[robotic voice] Robots activate!
[intense music playing]
[audience cheering]
[Chris Rose] Oh, yeah!
- Hey! - [cheering intensifies]
[Chris] I love these people! Awesome!
Hey everybody, and welcome to BattleBots World Championship VII!
I am Chris Rose, I'm joined by UFC legend,
and the best robot fighting analyst to ever lace them up,
the one and only Kenny Florian!
[cheering, applause]
[Kenny] Vegas, let's go!
Chris, this has been the most intense,
action-packed regular season we've ever seen,
and on its final night,
you can feel the nerves running high.
[Chris] We started the year with 100 fights
on the qualifying schedule.
And after 14 weeks of high-stakes combat,
we are now down to our final six match-ups!
This is it!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] After the conclusion of tonight's action,
we are gonna be revealing the 32 team field
for theBattleBots World Championship VII tournament!
[audience cheering]
[Kenny] Many teams will be directed home tonight,
while others will set their eyes towards destiny,
and the most coveted trophy in sports,
the Giant Nut!
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] An entire season of knock-down,
drag-out, robot brutality ends this evening.
So who will punch their ticket into the field of 32,
and who will punch their ticket home?
You guys ready to find out?
[audience cheering]
Let's take a look at the fight card!
[Kenny] In a shocking turn of events,
reigning champion Tantrum
and 2020 Runner-Up Whiplash
both sit at 1-2 on the season.
They will go toe-to-toe tonight
in a battle for their very tournament lives.
Blip, Monsoon and HiJinx also find their seasons
teetering on a razor's edge,
with records of 1-2.
Losses for any of them would spell disaster
for their post-season prospects.
[Chris] And to the folks here live in the arena,
congratulations!
You have got a ticket
to one of the most highly-anticipated rematches
inBattleBots history!
[bull bellowing]
[Chris] The pride of Brazil!
- The bloodthirsty bull! - [intense scream of Daniel Freitas]
[Chris] Minotaur!
- [audience cheering] - [Chris] Will finally have its shot at revenge
against the team that knocked it out
of last year's tournament.
- [evil laughter] - [Chris] Masters of the dark arts.
And one of the most beloved squads of all time.
The legend, Witch Doctor!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Their last fight was so controversial,
it forced the committee to change the rules of engagement.
With both teams undefeated this season,
the rematch will be
for the tournament's top overall seed!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] But up first,
the greatest flipper in the history
of Canadian combat robotics, LUCKY!,
is just one win shy of a perfect 4-0 season!
Standing in their way tonight just happens to be
one of the most violent vertical spinners ever assembled,
Cobalt!
[audience cheering]
You ready to get this thing started?
- Oh, I'm ready, buddy! - You ready?
[cheering intensifies]
Faruq, take it away!
Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
[cheering wildly]
It's robot fighting time!
[intense industrial music]
[Faruq] In the red square,
this Canadian bot is going for the glory,
try to stop him,
[Canadian accent] and you will be sorry!
Time for your funeral, put on a suit!
'Cause he's gonna show you
[in Canadian accent] what he's all aboot!
Bet all your Loonies and Toonies for LUCKY!
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] Team LUCKY!, in the midst of their most
successful campaign ever,
poised to become just the fourth squad
to finish the qualifiers with an undefeated record.
But boy, oh, boy,
tonight is a tough test, Kenny!
[Kenny] Yeah, and LUCKY!'s schedule has been
kind of a cakewalk so far,
so tonight will tell us a lot.
This is their first fight of the season
against not only a world-class team,
but a world-class vert,
a weapon type that LUCKY is just 2-6 against, all-time.
A solid performance here
would help chip away at that narrative,
and secure them a high tournament seed.
[Faruq] In the blue square,
this bot became a legend last season
when in only an instant,
he cut an opponent in half,
like a magician's assistant!
He can't escape a straitjacket,
or pull a rabbit out of his hat,
but his blade can make you disappear,
just like that!
Stab-racadabra!
It's Cobalt!
[cheering, applause]
[Chris] Here comes Cobalt!
Still reppin' that cutout of teammate Brent Rieker there.
Brent's been going through cancer treatment,
but we hear that his recovery is going very well.
The team has rallied around him this season, Kenny,
and they are a real deal contender as well.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
Made it to the round of eight last year,
and looking to go all the way this time around,
That said, they should be aiming for nothing less
than a dominant knockout victory tonight.
But something to keep in mind,
Cobalt's weakness is self-righting,
and LUCKY!'s specialty is putting opponents on their backs.
Driver Dave Moulds would be wise
to try and end this one early.
Cobalt, they hit so hard.
So we're prepared for a battle in there.
We're planning to go in there and at all costs,
avoid getting hit.
And I think if we have the right position
and pick the right spots,
we get under them,
uh, we can use their weapon against themselves,
throw them in the arena,
have the arena take the damage instead of us.
We've never gone 3-0 in BattleBotsbefore.
Uh, the opportunity to potentially go 4-0,
it's, uh, it's really a thrill for us.
I think the strategy for the next fight
is gonna be just trying to outdrive these guys.
If I can get around the side and get a good hit in,
the chassis' quite soft on that,
it's, like, welded aluminum, I think.
So if we can do some damage to that,
I think we'll come out on top.
If we get under them, it's a bad fight for them.
If they can get getting under us, and flipping us,
you know, they have a chance.
I'm not, like, underestimating him,
but I think we'll come out on top.
So, I feel confident.
Something has to go bad for us to lose that fight.
[robotic voice] Robots activate!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right, we've talked an awful lot about LUCKY! driver Matt Olsen
since he stormed out of the scene, just last season.
The kid has been sensational,
so where's his head at right now, Kenny?
[Kenny] I mean, listen.
These are the moments you dream of as a competitor,
the opportunity to slay a dragon,
and put yourself on the map.
He's just gotta keep his heart rate in check, and lock in.
But believe it or not,
I think the pressure's actually on Dave Moulds here,
if Cobalt wants a high tournament seed,
they need to do better than just win.
They have to come out and annihilate LUCKY!
Dave needs to unleash the beast,
and send a message to the committee.
- [electronic crescendo] - [cheering intensifies]
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[buzzers sounding]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
- [audience] Oh! - [Chris and Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Wow! What an enormous shot by Cobalt!
[Kenny] Chris, that sounded like a cannon inside the BattleBox!
My goodness! Oh!
[Chris] Kenny, is that a battery that's smoking?
[Kenny] Yes, it is! LUCKY! has been disemboweled, Chris!
[Chris] Man, oh, man!
[Kenny] Cobalt going to work,
trying to destroy LUCKY! right now!
[Chris] Well, LUCKY!, he put him right in the corner,
- I'm not so sure that flipper can flippin' move at all! - [referee] Ten! Nine! Eight!
[Chris] It looks like a couple of shots,
- and this one's gonna be over, Kenny! - [referee] Seven! Six!
[Kenny] Wow! Cobalt let the formerly undefeated LUCKY! know,
- there are levels to this game! - One! Knockout!
- [buzzer sounds] - [audience cheering]
[Chris] Both bots now 3-1, but Cobalt,
no question about it! Uber impressive!
[applause, cheering]
- [Kenny chuckling] - [Dave] Thank you!
[audience chanting] Cobalt! Cobalt! Cobalt!
[team talking excitedly]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, LUCKY! hasn't solved
its vertical spinner problems just yet.
[Kenny] My goodness, this was an absolute massacre.
A little over-steer by Matt Olsen there at the start
left his bot exposed and Cobalt ripped open
the pneumatic tank with a devastating shot.
[Chris] Simply unbelievable.
Cobalt slicing open the underbelly,
one of LUCKY!'s batteries popped out,
and was smoking on the BattleBox floor.
[Kenny] Yeah, LUCKY! got itself upright with some desperation flips,
but it was too little, too late, Chris.
The damage was done.
[Chris] Dave Moulds with an extra little,
"how's your mother?" shot!
And LUCKY! was toast.
Cobalt letting everybody know
that not all 3-1 records are alike.
That is one bad, bad, bot.
[cheering, applause]
[team talking excitedly]
[Chris] Hey, Dave!
Dave, you got this thing done in under a minute.
Were you in a rush, bro?
- [both chuckle] - Uh, that was fast, wasn't it?
It was a big ol' pop, that was.
[Kenny] I don't think I've ever heard an explosion quite like that,
that was nuts!
What was your game plan here against LUCKY!?
Uh, we wanted to get that over as fast as possible, really,
to keep the machine in as, in, uh,
best condition as we can going forward.
Hopefully, we get into the 32 now, and it's, um,
in great shape for it.
So, in your opinion, what do you think?
Cobalt, a top 10 robot? Maybe top 5?
Well, you know, three decisive wins,
and the loss was to Minotaur,
and we're winning most of that fight,
so that's like a half a loss.
- [chuckles] - Losing to Minotaur is actually an honor,
if it's that close of a fight.
- I don't think that's really a negative against us. - [audience cheering]
Very nice. Guys, congratulations! Great job.
- Thank you! - Thank you.
[audience cheering]
[Dave] Good job, man.
- [laughing] - [Dave] Great job, guys.
Well, Cobalt, pretty impressive.
A knockout in under 40 seconds
against a previously unbeaten bot?
That's okay!
Yeah, this was a tough match-up for LUCKY!
Cobalt, one of the hardest-hitting robots in the competition.
We'll see where John Mladenik's squad
lands at the end of the night,
but there's no doubt in my mind,
they're a top 8 seed.
That weapon is one of the top three
or four deadliest in the field.
Can't wait to see who they get matched up with.
[Chris] And how will this loss affect LUCKY!?
[Kenny] Well, they're tougher to project, 3-1,
but this was their chance to show
that they can party with the big boys, and they failed.
Goes to show how quickly narratives can change here.
While Cobalt now looks like they could win it all,
LUCKY!'s limping in with their confidence shaken.
[Chris] All right, up next!
The little blue bot with the might flip, Blip,
looks to keep its tournament hopes alive
against fellow flipper, Banshee!
That's coming your way after this.
[cheering, applause]
We are back on BattleBots World Championship VII!
Moments ago, we saw LUCKY! get popped by Cobalt,
not what Mark Demers wanted to see
one week before the tournament starts.
I have never seen anything like this.
We've been running this machine for, you know, years and years,
and we've never had a breach like this.
This is a carbon fiber round tank,
and you can see he went straight through our chassis,
through, uh, about an inch of frame and air,
and got our tank.
Massive explosion.
[Chris] LUCKY! finishes 3-1,
we'll see how that quick loss affects their seeding.
But up next, it's Banshee,
one of the rookie bots out there,
taking on Blip,
of course, engineered by Aren Hill.
And this flipper bot was so impressive as a rookie.
Had that undefeated run all the way
to the quarter finals of World Championship VI,
a completely different story this season,
as the team enters their fourth fight
with a record of 1-2.
[Kenny] Yeah, but hard to call this a sophomore slump
when you look at their schedule.
Fights against two former champs and then HUGE,
who just wrapped up a 4-0 regular season.
Just brutal.
And listen, in all three matches,
Blip's gone the full three minutes,
so you can't question its durability.
The offense just needs to keep up with the defense.
I think a win here still only nets them
a seed in the mid-20s,
which means facing a top 10 robot in the round of 32.
They meet End Game or Quantum,
and Aren can't get ahead of himself.
A loss here could send him home early.
Well, they're gonna be taking on Banshee,
uh, captained by David Small.
The rookie flipper also 1-2,
and I think it's fair to say,
if David doesn't win this flip-off tonight,
he will be headed back to Arizona.
[Kenny] Yeah, 100%.
With two flippers, there's a strong chance
this goes to the judges, because KO shots are so rare.
This will be a battle of driving and control,
with both drivers pushing the pace and maneuvering
to get under their opponent,
and with a win over Blip,
Banshee could hear its name called later tonight.
[Chris] The flipper fest is all set!
Let's go on down to the driver's deck!
[cheering]
[robotic voice] Red team ready?
They are in alignment.
[Chris] Captain Aren Hill there.
Uh, Kenny, there appears to be
a big chunk of metal on Blip's flipper tip?
[chuckles] Geeze, say that five times fast!
[Kenny] Blip's flipper tip! Blip's flipper tip.
Ha! Easy.
So when Blip gets under an opponent,
sometimes there's a gap between the tip of its flipper,
and the opposing robot,
which produces more of a slap than a flip.
That gray metal block is meant to improve contact
and help Blip pull off some highlight reel flips.
[robotic voice] Blue team ready?
[Chris] Captain David Small ready for battle.
His bot Banshee looking a little more
bare tonight, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, David stripped off all the little wedgelets
to give Banshee more maneuverability.
Blip has a big advantage in that department,
with its compact design,
so David's looking for any driving edge he can get.
- [electronic crescendo] - [cheering intensifies]
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[buzzers sounding]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
[Chris] Face to face.
Blip's key, Kenny, get under banshee, right?
[Kenny] Absolutely, and there you go,
you see it, Blip is the lower bot here to start.
When it comes to flippers,
winning the ground game is the name of the game.
Blip just not able to get completely
underneath the center of gravity.
[Chris] It's been a frustrating season,
no question, for Aren Hill and Blip,
yes, they are coming off that win
against their sister team in Tantrum to get to 1-2,
but boy, they've gotta win tonight,
work their way into the round of 32,
and work on this robot.
[Kenny] There's Blip, getting underneath Banshee again,
taking it into the rails, this is a good opportunity,
but can't trigger a solid flip, Chris.
[Chris] And that's kinda been the MO
this year for Blip, unfortunately.
Had opportunities, but hasn't been able to complete the equation.
[Kenny] You know, I wonder if that attachment
Aren added there on the front of the flipper
is actually hindering Blip's ability
to get all the way underneath Banshee.
Is this a case of modification backfiring a bit?
[Chris] Well, flipper aside,
Blip clearly the more powerful bot so far,
continuing to push Banshee around the BattleBox.
[Kenny] Oh, there's no doubt, and at this point,
David Small realizes he's lost the ground game,
he's gonna try and turn this into a track meet,
make Aren Hill chase him around,
and see if he can get Blip to make a mistake.
[Chris] About 90 seconds in now,
obviously, a lot on the line
for team Banshee in this fight as well.
They also sit at 1-2,
so if they're able to do something
in the final 90 ticks and pull off the upset,
they'll be sitting at 2-2,
and the selection committee has to give them serious consideration!
[Kenny] Yep, but David Smalls,
gonna have to find a way to get Blip off balance here,
a top task as Blip is just so sturdy,
like its sister, Tantrum.
[Chris] Here's Blip, squaring up!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] There's Banshee,
getting underneath Blip briefly.
[Chris] Under a minute to go now.
Blip has been the more aggressive robot,
but is giving these fans very little
in the way of flips.
- Nice job there by Blip! - [both] Oh!
[Kenny] There's a nice flip!
[Chris] That's the first one of the match there, Kenny!
And now Banshee's on its head!
[Kenny] Excellent driving, there's the flip!
It looks like they have it going,
or perhaps this was a part of the strategy,
to pour it on late in the fight!
[audience cheering]
- [Chris and Kenny] Oh! - [Kenny] There's a flip there by Blip!
[Chris] And actually helped out Banshee,
flipped it back over!
So let's see if Banshee,
in the final 25 ticks can do anything!
Not sure there's any life left in its flipper!
[Kenny] Well, this is a good sign for team Blip!
Getting these flips going a little bit late,
but getting it done!
- [Chris] Whoa! - [Kenny] Driving, excellent flip, there!
[Chris] So a nice job by Blip
with a handful of flips in the final minute!
[Kenny] Oh, whoa-oh!
[Chris] You can hear the clock ticking away!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Both these bots at 1-2,
are gonna have their final fight of the regular season
- end up on the judges' scorecard! - [buzzer sounds]
[cheering, applause]
[referee] Over here, and about six feet from the wall...
[Chris] Kenny, Blip took control
of the ground game right from the start,
bullied Banshee around the box
but couldn't get any flips off.
[Kenny] Yeah, I do think that bar attachment on the flipper
actually did Blip a disservice tonight,
either way, Aren Hill still manhandled Banshee
in the driving department.
[Chris] Blip finally able to score a nice flip
and put Banshee on its head,
and it looked like that might be the end
for David Smalls' bot.
[Kenny] You know, I think Aren Hill chose to keep this fight going
because he knew Blip had underperformed to that point,
and, well, that decision paid off.
[Chris] Yes it did.
Blip, with a series of impressive flips down the stretch,
looking an awful lot like a shotput champion there.
Banshee hung in,
but showed no offensive capability in this fight.
Here is Faruq with the decision!
[cheering, applause]
The results from the judges are in.
[cheering]
The winner, by unanimous decision is...
- [scattered cheers] - [audience members] Blip!
Blip!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Aren Hill, congratulations, 1-2 heading into this fight,
were you feeling the pressure in this one?
Yeah, I know strength of schedule's a thing,
but it's much better to take the questions out of it
and get to 2-2.
Do you feel like Blip was more dialed in
last year around this time?
I would say every single fight's different,
so it's really hard to make that judgement.
Um, we faced a lot of different types of opponents,
I would say this year, our opponents have been significantly harder.
Uh, and as a rock, paper, scissors type match-up for us.
All right, guys! Nice job!
Well done getting to 2-2!
Thank you.
[cheering, applause]
- Good job. Thanks. Oh, no problem at all. - Awesome fight.
Aren Hill and Blip, it wasn't ideal,
but they do get their regular season record to 2-2.
[Kenny] Yeah, considering the murderers' row they faced in the qualifiers,
it's a solid result.
I don't think they'll be in the running for a top 16 seed,
but they're safe for the round of 32.
[Chris] Coming up, we've got an international affair
between two massive vertical spinners.
And with only one win this season,
the UK's Monsoon still needs to prove they've got what it takes
to perform in the post-season.
Can they do that against thunder from down under, Deathroll?
And remember, at the end of the night,
we've got the bracket reveal,
where we will break down the field
of this year's 32-team World Championship Tournament.
It's all coming up onBattleBots.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to the final night of qualifying
here at World Championship 7.
Remember, we are going to reveal the entire tournament field
at the end of the show.
But right before that, we've got the main event
the fans have been waiting all season for.
It is Minotaur and Witch Doctor
in a rematch of the fight that changed robot combat forever.
Let's take a closer look at tonight's main event.
[Kenny] One-eighty, huge hit!
- [Chris and Kenny] Whoa! - [Chris] And another one! It's right in front!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Oh! It takes another shot!
Last year, that was a crazy, crazy fight.
[Chris] Another huge shot by Minotaur!
Which now gets caught in the screws!
This is the time for Mike Gellatly to get in there!
[Michael] It had a bit of everything.
[Kenny] Minotaur's missing a tire!
You know, there was a lot of miscommunication between the rest.
[referee] We have to count you out.
[Kenny] Are they going to count him out?
Bit of controversy, unfortunately.
[Chris] And Witch Doctor content to do nothing!
I wonder how that'll play in the eye of the judges.
The hell, man!
[Faruq] The winner by unanimous decision is,
- Witch Doctor! - [Michael laughing]
That feeling in the, in the audience and in the arena,
it was just a lot booing and it was just like a very negative feel.
I'm not beat at all, of course, I'm sad about the decision.
But Daniel.
I think Daniel may be a little more intense
- All right, just relax, guys. Let's rein this in. - [yells]
[yelling in slow motion]
But, you know, you can't change the past,
so let's look into the future.
[Andrea] We have a ton of respect for each other.
If there's any animosity, it's between the fans.
I'm looking forward to another slugfest with Minotaur.
[Michael] Minotaur wants to go weapon to weapon, right.
He's got a super-chunky frame
with a big weapon in the front.
He doesn't wanna get hit anywhere else.
Mike and Daniel, they are both very experienced drivers,
very good drivers.
But...
...Daniel is very aggressive.
Very destructive.
Very violent.
- [slow motion yelling] - [Andrea] We're at an inherent disadvantage
just because they have a small weapon and we have a big weapon.
So when they hit us, they're under us,
and we pop up.
This whole design, a special configuration just for them
to be able to pop them up higher
and feed them into our weapons.
This might be probably the toughest fight.
Whoever wins this fight will be one of the top seeds.
Maybe the top.
If we can get the number one seed
and hopefully chart a little bit easier path,
that would be amazing.
We are trying to stay focused one match at a time
because you want to hopefully get to the finals
and get the Giant Nut.
But Daniel...
I don't know.
Uh, it's, [chuckles]
it's gonna be a lot of energy there.
- [audience cheering] - [Chris] And there's a look at both teams earlier today,
making sure their robot is ready to rock for this pivotal matchup.
Now, the last fight between these teams
wasn't just controversial.
It literally changed the game, right, Kenny?
[Kenny] Yeah, while Witch Doctor did win fair and square,
several rules were changed in the off-season
to remove some of the ambiguity
that made that fight so controversial.
For example, while Witch Doctor
was dislodged from the upper deck in that match,
if you get stuck on the arena this year, you're outta luck.
Crew bots won't help unless two teams are stuck together.
There's also no more gray area with controlled movement.
Last year, crabwalking could be interpreted multiple ways
as we saw in that fight.
Now, if you can move at all, you won't be counted out.
And if your opponent doesn't attack during that time,
they'll be counted out.
[Chris] Yeah, part of the beauty of this sport
is the ability to adapt year over year.
But again, based on last season's rules,
the judges did award Witch Doctor the win.
All right. Well, now that I'm all amped up,
let's turn our attention to the next monster mashup.
A truly international affair up next,
as it is the Aussie's Deathroll
taking on the Brits and Monsoon.
Let's start with Monsoon.
Plenty of emotional swings for captain Tom Brewster this season.
He got welcomed back to BattleBots with a KO from Black Dragon.
Then he knocked out Horizon.
We saw how much that meant to him.
Finally, the close-decision loss to Whiplash.
So Tom sits at 1-2.
And Monsoon has shown flashes of its old self.
But now he really needs this win if he has any playoff dreams.
Yeah, absolutely, and he's going against
a very dangerous robot in Deathroll.
Two straight knockout wins now for Captain Steven Martin,
who also made his return to BattleBotsthis season.
Did get KO'd by another Brit early on in Cobalt.
No shame there, but maybe some extra motivation for Steven.
I think he's been waiting for this one.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right. England versus Australia.
It is the battle for the Commonwealth.
- Let's go! - [audience cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots, ready.
Okay.
[Chris] Captain Tom Brewster there mean-muggin' for the camera.
Ok, Kenny, crucial matchup for Monsoon.
What's the gameplan against a similarly-built opponent?
[Kenny] Yeah, big-time vertical spinner battle here.
Check out that wedge. Tom calls it a snoot wedge.
He wants to get under Deathroll
but also avoid getting caught in the floor.
A really smart design.
[robotic voice] Blue Team, ready.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] You can see Glen Rose, the driver of Deathroll
with the sticks in his hand.
And, Kenny, this bot is a legit knockout artist.
[Kenny] Yeah, eight career wins, seven by KO,
and I think the team's still getting back into the rhythm here.
If they can cap off the qualifiers
with a win over a dangerous opponent
like Monsoon,
Deathroll's gonna rocket into the post-season
with a ton of momentum.
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
All right.
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
[lights buzzing]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
- A pair of high-energy weapons going face-to-face. - [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] And Deathroll takes a shot and ends up in the corner.
And here goes Monsoon.
Bouncing like a basketball.
[Kenny] Nice recovery by Monsoon.
Let's see if they can follow up here.
Deathroll in a defensive position there in the corner.
It's weapon is still active.
[Chris and Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Monsoon delivers a shot that sends sparks flying.
[Kenny] Deathroll is hurt, Chris.
I'm not sure it can move.
Okay, leave him, Tom, leave him.
[Chris] Both weapons still spinning.
Monsoon backing away now.
- [Kenny] Wow. - [Chris] But Deathroll appears to be frozen stiff!
[Kenny] Glen Rose mashing the controls,
but no life from Deathroll!
- [referee] Ten! Nine! Eight! - [Chris] Oh, the countdown, it's started!
- [referee] Seven! Six! Five! - [Chris] Deathroll with a high-powered weapon
- is sitting there weeping... - [referee] Four! Three!
- Two! One! - ...and will watch its record fall to 2-2
- with a disappointing knockout against Monsoon! - [cheering]
[cheering]
Yes!
Yes! Come on! Come on!
Yes!
- Good job. - [Tom] You too.
[Chris] Kenny, when two big vertical spinners collide in the Battle Box.
anything can happen.
[Kenny] Yeah, coming into this fight
the betting money was on Deathroll winning these exchanges,
but it was Monsoon that struck first
with this beautiful combination.
[Chris] Deathroll with a heck of a counter shot
as it was still finding its feet.
Monsoon lost control for a moment there,
but managed to keep its weapon spinning.
[Kenny] It seemed like Deathroll never really recovered
from that first hit, Chris.
Not sure if it was a signal issue or a problem with the drive.
But it lost mobility and that was all she wrote.
[Chris] Monsoon taking the conservative route,
backing off there at the finish,
as the Aussies were dead in the water.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right, Tom,
congratulations.
How's that one taste?
Yeah, oh, it's fantastic.
I think that's, uh, just what we needed.
We had, uh, at this point we were 1-2 with two very close losses,
so a big win over a, uh,
um, you know, a top-tier rebel like Deathroll,
I think is just what we needed.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] This was your last chance
to prove something to the selection committee.
Do you feel secure in saying, "We'll see you in the round of 32?"
Yeah, at 2-2 I'm pretty confident
that we'll be somewhere in the middle of the field,
uh, which is really where we wanna be.
If we were, if we were at the end,
we'd be having a much nastier run, I think,
so this is, this is okay for us, I think.
Fair enough. Congratulations to you and your team.
- Thank you. - [audience cheering]
[Chris] Well, Kenny, both these robots are now 2-2.
But that wasn't really the fight we were looking for from either team.
[Kenny] Yeah, not sure what happened to Deathroll.
Mechanical issues this late in the season is not a good sign.
And Monsoon kind of took the easy way out there,
had a chance to keep this fight going,
but just decided to take the win.
Both teams should get in.
I'd expect a a tough first round matchup for each.
[Chris] All right. Well, coming up,
we've got the 2020 runner-up, Whiplash
and the reigning champs, Tantrum,
who are both 1-2 and in need of a big-time performance.
Apparently, Tantrum's been having issues getting the robot ready.
You can see them scrambling a bit earlier.
This, all we need from it is the side. So, you're...
[Chris] We'll see what that means
for their post-season dreams
when we return on BattleBots!
[cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to the final night of the qualifiers.
Up next, we've got a brawl between the reigning World Champs.
and the 2020 runner-up.
Boy, this is an enormous fight for a pair of 1-2 teams.
And I cannot believe that I am telling you
Tantrum and Whiplash both sit at 1-2.
What the heck has gone on here?
Uh, what, what's going on
is the margin for error is smaller than ever.
The losses for both teams have come down to tiny mistakes in the arena
and in the pits.
Now they've gotta win,
or risk being on the tournament bubble.
[Chris] And hey, don't take it from us.
The captains of these two squads
know exactly what's on the line too.
- [Kenny] Uh-oh. It's going-- - [Chris and Kenny] Oh!
[Matthew] In our first fight against MaDCatTer,
we got annihilated.
HyperShock was a lot better than our first fight,
but they still did excessive damage.
[Kenny] Look up, they're hanging out of Whiplash!
[Matthew] Monsoon, we won in a very, very close decision.
So Tantrum presents an interesting challenge for us.
They are the reigning champion,
but we really, really gotta win.
Anything less than the improvements we are making now
are not gonna be enough.
I mean, we fought our last three fights with no spinner, really.
So if we could add the spinner to that equation,
I think that'll be a huge boost to our, um,
you know, destructive potential.
We have a very similar strategy,
and we are two of the only teams
that have really executed it properly, in my opinion.
[Chris] Tantrum gets underneath and delivers a shot!
[Ginger] We both have weapons that we sort of keep out of the way
until we have our opponents where we want them.
And then, when we're ready, we both deliver hits.
[Chris] Whoa!
[Ginger] And that's what kills people.
[Alex] Whiplash is one of the best robots in the sport.
We'd argue we're a little bit better.
We hit people in weird ways.
We look at the belly pan,
and it is thin enough
to be able to tear through and rip the belly.
So we're really hoping to do that again here.
And they probably know just like we do
that our self-righter has had issues.
[Chris] The champs are down for the count!
[Alex] We've been working through those,
and we're really happy where it's sitting right now.
But who knows what other failure mode could come up.
[Ginger] If we lose to Whiplash,
Tantrum will be 1-3.
We're nervous about what that could mean.
What if we have to go up against
the top-seeded robot in the first round?
That would be pretty unfortunate.
[Matthew] I don't really care what seed we have,
all I care is we make it in the tournament.
We're expecting a brawl.
We're gonna go all out
and we're gonna see what happens.
[audience cheering]
Let's see what happens between two veteran squads.
Faruq.
[cheering]
[Faruq] In the red square,
he'll throw a giant fit like Christian Bale did.
Or when Tyra Banks yelled,
Be quiet, Tiffany! We're all rooting for you."
It's Tantrum.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Here come the reigning champs.
Alex Grant on the left, Ginger Schmidt on the right.
We saw them having issues earlier.
So what is the word, Kenny?
- Yeah. - [Kenny] Well, remember,
this is a completely redesigned Tantrum,
so they're still dealing with gremlins.
They had to replace their drive and their weapon belt today.
It's been a scramble,
but their pit crew is part of what won them a Nut.
They know how big this fight is
and they're ready to go.
[audience cheering]
Let's go!
[Faruk] In the blue square,
the family that slays together,
stays together no matter the weather.
And building murderous robots is how they spend quality time together.
They have a mom, a dad, a couple of kids,
but don't you dare get cocky,
for they'll have a giant group hug over your dead body.
Please welcome the family robot, Whiplash!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Whiplash, led by the first family of robotics,
the Vasquezes.
And, Kenny, when we heard from Matthew
he sounded a little more excited for this matchup
than his opponent did.
[Kenny] Yeah, even though he's got more on the line tonight,
not show if he gets in if he doesn't show out.
This is exactly the type of matchup Matty likes.
Two control bots all about driving.
And no one is more confident in their stick skills than Matthew Vasquez.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Remember, the reigning champs
rattled off seven straight wins
on their run to the Nut last year.
If they're gonna get hot this season, now is the time to do it.
But either way we've got two blue bloods
with their backs against the wall,
looking to improve to 2-2.
It is Tantrum! It is Whiplash!
When we return on BattleBots.
- [audience cheering] - [robotic voice] Robots activate.
[Chris] Welcome back to Battlebots
where we have got a matchup with big names
and even bigger stakes.
The reigning World Champs, Tantrum,
the 2020 runner-up, Whiplash.
They're are both sitting at 1-2.
A win gets you in,
while a loss will make tonight's bracket reveal
pretty interesting.
It's the biggest fight of the qualifiers for these bots.
Let's go!
[audience chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Dillon Carey.
Matt Vasquez.
Two of the top drivers of the sport
trying to keep their seasons alive.
[chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
[lights buzzing]
Let the bot battle begin!
Tantrum swings out wide.
Now the bots square up.
The champ looking to get underneath Whiplash.
Tantrum's so stout, so low to the ground.
Winning the ground game here, able to flank Whiplash.
[Chris] Not easy to do against a driver like Matty Vasquez.
[Kenny] Yeah, Matty's so precise.
Looking to back Tantrum down here.
Always has a great strategy.
- Now he's able to get underneath and flip Tantrum! - [Chris] Oh!
Yeah, Tantrum on its head.
And trying to get back over.
[Kenny] This team has been haunted by issues
with its self-righter all season, Chris.
And it looks like the nightmare may just continue.
[Chris] Are you kidding me? There is no life from Tantrum!
- [Kenny] Whiplash teasing a strike here. - Yeah.
- [Chris] And the countdown has started! - [referee] Ten! Nine!
- Eight! Seven! - Dillon Carey, the driver of Tantrum
- trying to resurrect his robot. - [referee] Six! Five!
- Four! Three! - [Chris] Whiplash says, "Go ahead.
- I dare you. Try me, dude!" - [referee] Two! One! Knockout!
[Chris] And it is over.
[Kenny] Oh, boy.
[Chris] As the winner of the Giant Nut a season ago
goes to 1-3.
Will they make it to the round of 32?
[Kenny] My goodness.
[Chris] Kenny, this one was a chess match to start.
[Kenny] Yeah, Dillon Carey choosing to go wide
Matty Vasquez with the more direct approach.
Got hung up on the soft slots gear,
and Tantrum was able to get to to the side
and land a nice opening pop.
[Chris] But Whiplash countered with some impressive horsepower,
pushed Tantrum into the screws,
and delivered a big shot with its vertical disc.
[Kenny] Yeah, that disc on Whiplash is back,
and that's huge for this team.
The self-writer on Tantrum on the other hand, is a big problem.
[Chris] And what a sight.
The reigning champ on its head,
gasping for air in its third loss of the season.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Hey, Matt.
- Hi. - [chuckles]
You needed that one, as you move to 2-2.
Yeah, we really, really needed this win. [chuckles]
Um, uh, we're a little bit in shock
Didn't think it would go that way at all.
Um, all of our other fights we've been having major spinner issues,
spinner didn't even work.
Thanks to a ton of other people,
even some members of Team Tantrum, really helped us out.
But, uh, that saved us because when I had him pinned in the corner
and tried to lift him, I couldn't lift him for some reason.
So, luckily, the spinner was working. [laughs]
Do you guys feel like you're in?
And if you are in the top 32,
where would you place yourself ranking-wise?
Uh, we are in.
To be honest, I don't really care what we're ranked.
Like, if we're in, we're in.
Uh, you know, the higher we've been ranked,
the worse we have done, which is really weird.
- [Kenny chuckles] - Like, we've been ranked, like, ten, runner-up,
then, ranked three and we lose in Round 16.
So I don't think it really matters a whole lot.
I'm just glad. I think we'll be in there.
Tantrum will be in there.
I couldn't imagine a bracket without you guys in there.
I'm, uh... Yeah, we're excited.
Matt, congratulations to you and your entire family.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
[Matthew] You guys, we did it. We did it.
[Chris] Okay, Alex and Ginger,
heavy are the heads that wear the crown.
Obviously, coming off of a title run,
this is not the way you saw your season unfolding, is it?
Not quite, we knew we came in with a new robot.
We knew we had a lot of work to do,
and we knew we had to sus out the issues.
Whenever you build a whole new chassis,
uh, there's always things that you have to work through.
And we've been working, [chuckles]
but not quite hitting the mark. So...
Do you guys have a better idea after this fight
of what you would do, you know, modification-wise
to your robot for that post-season.
Yeah, absolutely, I think our self-right
has clearly been a massive issue for us.
That's how we lost to Minotaur earlier,
that's how we lost this time.
We feel like, you know, if our self-right had been working,
and we had been able to get back on our feet,
you know, Tantrum was throwing some punches in there.
So maybe it would have gone differently.
[Chris] Okay, we'll see if 1-3 is good enough to get you in.
Ginger and Alex, thanks for the time.
Hey, congratulations.
Yeah.
[Chris] Well, both these robots needed the victory,
and Whiplash got it in under a minute.
Man, getting this done here over Tantrum, very impressive.
Again, champion from last season,
Whiplash needed this one big time.
I think maybe the bigger story is the defending champions
of the Giant Nut, Tantrum, they sit at 1-3.
I get it, it's murderer's row schedule, right?
I mean, Minotaur, Hydra, Blip, Whiplash.
I guess since they're the defending champs,
they're gonna get the benefit of the doubt here.
Yeah, that's right, you know, you have to consider
they had a very ambitious rebuild
for this season, made a lot of changes.
It's true that this quick knockout
really hurts their resume, but as you alluded to
there are only four modern-era teams
with banners in the rafters, and Tantrum's one of them.
When comparing two bubble teams,
that is the ultimate tiebreaker,
but we'll see what happens.
[Chris] All right, coming up,
another pair of robots will duel
for their post-season lives as HiJinx faces Switchback.
And we are getting closer to revealing this year's
32-team World Championship tournament field.
Who is in? Who is out?
All the answers are coming your way
as BattleBots continues!
We are back on BattleBots World Championship VII.
It is the final night of the qualifying rounds,
which means the big reveal
of this year's 32-team tournament bracket
is just around the corner.
But up first, a matchup featuring two teams
still scrapping to secure a spot in the post-season,
HiJinx versus Switchback.
Kenny, Switchback's captain, Greg Needel
is feeling pretty good coming off his win over Ominous,
took quite a licking and kept on ticking.
His squad is sitting at 2-1 right now.
If they take care of business tonight,
it'll be awfully tough to keep them out of the tournament.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think the big issue for them
in their first year here at BattleBots
was weapon reliability.
This version of Switchback is hitting hard
and most importantly, it's a brick.
The robot is super durable.
One more big win should land them somewhere
between the 10 and 20 seed,
but they can't take their foot of the gas.
Taking on Jen Herchenroeder's crew at HiJinx,
I don't want to speak for Jen,
but I feel like she's really disappointed at this point.
She didn't expect to be 1-2
fighting for her post-season life.
She's gotta get it right tonight.
[Kenny] Yeah, she does.
This is HiJinx's third year at BattleBots,
managed to squeak into the tournament
as the 29th seed in back-to-back seasons.
But this year, the weapon just hasn't been reliable or deadly.
I could still see them getting into the round of 32
with a big time KO,
but another poor performance would send Jen
into the offseason with a whole lot of question marks.
At least for Jen heading into this fight,
she has an experience advantage.
No question about it. Faruq!
In the red square from Oakland, California,
the bot that's pink enough for Barbie
but will stop you flatter than Ken,
it's HiJinks!
[Chris] Team HiJinks led by Captain Jen Herchenroeder
in a hot pink jacket. Endless drip from this crew.
And looks like they armored up HiJinks
for this fight, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right. They're going with
their brand new top attack armor for this one
Those ribs you see there are AR500,
and they are designed to bend and absorb energy
from massive spinners.
As always, look for HiJinks to lead with its tail.
In the blue square, from Dallas, Texas,
he'll hit you in the head so hard,
you won't remember the Alamo
or your Social Security number,
it's Switchback!
[chanting] Switchback! Switchback!
[Chris] Team Switchback
looking kinda like they might break into a layup line
with those warm-up jackets.
Lookin' good, guys!
Kenny, how does Greg Needel secure the W tonight.
[Kenny] That plow you see there is gonna be key.
If he can stay aggressive, use it to deflect blows,
slow down HiJinx's weapon,
it'll give them the opportunity he needs
to rack up damage.
A good chance he'll have to eat some shots though,
so that durability will be tested.
One thing we know about Switchback
is that they like to run big plows
Greg Needel, the team captain had the audacity
to show me a picture of which plow he planned to use against my robot.
I didn't have the heart to tell him it was the wrong one.
Switchback's a top attack robot,
they're main goal is to rip our armor open
and get to the juicy insides.
In the off-season, we designed and built
brand new top attack armor.
So we've got a brand new fresh set ready for Switchback.
This fight is gonna be do our die for us.
If we don't come out with a win,
we're probably not gonna get placed where we want.
we've made a really nice front wedge for Switchback.
It should help absorb some of the damage that they can do
with their really big horizontal.
If we can kinda control their weapon spin up
and stay close to them, uh, we're also a lot faster
and more maneuverable in the box.
Going 3-1 puts us solidly in, you know,
in the round of 32 with probably a pretty good seeding.
That's what we're here for, we're here to make a dent
and go deep in the tournament.
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Switchback's going straight at the weapon
of HiJinx to start.
- [Kenny] Uh-oh. - [Chris] And...
- [Kenny] Whoa! - [Chris] Wow, nice shot there.
[Kenny] Yeah, HiJinks now inverted and vulnerable.
Switchback going on the attack.
[Chris] You can hear that nasty vertical weapon
on Switchback firing up.
- [Kenny] Oh. - [crowd exclaiming]
[Chris] Oh, my goodness!
Enormous shot and a bad ending,
HiJinks up on the rails!
I don't think Orion Beach is gonna be able
to shake loose from that spot.
[Kenny] Yeah, he's a good driver,
but he's not a magician.
That was a devastating shot.
- Oh, my gosh! - [referee] 10, 9,
- eight, seven... - [Chris] Greg Needel and Switchback
are gonna improve to 3-1!
- What a fantastic sophomore season... - [referee] ...three, two, one!
- You're out! - ...[Chris] for the bot from Texas!
[buzzer sounds]
[Chris] Wow!
Kenny, you know, we talk an awful lot about
performance versus record here at BattleBots.
That's what an impressive performance looks like.
Greg Needel did not hesitate for a second.
[Kenny] No, this was a lesson in aggression.
Switchback never gave HiJinx the chance to get up to speed,
went right at them and didn't let up.
[Chris] Once Switchback had HiJinx inverted,
you kind of felt the big shot was coming
and boom!
Put that in the season highlight package right now.
[Kenny] Unreal, the horizontal blade goes flying.
You can see Switchback lining this up,
and Switchback's weapon was still functional
after this shot, unbelievable.
[Chris] Uh, cleanup on aisle five.
That 67-pound blade is going on clearance.
Greg Needel, what a KO!
Yeah, that's what... That's what we're here for.
Seems like you guys really have Switchback dialed in right now.
It took a few matches this season,
but look, in the fourth match,
it's finally hitting the way that we know it should,
and we're ready to make a deep run in the tournament.
It seems like you guys are peaking right now
as you're getting into the top 32,
where would you rank your team?
I think that's a pretty tough one,
I think that, you know, 3-1, I'd say,
you know, middle of the pack somewhere.
There's some great teams on both ends,
but, you know, we're happy to make the round of 32.
That was one of the big goals for the season,
and we're ready to take anyone they throw at us.
[crowd cheering]
Greg, congratulations on your 3-1 regular season.
Thank you.
[Chris] Kenny, there are certain bots that make
significant improvements from one season to the next,
and I think you gotta put Switchback in that category.
Yeah, absolutely, the improvements
that they've made in their weapon especially,
very impressed.
[Chris] All right, if you're keeping track at home,
that is 99 qualifying fights down
and only one to go.
There's a look at team Minotaur getting weighed in.
The fans have been waiting a year
for their rematch with Witch Doctor.
It is now just moments away.
We cannot wait.
But before those two veterans make their way
into the arena, we are going to round out
this year's exhibition slate, Kenny.
[Kenny] That's right, we've got one final matchup
between Slammo! and Double Tap.
Let's see if either of these two squads
have what it takes
to break into next season's field of 50.
[Chris] There is Slammo! getting into position,
led by well-known robot builder, Craig Danby.
It's a grabber, lifter combo that actually made
the round of 32 just a few years ago.
Lost its first exhibition fight to Terrortops.
Let's see if Craig can turn back the clock here.
All right.
[Chris] Team Double Tap, a crew of rookie drone pilots
led by Jonathan Collazo out of San Jose
beat Doomba in their first fight,
and that big old blade out front can do some damage.
It just needs to find the space to spin up.
That's been a challenge.
[crowd chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
And here comes Slammo! quick out of the gate.
Whoa, and taking a tap from Double Tap.
[Kenny] Double Tap pretty speedy out there on the floor.
- [Chris] Whoa! - [Kenny] And a little out of control,
drives itself straight into the wall.
[Chris] Here's Slammo! with a nice hold on Double Tap.
And let's see if Craig Danby can do that suplex
that he always loves to brag about.
[Kenny] Still underneath Double Tap,
but doesn't quite have the grip.
And Double Tap slips free, missed opportunity for Slammo!
[Chris] I mean, let's give Craig Danby so much credit.
This is a guy that has battled
with different versions of robots over the years.
This man is passionate,
He just wants to see something at the end game.
[Kenny] Yeah, no question about it.
Loves doing this as you mentioned,
- he's got a nice hold on Double Tap. - 30 seconds on the grapple.
- I am. - [Kenny] He's gonna have to let go in a little bit though.
[Chris] Yeah, he's done a nice job at least stopping
the Double Tap weapon from spinning up to full speed.
[Kenny] Slammo! releases,
Double Tap looking for some space to reset.
[Chris] All right, folks, well, we have word
that Minotaur and Witch Doctor are now entering the arena.
That fight is just moments away.
Also remember, directly following that match
will be the reveal of this year's 32-team
World Championship tournament field.
Once the teams are announced,
you can go to battlebots.com
to find printable versions of the bracket.
And let's take a look at the updated odds
for Kenny's favorites to win the Giant Nut.
Again, the smaller the number,
the more likely the team is to win it all.
What are we looking at here, casino Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, I promise this isn't just a promo for our next fight.
I do think whoever wins
between Minotaur and Witch Doctor
should be the favorite to take home the hardware.
Right on their tails is former champ, End Game,
and Riptide now in my top five too.
I'm still waking up in the middle of the night
thinking about what they did to Captain Shrederator.
[Chris] So a $100 bet on Riptide pays out $1,000
at the Florian sportsbook. I would take that.
Now give me the odds that one of these exhibition teams
is able to score a knockout here down the stretch.
[Kenny] Yeah, Chris, I don't think Ceasars
has enough money to cover that bet.
[Chris] Well, approaching the 30-second mark
to do a little bit of damage and impress the judges.
Let's see if Double Tap can get that weapon spinning,
we'll see if Slammo! can get pointed in the right direction.
[Kenny] You can see Slammo!'s lost the inside of its drive,
able to get underneath Double Tap in this fight.
It just doesn't have the control.
Come on, come on, come on.
[Chris] Under 15 seconds to go in this exhibition match.
A pair of bots trying to work their way into
season eight here at BattleBots.
Will either of them work their way into the win column?
- [buzzer sounds] - [referee] We're done, we're done.
[Chris] This one goes to the judges.
All right, we're gonna let you know the results
of the judges' decision when we return from break.
And that means the most anticipated rematch since Ali-Frazier
is right around the corner.
Unbeaten Minotaur, unbeaten Witch Doctor,
an unbeaten regular season and perhaps the number one
overall seed in the round of 32 on the line.
It's next here on BattleBots. Hurry back!
[Chris] We are back on BattleBots.
Now just some quick housekeeping.
Double Tap won that last exhibition fight
in a unanimous decision, so congrats to them.
But right now it is time for our main event.
It is the final fight of the regular season.
It is juicy.
Well done, schedule makers
as you gave us Minotaur and Witch Doctor,
3-0 versus 3-0,
to battle it out for perhaps the top seed
in the round of 32, and oh, by the way,
a rematch from last season's post-season
in which Witch Doctor eliminated Minotaur.
Witch Doctor!
[Chris] And saying it was controversial
is an understatement, we talked about it all night.
That fight changed the sport forever.
Rules changed, fans went crazy,
Reddit threads had to be shut down,
and maybe that motivated these teams in the offseason.
'Cause here they are, looking stronger than ever before,
ready to throw down for the top seed in the tournament.
[exclaiming]
[Kenny] Absolutely, we know how badly
these two squads want this,
and I think this fight is less about last year's controversy
and more about showing definitively
who's got the best bot this season.
They've had big KOs, three-minute brawls,
and both have had fight of the year candidates.
When we talk about what it means to be a tournament team,
these two are the gold standard.
No one's going to complain when one of these teams
takes that top seed.
And I don't think anybody will be surprised
to see one or both of them in the finals.
[Chris] So here's how these two match up,
both weapons have improved since last season.
Minotaur's drum spins up quicker
while Witch Doctor's disk is now about 50% more powerful.
A drive train advantage for Witch Doctor,
but Minotaur has still got Daniel Freitas.
So what do you think will be the difference
in this, Kenny Florian?
[Kenny] Well, I went back to the tape in that last flight,
and I noticed that at least before the fight was stopped,
Witch Doctor lost every weapon to weapon engagement.
Look at how Minotaur's center of mass is just so low,
it almost uppercuts Witch Doctor
when they went head-to-head.
Where Witch Doctor was successful though
was when Daniel Freitas did his signature one-wheel move.
While it allows Minotaur to quickly reposition
and usually helps them win fights,
tipping it up raises its center of mass
and makes the weapon less effective.
And major credit to Mike Gellatly
because while most drivers steer clear during this move,
he attacked with surgical precision
every time he saw it.
That excellent driving scored them the damage points they needed to win.
We'll see if Daniel adjusts,
but keep an eye on things when he uses this move tonight.
- This is gonna be a great one, this is an all-time classic. - [whistles]
I can't wait to watch it again,
even though it hasn't happened.
So let's get to it. Faruq!
[Faruq] Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
It's time for the main event!
In the red square, like the Chicago Bulls of the '90s,
this bot dominates its sport,
and would have ruled that sport too,
it just doesn't look good in shorts.
Dennis Rodman couldn't rebound,
Scottie Pippen would be defenseless,
and Michael Jordan would never be the GOAT
had this bull knocked him senseless.
It's Minotaur!
[Chris] Here comes the Brazilian bull, Minotaur!
Daredevil driver, Daniel Freitas, on the left,
long time captain, Marco Meggiolaro, on the right.
Remember, Marco wasn't able to be with the team last season.
So what kind of difference will that make here tonight, Kenny?
[Kenny] Well, Marco was the calming force for these guys,
and like an offensive coordinator to a QB,
he's in Daniel's ear every second of every match.
He's kept their focus razor sharp this season,
and it's helped them execute gameplans to perfection.
I think he'll have a big impact on this match.
[Faruq] In the blue square,
captained by one of TV's greatest couples,
who designed a killer bot
that would show no love to Lucy or Ricky,
put them in a different kind of plot.
Zack and Kelly from Bayside,
they died thanks to the beating that it gives.
It rode all the way to Bel-Air
to take out Uncle Phil and both Aunt Vivs.
Give it up for Witch Doctor!
[Chris] Witch Doctor,
led by the husband and wife duo,
Mike and Andrea Gellatly.
And that young man in the middle
is 13-year-old, Will, pushing out the robot.
Will is battling a rare genetic disease
known as ALD.
His dream was to come to BattleBots
and meet his favorite team.
Now thanks to Make-A-Wish Foundation,
he has got a front row seat to the fight of the season.
[Kenny] Yeah, what a night for the young fan to be here.
He's about to witness some history.
Now, Witch Doctor is gonna try to take away
Minotaur's center of mass advantage tonight.
With these new forks, they're designed to get under their drop,
and should help when they go weapon-to-weapon.
[official] Good job, Will. That was awesome.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] And while we've talked an awful lot about their last fight,
this will actually be the third time
Minotaur and Witch Doctor have fought.
Minotaur won back in World Championship III,
so the series is tied 1-1.
[Kenny] That was the year Minotaur lost to Bite Force in the finals.
These two teams,
two of the best that this sport has ever seen.
[Chris] And let's see who the other builders are taking in the rubber match.
- They like Minotaur. - [Kenny] And that makes sense.
I think Minotaur is the overall favorite to win the Nut right now.
But I'll be honest, I've never seen Witch Doctor look this destructive.
Mike and Andrea said they've only cranked the weapon up to 50% power so far.
But tonight, they're taking it to 75.
Between the history and what's on the line,
this should feel like a championship-level fight.
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] So this is it.
Two 3-0 robots who had the fiercest fight from last season.
And now the rematch will decide the number 1 overall seed.
Will Minotaur get redemption?
Or will Witch Doctor prove they're still the better bot?
It is the finale of the World Championship VII qualifying round,
- when we return on BattleBots. - [cheering]
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to the final night of qualifying
here on BattleBots World Championship VII.
We are minutes away from revealing who's in
and who's out of the tournament.
But right now, we are locked and loaded on a matchup
that should decide the number 1 overall seed.
It's Minotaur
and Witch Doctor
in a rematch of last year's most controversial fight.
Two undefeated teams whose entire seasons
have led up to this.
[audience cheering]
[chanting] Fight! Fight! Fight!
[lights buzzing]
[Chris] Let the bot battle begin!
3-0. 3-0.
- Two teams that have gone after it in recent years. - [Kenny] Whoa!
[Chris] Nice start by Daniel Freitas and Minotaur, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely. Every time that weapon fires up, I get the chills.
Minotaur getting all the way under Witch Doctor there,
chipping away at the belly pan.
This is exactly how they won to Tantrum in the finals last year, Chris.
[Chris] Yeah, Daniel Freitas dishing out some punishment here to start.
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Tearing up the front end of Witch Doctor.
[Kenny] Those forks on Witch Doctor are gone!
[Chris] Mike Gellatly looking to reset.
- [Kenny] Oh! [chuckles] - [Chris] Oh!
Great shot there to the corner of Minotaur!
[Kenny] What a counter strike by Witch Doctor!
Brilliant stuff there from Mike Gellatly.
Minotaur's reeling from that shot.
[Chris] And inverted as well.
- But look at the gyroscopic boom to right itself. - [Kenny] Oh.
Whoa! Another shot, and ends up on its head does Minotaur, yet again.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think Witch Doctor
took the worst of that shot there.
[indistinct chatter] Come on. Come on.
- [Kenny] Uh-oh. - [Chris] Oh, another incredible self-right
by Daniel Freitas.
And it looks like Witch Doctor may have some mobility issues now.
[Kenny] Yeah, something's going on
with that right front tire on Witch Doctor.
It's having trouble getting traction.
[Chris] And here's Minotaur taking advantage,
pushing Witch Doctor across the Battle Box,
pinning him to the rail.
[Kenny] What a display of control by Minotaur
in what has been a very close fight.
Daniel Freitas, leaning on Witch Doctor like a boxer now.
[Chris] And there's the release as we cross the halfway mark.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] You see a puff of smoke
out of Witch Doctor.
These two robots must be exhausted, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, here's Minotaur pinning Witch Doctor again.
This is straight out of the fighters' playbook.
Daniel looking to catch his breath
and try and change up the pace of this match.
I'm not sure either team has much fight left in its weapon, Chris.
[Chris] And there's a little bit of movement from Minotaur's drum spinner.
But now it seems to be dealing with an issue on its left side.
He's crabwalking. He's crabwalking.
[Kenny] Yeah, Minotaur's lost half of its drive.
Witch Doctor's weapon is completely non-functional.
Now it's a matter of who can score points
in the aggression and control categories down the stretch.
This is gonna be a pushing match.
[Chris] Two of the best drivers in the world,
two of the best teams in the world.
They are laying it on the line here in this high-stakes rematch.
So much energy expended.
- Now willing themselves to the finish line. - [audience chanting]
What is gonna happen in the final 30 ticks?
[Kenny] Well, here, Daniel Freitas trying to bully Witch Doctor around,
trying to show superior control and aggression.
Witch Doctor trying to push back,
still dealing with that traction issue.
That opening flurry from Minotaur
really put Witch Doctor on the back foot in this fight,
tore up the truck wedge,
and compromised Mike Gellatly's ability
to drive the robot the way he wanted to.
[Chris] Under 10 seconds to go!
The battle of 3-0 teams.
Both dreaming of a 1 seed.
- But only one can remain perfect! - [buzzer]
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] We will head to the judges scorecard.
[indistinct chatter]
[Kenny] All teams moving back to their squares
to show they are still functional.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, fans across the globe had this match circled
the moment the schedule was released,
and it did not disappoint.
[Kenny] My goodness. Daniel Freitas unloaded on Witch Doctor
to start this fight,
tearing up its front wedge
and ripping off those new forks.
[Chris] But how about Mike Gellatly with a counter shot
that shook the arena,
sent Minotaur flying into the short corner.
[Kenny] I felt that one in my chest, Chris.
What a move by Daniel Freitas
to narrowly avoid the follow up from Witch Doctor.
[Chris] After another huge collision, Minotaur turned it on.
I thought it really showed some incredible control.
[Kenny] This was unreal, Chris.
Minotaur with the bull charge,
steamrolling Witch Doctor across the Box on that compromised tire.
And I thought it was genius of Daniel Freitas
to pin Witch Doctor against the rail,
catch a breath, and show control in the process.
[Chris] Big-time pressure on the judges here.
So who comes out on top?
[Kenny] Listen, aggression should be a split.
I have Minotaur winning control.
But as always, damage will tell the story.
Both weapons went down,
both robots were limping at the closing bell.
But Minotaur did get to those front forks
and chew off Witch Doctor's front end.
This is going to be very close!
[audience cheering]
The results from the judges are in.
[audience cheering]
The winner by unanimous decision is...
- [audience member 1] Minotaur! - [audience member 2] Witch Doctor!
- ...Minotaur! - [cheering]
[audience cheering]
Marco, congratulations.
You guys are 4-0. How does that feel?
Oh, that's the best thing.
Uh, I have to say something.
The best thing about this match,
about winning against Witch Doctor,
uh, is because, uh, they're a very good robot.
They're a very well ranked robot.
Uh, it has nothing to do with any personal grudge.
- We love them. Uh, - [audience cheering]
last year they did all they had to do with the rules to win.
They were trying to win,
and we think the rules they had...
The rules this year are better.
You get some more closure with the fights. I love that.
You... You have to... not to confuse people,
the bots from their builders.
We want to kill Witch Doctor,
- but we love and we respect a lot Andrea and Mike. - [all laughing]
- [audience cheering] - [Marco] You know?
We'll never get personal to them
about something that happened inside that Box, you know?
What happens inside the Battle Box stays in the Battle Box.
- Thank you. - [audience cheering]
[Kenny] Marco, well said.
Guys, you're still looking for your first Giant Nut ever.
How far do you think you can go in the tournament?
We have to go all the way.
We are ready for that.
We are best shape yet, spare parts.
With dream team here,
the most experienced veterans I've ever had.
Uh, [stutters] we have to this time.
[Chris] Amazing regular season.
You guys are looking extremely powerful.
Congratulations.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Mike and Andrea, not the result you were looking for.
But it was a great fight.
Does this help you kinda turn the page now
and, and focus on your ultimate goals?
Yeah, I mean, just like Marco said,
uh, our teams go back over a decade,
and we're really good friends, we have a lot of respect for each other.
And I heard a lot of cheering on both sides.
I love to see that from the audience as well.
We love this sport. We want it to be welcoming to new builders.
We're here with our new friend Will now,
and I think he's just had the match of his life
from, from those seats.
[Chris] Well, it's been a heck of a season for Witch Doctor.
- Congratulations to you and your entire squad. - [Andrea] Thanks.
[audience cheering]
[Mike] Good job, dude. Awesome.
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] Of course these two were gonna go the distance.
Yes, Minotaur looked a bit better than Witch Doctor.
That's why they got the judge's decision.
But overall, what a fantastic season
- for both of these squads, right? - Absolutely.
And a juicy fight as well between two of the best in the world.
Uh, and again, I love to see them wrap things up like that.
Two classy teams right there.
Is there, uh, any question Minotaur's gonna be the 1 seed
when we get to the post-season?
I mean, after that, you beat Witch Doctor,
uh, I have them as the 1 seed, yeah.
[Chris] All right. Well, the wait is almost over.
When we return, we're gonna break down the 32-team tournament field.
Who are the other top four seeds?
Who will RIPperoni face in the first round?
Will last year's champ, Tantrum, even get in?
We'll find out
when we reveal the World Championship VII bracket
next onBattleBots.
- [Chris] Tantrum trying to get back over. - [referee] Five! Four!
- [Kenny] Oh, boy. - [referee] Three!
- Two! - [Kenny] Unbelievable!
One! Knockout!
[buzzer]
[Chris] And it is over!
There goes the chain.
Yeah, but you can see what it is.
It's, like, we, we got smashed into the wall.
[Ginger] Looks like our self-righter chain broke.
Just snapped.
- Yeah. - And that sucks
'cause it means we lost to ourselves.
So, it's disappointing.
There's corners on those walls, right? The walls aren't flat.
And it just sneaks right in.
It would have flexed back though.
We'll have to watch the footage.
[Ginger] And if you mess up really badly,
that's pretty much it, and then our season is over.
So, I'm personally feeling pretty nervous.
[Alex] We haven't hit the mark yet.
And now we're at the point
where if you don't, you're out.
- Yeah. - So the pressure's on.
- It hit the sprocket, for sure. - Yeah.
[Ginger] As we wait for the bracket to come out,
there's no time to rest.
We're gonna design a completely new guard
for our chain.
And that chain is never gonna break ever again.
- You got that. - [chuckles] Jinx.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Welcome back to the final night of qualifying
here at BattleBots.
There are the two teams we just saw duke it out
for the number 1 overall seed.
Minotaur and Witch Doctor.
The Brazilians are one of four teams
that finished the qualifiers undefeated.
But with the post-season starting next week,
both squads are already hard at work.
And, okay, no more time to waste
because our World Championship VII tournament field
is all set.
- I am so... You ready to check this out? - Let's check it out.
Let's get to it.
Again, the top 32 teams have been seeded
based on their performance in the qualifying rounds,
as well as their overall pedigree,
and then placed into one of four quadrants.
On paper, the higher your seed,
the easier your path to the Giant Nut.
The top 16 seeds, for example,
should all be favorite in their first round matchups.
So, let's kick things off with quadrant 1.
The number 1 overall seed...
- ...Minotaur. - [audience cheering]
[Chris] This'll be the third season
in which the Brazilians received a top 10 seed.
But first time entering the tournament as the number one overall.
[Kenny] Yeah, no surprise after that win over Witch Doctor.
These guys have made it to the round of eight or further
every season they've competed.
And I do think having Marco here in person
has made and will continue to make a difference.
[Chris] Okay, let's see who was the last team to get in.
All right. The season isn't over yet for Reese Ewert and Fusion.
Now, let's check out the rest of the region.
A good 16th-17th matchup between Switchback and Malice.
Sawblaze, a little lower than I expected as the 8th seed.
Jamo will have a tough first round matchup with Blip.
And then we'll see who's the more violent vertical,
Cobalt or Monsoon.
[Kenny] Well, with Daniel Freitas, Jamison Go,
Aren Hill, and Dave Moulds,
this group has some of the most tactical drivers in the sport.
Cobalt looked incredible tonight.
We could get a rematch of that epic main event with Minotaur in the quarters.
Also, keep an eye on Sawblaze.
They've improved from top 16 to top 8, to top 4 last year.
Is this Jamo's year?
You keep saying like, "This is their year. This is their year."
I know there's a lot of luck involved in BattleBots. I get it.
- This might be their year. - Yeah, I'm telling you, they always get better.
Jamison has been one of the best drivers for a long time now.
But now he has a bot that really is something to deal with.
[Chris] Okay, let's check out quadrant two.
Starting with
the number two overall seed,
- Riptide. - [audience cheering]
- [Chris and Kenny] Oh! - [Kenny] Unbelievable.
[Chris] The sophomore squad let by Ethan Kurtz went 4-0
with four of the most brutal knockouts we've seen this season, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, I think this is the deadliest robot we've seen since Tombstone.
They handed Black Dragon their first ever KO this year,
and knocked out all their opponents
with an average of just 59.5 seconds per fight.
Absolutely deserving of this seed.
[Chris] Riptide made it all the way to the round of 8 as rookies.
It's not exactly apples to apples,
but there's only been one team to win it all
in its second season at BattleBots,Tombstone.
All right, let's see who else is in this region.
Wow! Shatter! gets in after a rough season.
That's a rematch from last year's round of 32.
Lucky's slipped to the 15th seed
after that loss earlier tonight.
A tough matchup with last year's most destructive award winner,
HyperShock awaits.
And how about this,
the reigning champs sneak in as the 26th seed,
but uh-oh, they are gonna face End Game
in a matchup of our last two Giant Nut winners.
And, wow, Copperhead, Rotator,
that could get explosive.
An awful lot to unpack in this group, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, we've still got two quadrants left,
but I think this has to be the group of death.
No offence to Shatter! and Lucky,
but I can see literally every other team here win it all,
and honestly, I'd take End Game
to come out of this slaughterhouse alive.
I mean, you just don't see them make mistakes
like they did against RIPperoni.
Uh, they're angrier,
uh, they wanna destroy more stuff because of that.
If there's one team that can match the confidence of Riptide,
it's the one led by Jack Barker and Nick Mabey.
That's why we understand when Nick Mabey,
even after the loss to RIPperoni,
said, "We're still the team to beat,"
- why he said, "We are the team to beat." - Unphased.
All right, let's move south to quadrant 3.
Still two undefeated teams left,
but after that legendary fight, the number 3 seed is...
- ...Witch Doctor. - [audience cheering]
[Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Again, last year's runners-up
finished 3-1
with wins over Ribbot, Gruff, and Fusion,
which is a fight of the year candidate, Kenny.
[Kenny] Absolutely.
All their matches this year have been dramatic
in one way [chuckles] or another.
And I think that blockbuster-fight factor Witch Doctor brings
plus their pedigree, did earn them this spot
over an undefeated team like Quantum.
[Chris] Witch Doctor and Minotaur are actually both third
on the all-time tournament wins list.
Either could move into first if they win the Giant Nut.
Now let's check out the rest of the region.
They'll be taking on Jackpot who had an up-and-down season,
but could be dangerous as a 30th seed.
Lock-Jaw, Bloodsport, is a rematch of a bounty fight from a few years ago,
where Donald Hudson won a judges' decision.
The undefeated Huge gets the 6th seed.
And Claw Viper, maybe this year's most improved bot,
gets the 11th seed.
[Kenny] I'm sure a little lower
than Kevin Milczewski was hoping for,
but they did get dominated by HyperShock in their final fight,
which probably hurt them.
Should be an absolutely electric fight with MaDCatTer though.
And while Jonathan Schultz probably thought he earned a top 4 seed too,
you know what I see,
there's only one horizontal spinner in this group.
If they can avoid Bloodsport,
the stage is set for a run to the semi-finals.
Undefeated heading into this,
looking very strong, looking very confident right now.
Uh, this is the Huge we all expected. So it's great to see.
[Chris] Okay, and then there was one.
Let's head to quadrant 4 to find out who got the final top four seed.
Buckle up for safety,
it's the fantastic flipper...
- ...Hydra. - [audience cheering]
- [Kenny] Oh! - [Chris] Oh! Hydra answers back.
Unreal.
Jake, you have finished 3-1,
which means two of the four undefeated teams did not get a top four seed.
[Kenny] Yeah, remember, seeding isn't just about record,
but also a team's pedigree, strict of schedule,
And it's chances of winning the Giant Nut,
Hydra absolutely can win it all.
Take a look at Jake's resume.
We saw him set his personal flip record
against Free Shipping a few weeks ago.
Every season, he goes a little bit further in the tournament.
Last year, he was top four.
Can he get to the title fight this time? We'll see.
[Chris] Remember, last year Jake snuck in as the 31st seed.
No bracket-busting needed this time around.
Let's see who else is in this region.
Okay, Hydra draws DeathRoll.
- The Aussies were a final-4 team... - [audience cheering]
...the last time they were in the tournament.
But that's a matchup of maximum ground game versus none.
Beta gets the 13th seed,
the same as World Championship V
And two really fun matchups round it out.
Quantum, Ribbot, and RIPperoni, Black Dragon.
David Jin's frogbot sneaks in at 1-3, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, and this'll be a fight to keep an eye on.
Quantum's looked unstoppable,
but they've only faced one horizontal weapon,
which is what I assume Ribbot will go with.
Ribbot has tough fights against Witch Doctor
and qualified for this year, though.
I think they deserve to get in.
These are tremendous teams that they lost to.
It was a very tough schedule.
And... And also, you gotta consider Ribbot,
what they've done here at BattleBots,you know.
They... They definitely have a lot of success,
and, uh, they're a great team.
Yeah, you remember last season,
they were the number 2 overall seed going into the round of 32.
So, a big picture.
Minotaur, Riptide, Witch Doctor, and Hydra
are your top 4 seeds.
Four 1-3 teams made it including the reigning champs, Tantrum.
Which means four 2-2 teams actually got left out!
[Kenny] Yeah, and do any of those teams
have a better chance at winning a fight
than the 32 seed Fusion,
or the 31st seed Shatter!?
Maybe Mammoth?
No real complaints from me.
[Chris] Any other final thoughts here, Kenny?
[Kenny] Just wanna point out the overall performance
of the non-four-wheeled vert robots.
Teams like Huge, Quantum, and Claw Viper
have shaken things up this year.
Let's see if that continues into the tournament.
[Chris] Well, we'll start to find out next week
as we begin with Kenny's group of death
and the right side of the bracket.
Reminder, you can find printable brackets on battlebots.com/bracket,
or scan the QR code here.
I promise, it doesn't go to Kenny's only bots account.
So, from Faruq, my man Kenny Florian,
I am Chris Rose.
We will see you next time
when we jumpstart the round of 32 here on BattleBots.
We'll see you then, everybody.
[audience cheering]