like one of Zeus's thunderclaps.
He'll make you crumble like feta.
Like, their economy, you'll collapse.
He'll make a grease stain out of your bot.
Will you live?
Uh-uh, no. Nah.
He'll smash your armor to pieces
till we're all shouting.
Oppa!
It's the Achilles of slapping you, silly.
Here Beta!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Straight out of Oxford in the UK
it's John Reid and Beta,
new weapon's operator,
Jason Marston on the right there
and his presence was felt immediately
in that win over Kraken, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think they fired that hammer
more times in their first fight
than in all of World Championship V,
which won them that decision.
Going with the classic mallet tonight, though,
this hammerhead is all about brute force.
In the blue square,
this bot is incredibly powerful.
Like Dr. Manhattan down for the rumble in the Bronx
or a scrap out in Staten.
The team has kings and queens, and their resume is thorough.
They're repping Brooklyn tonight,
but they rule all five boroughs.
Give it up for Shatter!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Adam Wrigley, the leader of this squad,
the man wearing the shades to the left.
Kenny, we've seen Shatter!
use all kinds of wild hammer adjacent weapons.
But tonight, this bot looks like it's all business.
[Kenny] Yeah.
Under that giant tennis ball is a hammerhead
they call Little Rusty.
It's lightweight, which has allowed them to add extra top armor.
They're also going with those long front forks.
Shatter! has the reach advantage here.
So the goal is to keep Beta at a distance
where only Shatter! can connect.
Our next fight is against Shatter!
the other big hammer bots of BattleBots,
what a classic matchup.
He's got a very long hammer.
He's got a lot of reach in that.
We haven't got a lot of reach.
We have to get quite close to him.
We're gonna be trying to get in from the side
and really use our high-power hammer.
We want a good tactical tussle.
Both getting in good hits, and yeah,
'cause we've got the most more powerful hammer.
Hopefully, we come out ahead.
Our strategy is we fire the hammer a lot.
Beta strategy is they fire the hammer less,
but it's more powerful
and they try to make those hits count.
We're trying to be really defensive
in our top armor situation,
but we're gonna be as aggressive as usual
because they're running air.
They only have so many shots.
Eventually, they're gonna have to slow down.
We run electric.
We can fire it 60 times a match.
If we hit them 60 times, we can keep up hitting them,
we're gonna hit something important.
There's gaps in the armor. There's air in there.
There's electronics in there.
You know, John Reid is a legend
and there's nothing better than taking down a legend.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] But, Kenny, Shatter!
didn't just go with Little Rusty to save weight, right?
[Kenny] Yeah, it's pretty thin.
And the only parts of Beta
that aren't heavily armored are its backside
and the mechanism that fires the hammer.
A thin piercing hammerhead gives Adam
the best chance at connecting
with one of those exposed parts.
[Chris] All right.
For the first time in BattleBots history,
it is hammer versus hammer.
The methodical Beta, the rapid firing Shatter!
A fight the fans have been clamoring for.
And it is going down whenBattleBots continues.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] We are back onBattleBots
for a showdown years in the making,
Adam Wrigley and Shatter!
taking on John Reid and Beta.
Kenny, it's hammer time!
Yep. I'm on it.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Shatter!
riding around on the omni-wheels
as both teams feel each other out.
Oh, you can see that proper hammer.
- There you go. - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Big swing and a miss by Shatter!
[Kenny] And remember, Shatter!
has an unlimited number of shots with that hammer.
Beta only about 25 with theirs.
[Chris] John Reid doing a nice job using that wedge,
whiffs with the hammer.
And oh, Shatter!
nearly beat Beta's weapon motor
and another near miss.
Kenny, if Adam Wrigley can land that shot,
it would change this fight.
[Kenny] Yeah, it's a tiny opening.
But that would disable Beta's weapon
like shooting photon
torpedoes into the Death Star.
[Chris] But now Beta's got him trapped in the corner.
[Kenny] This is where they can land those shots, Chris.
[Chris] Yep.
[Kenny] This is where they have the most amount of success.
[Chris] Here it goes.
Couple of huge blows to the frame of Shatter!
[Kenny] Yeah, those are like kidney shots, Chris.
You can't see the internal damage,
but they'll add up over time.
[Chris] And an excellent job by John Reid driving so far.
Hammer operator Jason Marston in the back there.
He's letting it rip as well.
Shatter's gotta get something going here, Kenny.
[Kenny] Oh, almost lands a shot on Beta's pneumatic tank.
But now Shatter's a sitting duck.
Oh, here's a nice shot for Beta.
[Chris] Yeah. And again, and again.
Adam Wrigley's got to get out of there.
And he does.
John Reid giving him no room to breathe?
Can Adam Wrigley turn this thing around?
[Kenny] Oh, big shot there.
And another one right through the base of Shatter's hammer.
That is a very vulnerable spot to get hit, Chris.
[Chris] More than midway through
and Beta has definitely been more aggressive
with his hammer swing.
Get him. Get under him.
[Chris] Adam Wrigley's brother Eric saying
"Get closer to Beta."
[Kenny] Yeah, but they're not firing.
The hammer Beta may have damaged it.
[Chris] And look at the gymnastics as well by Beta.
Not bad for a 63-year-old.
Coming up on a minute to go.
Take your time, man.
Pick your spot. Pick your spot.
[Chris] Kenny, what can Adam Wrigley
do to get back into this thing?
[Kenny] Well, like I said, if they hit the right spot
on Beta, one shot could end it.
But they've got to get the hammer working to do that.
[Chris] Yeah.
Shatter's got to get going in these final 45 ticks.
Land some sort of shot in the open spaces.
[Kenny] Oh, Beta just messing with that one.
[Chris] Adam Wrigley doing his best to evade,
Beta's hammer,
but he's getting pushed around on those omni-wheels.
And takes a shot right on top and again, and again.
[Kenny] This has been an excellent match
for Beta so far.
I've counted 17.
They got 18 shots
with Beta's hammer to Shatter's three.
[Chris] Oh, there's a big hammer
that means business dropping in on the act.
[Kenny] What, do we have, six hammers in theBattleBox?
Come check it John.
[Chris] Beta's already celebrating.
Can Shatter! put together one final flurry here?
[Kenny] Oh, Beta again just scooping up Shatter!,
taking it for a ride.
[Chris] Final few picks as this one will go
- the distance and Beta... - [Kenny] Wow.
[Chris] ...still finishing up strong.
[Kenny] Nice.
Wow.
It immediately started vibrating.
So after three minutes of combat,
this one's now in the hands of the judges.
Number one hammer!
[Chris] Kenny, I would say that Beta had
the power and the precision.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely.
Beta looked dominant out there. Shatter!
did get very close to landing
a crippling shot to the weapon mount of Beta.
But it was Beta that was the more consistent
and more effective striker in this match,
ultimately disabling Shatter's weapon.
[Chris] Excellent driving by John Reid as well.
[Kenny] I think even more effective
than the hammer itself was Beta's ability to get underneath Shatter!
repeatedly and push it around the BattleBox.
And even in the final few ticks, Beta said,
"Hey, judges,
you want something to remember me by?
How about this?"
The results from the judges are in.
The winner by unanimous decision is...
Beta!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Congrats. Best hammer.
Thanks.
Well played.
[crowd chants] Beta! Beta! Beta!
Hey, John, it's never any surprise
when Beta has the more powerful hammer out there.
But were you surprised with how precise you were as well?
Yeah, that was very satisfying.
Why were you so good tonight, in your opinion?
It's just, I had time from last...
last season when we couldn't go.
And I've got this great new man on the hammer,
Jason, who's doing an excellent job.
I think the term is Beta is back.
John, you know, you guys are recognized
as two of the best hammer bots in the world.
How satisfying is it that you got a win over
someone like Shatter?
I think that was a great matchup.
The two... as you said,
the two best hammer bots in the world.
Just...
Yeah, that is very, very, very satisfying.
Well, congratulations.
You remain unbeaten.
Thank you.
Adam, I know, obviously,
it's a little disappointing to fall to 0-2.
What did it mean to fight somebody
like John Reid and Beta?
I mean, it's... it's an honor just to fight John Reid.
A, he said I have the second best hammer in the world.
So that's... that's quite the compliment.
But good fight.
I mean, I'm very emotional right now.
Why are you so emotional?
Well, like I said, just...
just getting to be in the arena with John was...
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Adam, keep rocking and rolling.
We'll see you for your next fight, pal.
Thanks.
Kenny, let's step away from the competition
for just a second.
That was cool.
[Kenny] Such a great moment.
Adam has so much respect and admiration for John Reid.
But I guess this is why they say
you should never meet your heroes.
Shatter's in a big hole now.
[Chris] Yeah. Between Shatter!
and Emulsifier, Adam Wrigley's bots are 0-4.
The schedule eases up for Shatter!
at least, though, finishing with fights
against a couple of rookies.
As for Beta, it feels like we're witnessing
a return to greatness, Kenny.
- No question. - [Kenny] Yeah.
The addition of Jason Marston
looks like it's really paying off.
They have two quality opponents
to finish their season.
But I can't see a round of 32
that doesn't include John Reid and his bot.
[Chris] Coming up, a pair of undefeated teams
square off in the box.
The crusher from the UK, Quantum,
will face the unkillable bot from Brazil, Black Dragon.
And don't forget,
later tonight in our main event,
it's a family affair.
As Blip takes on its sister team,
the defending champion Tantrum.
More drama and trauma coming your way
asBattleBots continues.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] Truly an international affair
as we continue on here
with BattleBots World Championship VII.
Up next, the UK's Quantum
will try to take a bite out of the Brazilian bot Black Dragon.
And Quantum back in the party for the first time since 2019.
They are 2-0 with a pair of knockouts.
Remember, in 2019, they won best design.
As of right now, they might be best ass-kicking bot.
[Kenny] Still a beautiful bot.
But, man, that thing is functional.
It's quick, it's durable.
And once it sinks those teeth into you,
there's not a whole lot you can do.
This is the most impressive season
we've seen from a crusher bot, maybe ever.
Now, if they get a KO tonight,
this is gonna be a big deal
because Black Dragon
has never been knocked out before.
[Kenny] Which is unbelievable because that's over 20 fights.
And they're chasing history, only three fights away
from tying Bite Force's record of most fights
without getting KOed.
Their streak did nearly end in fight number one.
But you know that's not going
to stop driver Gabriel Bertozzi
from going right at Quantum
and trying to knock out their team.
This is gonna be a blast.
Faruq.
In the red square,
from Birmingham, UK,
this thing lives out near Big Ben,
which means it's almost time to die.
Ring the bell for Quantum!
[Chris] The brothers Cooper, Grant on the left.
He is the driver, James
with the shots on the right, high-fiving.
That thing is a beautiful bot.
They are back to the double tooth
- configuration. - [Kenny] Yeah.
The single tooth we saw last time produces
more pressure and is better for piercing.
Two teeth makes it easier to bite
and hold their opponent and then ram them into a wall.
In the blue square, from Itajuba, Brazil,
he'll keep breathing fire until you expire.
Give it up for Black Dragon!
[Chris] Here comes Black Dragon,
always one of our most animated teams.
What's gonna keep them
from getting slayed tonight, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, they've added as much top armor
as they can to protect against those teeth.
Also going with larger vulcanized
rubber wheels for this one,
which should elevate their drive train
and potentially give them an edge in a pushing match.
I'm really hoping that we can...
within the first 10, 15 seconds of the fight,
we can get a good bite on them.
If we can get a bite on them, ideally from the side,
that would be great. And we can...
They've got big exposed wheels.
And all that force going through the axles
there could take out their drive.
It's gonna be very much a predator
trying to grab its prey in the quickest time possible
and get control over it,
as you've seen in our previous matches.
As soon as that spinner connects with us,
we don't have any armor, we can't take those hits.
We add some armor,
a big armor on top of Black Dragon,
so Quantum cannot bite us because of that.
We need to hit and hit and hit and don't stop.
We have a huge weapon, bigger than Quantum.
It'll be easy for us.
[crowd] Black Dragon!
Black Dragon!
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[Chris] And, Kenny, check out
how the pits are seeing this one, basically a pick'em.
What do you think is the difference in this match?
[Kenny] Well, we've seen how destructive 35,000 pounds
of crushing force can be.
But don't underestimate Black Dragon's 40-pound
eggbeater drum.
If they can knock out even one of Quantum's teeth,
that could turn the tide in this fight.
[robot voice] Red Team, ready?
- Ready? - Yeah.
[man] Come on, boys.
[robot voice] Blue Team, ready?
Yo, let's go!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let thebot battle begin.
Both bots taking their time, now going face to face.
Wow.
Black Dragon stuck his head in the teeth
- of the lion right - there.[Kenny] Yeah.
Quantum can't quite get a grip on, but they do now.
[Chris] Oh, yeah. Backed him into the rails.
But how about Black Dragon? The Brazilians pushing back.
[Kenny] Yeah.
Those bigger wheels already coming into play
but looks like they lost traction.
[Chris] Oh, Black Dragon regains control.
[Kenny] Wow.
[Chris] And now takes the Brits coast to coast.
But Quantum says, "Hey, get your butt over here.
- I'm still hungry." - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] A big ol' bite on Black Dragon's wheel.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's gonna prevent Black Dragon
from pushing back.
[Chris] And Cooper doing a great job as he drops him
under the 100-pound pulverizer.
[Kenny] That is brilliant stuff from the Brits.
[Chris] Oh, Black Dragon lands a couple of big shots.
[speaking in foreign language]
And these two international, teams
locked in an incredible driving duel,
staring each other down, getting ready for round two.
[Kenny] Yeah, Black Dragon being careful here,
trying to target Quantum's teeth.
[Chris] Quantum moving a little slower
than at the beginning of this fight.
Look at him staring at the teeth.
[Kenny] Those are powerful. That's insane.
[Chris] But the Brazilians turn it around again, Kenny.
And neither of these bots are going to back down.
And keep in mind, Quantum can only hold on to Black Dragon
for 20 seconds, then has to release him.
Those two teeth bent a little more inward than we saw them.
[Kenny] Yeah, it's just going to be one tooth.
- That's fine.[Chris] - That's all right.
I have a great number for an orthodontist.
Oh, yeah.
The eggbeater drum on Black Dragon
lands a nice shot to the side of Quantum.
We are witnessing two bots at the top of their game here.
[Kenny] And that is a big bite off Black Dragon's weapon.
We'll see if it can still spin up
when it gets released.
[Chris] All right. Now we've got some smoke.
[Kenny] Think that might just be the tires, Chris.
Release. Release.
[Chris] Think you're right.
Now Black Dragon is calling to be released,
but Quantum isn't budging.
[John] Eight, nine, release.
Quantum's being told to release them,
although that is quite a bite.
[John] You can't release?
[Chris] Under a minute to go.
[John] All right, we got a timeout.
We got to suck robots. Timeout. Timeout.
[Chris] Okay, Head ref John Remar
is calling a timeout here.
[John] We got two robots that are stuck together here.
We are going to try to separate them.
If we can separate them, we'll fight on.
If not, we'll go to the judges.
All right. We good? All right.
Put your transmitters down, please.
[Chris] All right.
So sounds like they're gonna try
and untangle these two.
As you can see, BattleBots co-creator
Trey Roski already assessing the situation in the box.
[Kenny] Yeah.
And similar to the Blip huge fight
we saw a couple of weeks ago.
If they can't unstick them,
it'll go to the judges, Chris.
[Chris] All right, well, the crew bots
are already coming out.
- [woman] Can we check it out? - Yeah.
[Chris] And the judges are going in.
We're going to check it out.
[Chris] Let's go to our new Trey Cam to listen in.
[Trey] Hydraulics pump is working,
but it won't come unstuck.
There's no way we can pry that apart.
- It's going to go to judges. - It goes to the judges.
- [man 1] Okay. - [man 2] Okay.
[man 1] Thanks a lot.
[Chris] Okay, so there it is. The match has been called.
Kenny, dial us in on this one.
[Kenny] Well, sounds like the crew bots
don't believe there's a quick way to undo Quantum's jaws.
And per section 7.6.5a of the rule book,
because more than 2 minutes have elapsed,
it goes to the judges
regardless of who's malfunctioning.
[Chris] Okay.
And that's why I call you rule book Kenny.
Well, it's a shame these two couldn't continue
because that was flat out awesome.
- Evenly matched fight. - [Kenny] Yeah.
Quantum did exactly what they wanted to do out of the gate,
but Black Dragon did an excellent job fighting back
even when they were in those jagged looking jaws.
I was really impressed with the drive train
and overall driving from the Brazilians.
[Chris] Yeah.
Quantum didn't exactly have the speed to bang Black Dragon
around the BattleBox the way that it wanted.
But, boy, it was in control the entire match.
[Kenny] Yeah.
I mean, both bots really burning out their tires,
trying to defeat the other.
[Chris] And how do you think the judges will see this one?
[Kenny] Well, despite Black Dragon
doing their best to not get dragged all over the arena,
I still think control and aggression go to Quantum.
That means this will come down to damage,
which is why we saw the judges head in to inspect the bots firsthand.
It's gonna be close.
[Chris] And here's Faruq with the decision.
The results from the judges are in.
And the winner
by a unanimous decision is
Quantum!
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Chris] James and Grant, congratulations.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
We had no idea which way that was going to go.
They drove absolutely spectacularly.
And it's just a pleasure to be in there,
and yeah, put on a good show.
But yeah, big relief for us.
Hey, Grant. How surprised were you?
You were able to sink your teeth
into a robot as powerful as Black Dragon.
Well, we've got two sets of teeth,
either the double teeth or the single.
And if we think we can't get through them,
we'll go with the double teeth
'cause we saw the them armoring up,
and we were like, "There's no way.
All we can do is bite down on the weapon
and try and control them."
And amazingly, yeah, we just started to see
that thing bending and yeah--
You kind of grab it,
and then you start to see the teeth go in and go,
"Hold on a minute, keep leaning on the stick."
And I think he leant a little too hard there.
Real quickly, how's 3-0 sound?
Oh, it's amazing.
It's great to be back here at BattleBots.
And three wins is just, yeah,
we couldn't have dreamt for more.
Congratulations.
You go for the clean sweep in your next fight.
Thank you very much.
Kenny, Quantum is unbelievable.
Different than any other bot that's here.
I have a tough time figuring out
if it's more beauty or beast.
I mean, it's unbelievable.
[Kenny] They hadn't competed in three years
and are now trending toward a top seed in the tournament.
Between teams like Quantum and Claw Viper,
we're really witnessing a resurgence
of the control bot here at World Championship VII.
[Chris] One fight left for Quantum
against a rookie team Emulsifier.
They could be looking at an undefeated season.
And as for Black Dragon, they move to one and one.
They'll look to bounce back against Beta next time.
All right.
Well, we're now just one fight away
from our marquee matchup,
featuring two bots built by the same engineer.
It's the reigning champs Tantrum
taking on their sister squad Blip
in tonight's main event.
But up next,
we've got a fight featuring a rookie team
that's trying to make an impression
in its first time inside the BattleBox.
New robot Terrortops will take the stage
when we return onBattleBots.
Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we are now just one fight away
from our marquee matchup.
It is a family affair.
Tantrum versus Blip.
The reigning world champion
will try and take down its creator.
This should be a good one.
Let's dive into tonight's main event.
[Faruq] It's Blip.
[Chris] Led by Tantrum founder and robotics genius Aren Hill.
I would say the two fights I've had this year
were tougher than any fight we had last year.
[Kenny] Oh, cute shot.
We put up a damn good fight and we lost.
So being 0-2, I need to win.
[Aren] And now I need to go into a fight against Tantrum.
[Chris] We're gonna have a new champion.
And it's name is Tantrum!
Taking home the title last year
with Tantrum was amazing.
Alex and Ginger, congratulations.
[Chris] You are the world champion.
[Aren] But watching somebody else managing Tantrum,
that's a big mix of emotions for a person to handle.
[Chris] You are the world champion.
You know, we might be the new faces of the Tantrum,
but we've been there since day one.
[Faruq] Tantrum!
[Ginger] Aren is a brilliant engineer.
I knew Aren when I was pretty young in high school.
He mentored me and taught me a lot of what I know today.
[Alex] And I met Aren at college.
And we've been building robots ever since then.
But being able to fight our sister team
lets us prove out
what is really the better robot.
[Aren] It's hard to take Tantrum out.
I have been a significant part
of making it very hard to take Tantrum out.
Tantrum doesn't really care at all about being flipped.
Blip is just as well armored as Tantrum.
So I need to be more aggressive
and have more control.
Whoever can get around
to the side of the other robot will be the one that is able to get big hits in.
That's exactly what we're gonna do.
We don't want to just win.
We want to win and dominate.
Oftentimes people will ask me
which one of the robots is my favorite.
I love Tantrum.
I built Tantrum.
But If I've been a flipper fanboy forever.
The second the light goes down,
then gloves are off.
[Chris] There are the two squads hard at work
with Tantrum at 1-1 and Blip at 0-2.
One team's going to take a massive blow
to their season's resume tonight,
which might explain why nobody looks
particularly jovial over there.
But before we see that family feud,
we're going to have a little fun.
We have got a fight between a familiar face
and a robot completely new to theBattleBots world.
It is Slammo! versus Terrortops.
Again, this season,
we've invited a handful of teams outside
the field of 50
who are testing out meta breaking designs,
honing their stick skills, or trying to show
that they deserve a spot next year
in World Championship VIII.
BecauseBattleBots works on a relegation system,
you have to keep proving you're worthy
of competing for the sport's holy grail.
And with robot combat blowing up around the globe,
new killer creations are constantly popping up,
making it harder to keep a spot in the top 50.
Exhibition matches give newbies and builders
who didn't quite make the cut
a chance to showcase their talent.
So let's look at this matchup.
Slammo! anchored by Craig Danby,
he has been an active participant
in this sport for a long time.
Few bot builders are more enthusiastic
about their bot than Craig Danby.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right. He loves this.
He's been doing it for nearly three decades
and has had a few different robots
compete at BattleBots over the years.
He finally made the round of 32 at World Championship V.
But after a winless season last year,
he didn't make the cut for the top 50.
But that's not going to stop Craig from trying to compete.
He is twice as old as the captain
he will be facing, Ben Burton, 19 years old.
[Chris] Terrortops is his bot's name.
He has been a huge fan.
He grew up over in the UK.
He moved to the state of California.
He actually attended a taping of BattleBots
when we used to do it down in Long Beach, California.
Now he makes his debut. He cannot wait.
And it's a beautiful robot.
Similar to Big Dill,
it's a lifter bot with two articulating arms
coupled with a 30-pound vertical spinner.
It's a unique design.
Very complex.
Sometimes that could introduce some issues.
But first year here, let's see what he's got.
[Chris] All right.
Well, both teams are locked, loaded,
and ready to prove themselves.
It is go time.
Take a look.
[robotic voice] Red Team, ready?
[Chris] And there's our old friend Craig Danby.
What's his game plan tonight, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, Craig said he's going to keep it simple
and just attack when the opportunity presents itself.
This robot has done very well at non-spinner local events.
He has way more stick time than his opponent.
Let's see if that translates to a win.
[robotic voice] Blue Team,ready?
[Chris] Terrortops Captain Ben Burton
with the long locks and the controller in his hands.
His sister Sophia to the left of the screen there,
she is operating the weapons tonight.
[Kenny] We love a family affair here atBattleBots.
And I'm excited to see what this thing can do.
It's got a strong drive train.
And bringing a bot with a vertical spinner
immediately gives it some offensive viability.
But can it find a way to lift Slammo!
is the question.
Time to show us what you got, Ben.
[crowd chanting]
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
Nice little shot by Terrortops.
[Kenny] Little lift and hit.
[Chris] Now let's see how Slammo! counters here.
Historically, Craig Danby has not fared well
against vertical spinners.
[Kenny] Yet he's keeping Slammo!
arms back right now to help it
from flipping over if Terrortops
goes in for another attack.
[Chris] Oh, Terrortops, flip and hit.
[Kenny] I like this technique from Terrortops.
- Very nice. - [Chris] I do too.
A lot of color out here as well.
[Kenny] Yeah, I like those ribs.
[Chris] Ben Burton being aggressive in his first fight.
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa!
How do you stop this crazy thing?
[Kenny] A little break dancing there from Craig Danby.
[Chris] Oh!
And now a little breaking from Terrortops.
I'm not sure Slammo! can get up from that hit.
It should have done.
[Kenny] I don't think so either, Chris.
He's not moving.
[Chris] No life out Craig Danby's bot.
Has the 19-year-old done it?
The ref's making sure Terrortops can move.
And it can.
Slammo! cannot.
[Kenny] Wow.
[Chris] Ben Burton is his first BattleBots match
is gonna walk away a winner!
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] Kenny, we were wondering what Terrortops had to offer.
The answer is plenty.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, he was able to get underneath
Craig Danby and Slammo! repeatedly.
And I love the combination of using that lifter
and then coming from underneath
and using that vertical disc to do some serious damage there.
[Chris] Yeah, I loved his strategy.
Didn't seem scared.
At 19 years old, he's like, "I'm going to go for it."
[Kenny] Yeah, I love it. Really interesting design.
Cool-looking robot.
And Terrortops, uh, uh, found a way.
[Chris] Well, this is the one that pretty much ended
the night for Craig Danby's Slammo!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Literally living up to his name
on the wrong side of it.
The shot, the scoop, the score.
Ben, congratulations to you and your team
on your first ever BattleBotswin.
Thank you.
It's amazing.
So, Ben, when you didn't see Slammo! moving anymore,
what was going on in that brain of yours?
It was wild.
We thought about hitting them again,
but our spinner stopped by itself.
So we... we were done.
We'll take it.
Ben, you're a 19-year-old kid.
You've been a lifelong fan of BattleBots.
You have attended the show before.
Explain to people out there
why they should take a leap of faith just like you did.
'Cause I guess you can win.
And it's an amazing feeling being here,
seeing the crowd, being in the pits with all the other builders
doing the same stuff as you.
Couldn't... couldn't be better.
Ben, congratulations and enjoy it.
- Well earned. - Thank you.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
What a great match that was.
And I'm so happy for Ben
and his crew there at Terrortops, right?
[Kenny] It's huge, man. First year as captain, young kid.
You know, came in with a very unique design,
unique robot, and gets his first win in his first fight,
that's pretty rare.
[Chris] All right. Coming up, it's the matchup
we've been teasing all night
as two of robot combat's top teams
Blip and Tantrum duke it out in a sibling rivalry.
Both bots are in dire need of a win,
but Aren Hill's old squad could put an end to his postseason plans
by handing him yet another L.
It's our main event
when we return onBattleBots.
Welcome back toBattleBots.
Coming at you from the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas.
We are getting set for tonight's heavyweight main event.
It is the reigning Giant Nut winner Tantrum
in a high stakes matchup with its sister from another mister,
its brother from another mother, Blip.
Couple of teams that know each other pretty well
since they basically share a house
back there in the pits, right?
And this is a critical fight for both squads.
Ginger Schmidt and Alex Grant,
they are riding high after their statement victory over Hydra,
while Blip is winless at 0-2.
Aren Hill's back is against the wall in this one.
How do you see it playing out?
I mean, not a position you want to be in.
Blip has been struggling out there,
but their schedule has been grueling.
Blip's two losses are JDs to End Game
and are now 3-0 huge.
And with this fight against tantrum,
they'll be the only team
that faces the number one and number two preseason ranked bots
in the qualifiers.
The selection committee will definitely factor
that in come tournament time,
regardless they want to get the monkey off their back
right here and right now.
And for those of you that are thinking to yourselves,
"Okay, well, Tantrum's sitting at 1-1 and Blip is winless.
Isn't Tantrum gonna have a little funny business?" No, no, no.
Ginger Schmidt and Alex Grant,
they said there's no way that that's gonna happen.
We want to get to 2-1.
If that means that we have to climb all over Blip
and they have to remain winless, so be it.
[Kenny] That's right.
When you're trying to repeat as world champions,
friendships get tossed aside after taking out Hydra,
a win over Blip will have this squad
right on track for another run at the Giant Nut.
[Chris] All right. One organization, two robots.
Take us through the numbers, Kenny.
[Kenny] Well, Blip is built on basically
the same championship caliber 40 as Tantrum.
Drive and durability are the bread and butter of these two bots.
The only real difference is the most important one,
the weapons.
There's a bet within the team about which weapon is more deadly,
the puncher or the flipper.
And we're gonna get the answer right here.
[Chris] And, Kenny, it looks like we got a nail biter
of a pit poll for this main event.
[Kenny] That's right. The builders giving Tantrum the slight edge here.
It's tough to bet against the experience of the champs, Chris.
Let's see what happens. Faruq.
Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's time for the main event!
[siren wailing]
[crowd cheering and applauding]
In the red square,
this bot's power punch can send you to the moon.
And it comes out of nowhere
like when they start selling pumpkin spice lattes in June.
He's one of the fiercest bots around,
killing all his foes.
And seriously, the pumpkin spice stuff comes out earlier
and earlier every year.
Like, it's 90 degrees outside. Can we chill out a little bit?
At least give me till September. Damn!
Anyway, where was I?
Oh, yeah. Give it up for Tantrum!
[Chris] The champs are in the house!
Had a rocky start to their season with a loss to Minotaur.
But that win over Hydra was a massive sigh of relief
for this squad, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah. They wanted to prove last year's win against Hydra
wasn't a fluke.
The punching drum was very effective.
But more importantly, they got the self-righter working.
That'll be critical against another flipper here in Blip.
In the blue square, this team's incredibly dangerous,
so you should be cautious.
Even though the lead builder looks like Dwight from The Office,
you get no Jim and Pam happy ending.
You'll be totally dead 'cause this bot may be small,
but it gets the job done.
That's what she said.
Here to drop you like a pot of chili.
It's Blip!
[Chris] Must win situation for Aren Hill and Blip.
Still ultraconfident.
The bot looks great.
Just needs a dub.
[Kenny] Yeah. And Aren knows there's a high probability
this goes to the judges.
So he's going to be very strategic here.
If he can get under Tantrum,
those ear attachments on the flipper
should help hold them in place.
Every pin will take time off the clock
and will add control points to his scorecard.
[Chris] Kenny, another character we should mention here
is Tantrum driver Dillon Carey.
He was a big reason they won it all last year.
In fact, he and Aren have actually been driving
against each other since middle school.
So they are both very aware
of each other's strengths and weaknesses.
[Kenny] Yeah, nothing like a must win matchup between old friends.
I think the key for Dillon, though,
is to stay away from the corners of the box.
Tantrum is durable enough that
it can get flipped a handful of times and keep on trucking.
But if they get trapped in the corner,
they risk getting thrown out of the arena.
And that's a quick way to fall into a 1-2 hold.
- Good? Everything good? - Yeah. All good.
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
All right. Can little brother Blip
claw his way back into tournament contention?
Or will big sister Tantrum kick him when he's down?
It's the birth of a sibling rivalry
that may result in awkward Thanksgiving dinners for years to come.
That's next onBattleBots.
So many tough robots here.
But if I had to put my money on it,
I'm gonna go with SawBlaze this year.
[Chris] Wow!
SawBlaze definitely showing
that they have a unique design, a unique angle.
[man] Minotaur is gonna win the Giant Nut.
And if they don't do it, then it's gonna be us.
I don't think there's a single robot
that we've got no chance of beating.
I'd have to bet on Witch Doctor.
Witch Doctor's looked like one of the best robots.
[Chris] Oh, what a hit!
The one I'm probably most afraid of at the moment
might be a Riptide.
Riptide could actually take the Giant Nut.
End Game, Which Doctor, Tantrum.
I think my money is still on End Game.
Of course, End Game.
End Game is incredibly tough.
- It's End Game. - End Game.
End Game.
- [Chris] Oh! - [Kenny] Oh!
Oh!
Yeah, I think RIPperoni could win the Giant Nut.
[man] Pretty much everyone is looking nasty.
It's just a testament to show that
the sport as a whole has come such a long way.
[Chris] Welcome back toBattleBots,
where we are just moments away
from the start of tonight's heavyweight main event.
It's last season's Giant Nut winner Tantrum
and its robot siblings Blip.
Two elite bots cut from the same cloth,
but with Blip at 0-2, this is an absolute must win for the flywheel flipper.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Let's go, Tantrum.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin.
Tantrum quick out of the gate.
- [Kenny] Oh. - [Chris] But loses its way.
And here's Blip getting underneath
and taken into the side of the box.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] First blood.
Tantrum's on its head, but manages to self-right.
[Kenny] Nice recovery by Tantrum.
A rare driving error by Dillon Carey to start the fight.
Oh, and do we have a fire inside of Tantrum, Chris?
[Chris] Uh-oh. Tantrum's on fire.
Blip has him in the corner.
And the champs are on the ropes
in the first 30 seconds of this one.
[Kenny] Oh, boy.
[Chris] Aren Hill wanted to flip that thing out of the arena.
I'm surprised he didn't take a shot there.
Uh-oh. One of the forks has come off Blip.
[Kenny] Yeah. Tantrum is rocked, though, Chris.
That weapon is slowing down.
[Chris] And another flip.
[Kenny] Oh, that's the angle he needs.
Let's see if he can get him out of the box.
[Chris] Aren Hill taking his time.
Right on its head.
[Ginger] All right. All right.
[Chris] But Tantrum bounces back nicely.
[Kenny] What a beautiful self-right there by Tantrum.
[Chris] And, Kenny, I don't see the flame anymore.
[Kenny] I think they had to shut down the weapon, Chris.
I think that's what was causing it.
[Chris] Here's Blip getting underneath Tantrum yet again.
Taking it for a ride around the box.
Is Aren Hill being a little bit too conservative with that flipper, Kenny?
That's the question.
Well, we all want to see him let it fly.
But I think this is strategic, Chris.
The longer Blip keeps Tantrum hung up on its front end,
the more control points Aren's going to earn with the judges.
Well, he's got Tantrum teed up again.
Level on one.
[Chris] They see it.
Come on up here.
[Kenny] Give it to us. Come on. I dare you.
[Chris] Tantrum bracing for impact with that self-righter.
Blip all the way underneath now.
[Kenny] And you can see some smoke there
coming out of Tantrum.
Oh!
[Chris] Oh looking grim and no good.
Oh, my god!
[Chris] A nervous laugh from Ginger Schmidt
as the robot gets taken into the corner.
Holy smokes!
[Kenny] Chris, this has been domination here by Blip.
[Chris] The reigning champ's looking worse for the wear
after two minutes inside the box with her sister team
and still no light from that punching disc on Tantrum, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it got taken down early.
And it's missing a fist now.
[Chris] Can Blip close the show?
It has been the lower bot
since the opening round of this one.
[Kenny] That's another corner where Blip can get
Tantrum out of the BattleBox.
[Chris] Yeah, just trying to get the right angle.
This might be it.
No.
Oh, throw it in the upper deck.
[Kenny] Oh. Nasty shot there.
[Chris] Unreal.
[Kenny] Tantrum just riddled with issues right now.
[Chris] Under 30 to go in this battle of robot siblings.
[Kenny] I mean, if there was any doubt
that Blip was going to come out here and compete.
[Chris] Oh, yeah.
Aren Hill is making a statement.
- He says, "Yeah, my one bot might be the champ..." - [Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] "We are still something to be reckoned with."
[Kenny] Tantrum trying to make a little comeback.
But again, with that weapon down, Chris, no good.
[Chris] Oh, can he get him out in the last few seconds just for fun.
And oh!
Finish it on the upper deck.
- [Kenny] Wow. - Crank that.
[Chris] What a finishing shot by Blip
who will spin and win, you have to imagine.
Outstanding performance by Aren Hill and Team Blip.
Our first ever fire.
I don't like that.
[Chris] Kenny, a little driving hiccup
by the champs right out of the gate.
Blip pounced and never looked back.
[Kenny] Yeah, it was a great start for Blip.
Got underneath Tantrum right from the get go, flipping him,
setting the tone for the fight.
And you can see Tantrums disc
make contact with the floor here.
Chris.
That had an immediate effect on the weapon motor
and may have been what led to the fire.
[Chris] Without an active weapon Tantrum
was in deep, deep trouble.
Aren Hill was free to put on a show for the judges.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right.
Blip just seemed to be faster out there,
was getting underneath Tantrum,
was finding the right angles,
was even effective despite missing a fork.
And Blip used the BattleBots Arena to its advantage,
and even in the final few seconds,
making a statement.
Get on up here if you don't mind and have a seat.
Faruq has the decision.
The results from the judges are in.
The winner by unanimous decision is...
Blip.
Aren Hill, congratulations.
You made no bones about it before this fight.
Even though you are all essentially BattleBots family and pit mates,
you were going after this.
It was a must win situation for you, right?
Yeah. Green light goes down, we're 0-2.
We need a win.
This entire team just won.
But like, Blip really needed that.
Aren, and I know you've been having some issues there with Blip.
Are you satisfied with the performance here?
I'm pretty happy.
I've known Dillon since, like, middle school. High school.
We've been driving robots against each other for a long time.
So I get bragging rights on television
that I outdrove him.
So I'm okay with that.
Yeah.
So, Aren, I do notice
that you've got a little Tantrum pin on your shirt.
Why was it important to wear that?
This is... like, this is one team.
They're making Blip happen.
We're helping make Tantrum happen.
This is one team.
And I want to state that over and over and over again.
And this does not happen without every individual on this stage.
Awesome. Good job today.
Thank you.
Hi.
- Hi. - Hi.
You guys are now at 1-2, Ginger.
- Yep. - Yep.
- Thanks for reminding us. - What are your emotions and your thoughts?
We feel like we put up a good enough fight against Hydra
that we're hoping we'll make it
into the tournament either way.
Hopefully, we did enough.
For us, for Alex and I,
fight nights are really about learning the new Tantrum,
figuring out what's wrong.
So it's definitely a bummer that we caught on fire,
but we're glad it happened now instead of in the tournament.
So we're gonna go back to the pits.
We're gonna strip everything down,
take every bolt out and figure out what happened,
and it's never going to happen again.
Right. And in four years,
we haven't had a battery fire or any fire that significant ever.
So now this is something new that we have to work through.
Does this put a little bit more pressure on you guys for your next fight?
And how are you feeling for that next one?
I mean, we're going up against Whiplash next.
And, man, they can drive.
So we definitely can't afford to lose drive
- like we did this time. - Yeah.
Well, we look forward to your rebound.
And we'll see you in your fourth and final regular season
tussle against Whiplash.
- Thanks, gang. - Thank you.
- Bye. - Yeah. Thank you.
Team hug. Team hug.
Come on, everybody.
Thank you, guys.
Kenny, I don't think there's any question
Blip just saved its season.
Oh, my gosh. That was a huge win.
And he did it against his friends, Tantrum.
Maybe siblings.
- Yeah. - Yeah, exactly.
[Chris] And with the rookie Banshee up next for Blip,
you have to like its chances of closing out the qualifiers
with an even record and a strong case for a tournament seed.
Meanwhile, Tantrum the champs find themselves
on the wrong side of 500 at 1-2, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it's not where they want to be.
But remember, these are the defending champions.
And pedigree matters.
With that win over Hydra,
they're a lock to make the tournament.
Let's just see if they go into it with a little momentum.
Another fun fight night around here,
John Reid and Beta wins the battle of the hammer bots out there.
Quantum moves to 3-0, as does HUGE.
But I would say the most impressive bot here tonight
unquestionably was Hydra.
[Kenny] Yeah. I mean, again,
this is a robot that tends to get better with time.
Jake is down in his driving.
He's dialing in that robot.
And, man, can that thing flip.
And by the way, look out, Gary Gin's about the land on your head again.
I think he might be stuck in the lighting.
- Finally coming down. - Yeah. It's unreal.
All right. This was a lot of fun tonight.
So for Faruq, my man Kenny Florian, I am Chris Rose,
we'll see you next time here on BattleBots.