03x13 - The Rematch

[bunniefuu]

I don't know what
your family reunions are like,

but ours here at BattleBots, [/i]
it's an amazing experience.

Don't they look great?
I just love 'em.

All right,
everybody get together.

Come on, picture time, ready?

[PHONE RINGS]
Wait, hold on.

Phone's ringing, hold on.
[GROANS]

Hello? Ask him what?

They wanna know what time it is.

ALL:
It's robot-fighting time!

[ALL CHEERING]

[CAMERA CLICKS]

[♪♪♪]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[♪♪♪]

[exciting orchestral music]

Get on in here, and welcome
to BattleBots Fight Night.

It's the only competition
where the dream of a lifetime

takes the form of this,

the championship trophy
known as the Giant Nut.

Hi everybody, I'm Chris Rose,
and joining me,

a guy you'd have to be
a giant nut

to step inside
the octagon with,

UFC legend Kenny Florian.

The hunt for the trophy

just entered
its most critical stage,

and tonight's
fight card reflects that.

CHRIS:
It's do or die.

Every fight has
championship implications.

The stakes tonight
are through the roof.

And just take a look
at tonight's lineup:

Bite Force, Gigabyte,
Son of Whyachi, End Game.

This feels like Murderers' Row,

and that's without even
mentioning our main event,

where the bull from Brazil,
Minotaur,

faces a rare, must-win fight.

They're gonna be charging
into the box

against another bot
on the bubble,

the flaming hammer,
Blacksmith.

KENNY:
And these two faced off in 2016

in what quickly became
the most viewed bout

in BattleBots history.[/i]

Over 100 million people
worldwide

watched Minotaur
decapitate Blacksmith.

Tonight, it's the rematch
we've all been waiting for.

And break out
your big-boy pants as well.

It's another
big-league showdown.

A pair of top-tier bots,

both in totally
different situations.

KENNY:
This season,
the undefeated Bite Force

has been a total stud.

Bombshell, well, kind of a dud.

Zero wins, a nearly zero chance
of making the playoffs,

but Michael Jeffries
has a lot of pride,

so he could play the role
of the ultimate spoiler.

CHRIS:
We'll also see the full-bodied
helicopter spinner

Son of Whyachi stepping
into the box with End Game

and its deadly vertical disc.

Both of those teams
sit at 2-1 on the year,

and a win here tonight

would almost surely
launch them into the top 16.

However, in our first fight
of the night,

a bot with pure evil
imprinted in its DNA,

the total hellraiser
known as Red Devil.

Captain Ravi Baboolal has
led his team to a 2-1 record.

He'll be facing off against
Leanne Cushing and Valkyrie,

who's coming off a tough loss
in the Desperado tournament.

But with a couple of victories
under its belt,

you gotta think
it's no longer a dark horse.

There's a shot at the playoffs
on the line

right from the jump.

You fired up for this one,
Mr. Florian?

Very fired up.
Let's get to it.

Faruq, take it away.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?

[CROWD CHEERING]

It's robot-fighting time.

[CROWD CHEERING LOUDLY]

In the red square, this fighter
is straight up "diabotical,"

dressed to impress
and definitely possessed.

Coming in screaming
like a fiery demon,

it's Red Devil!

CHRIS:
Ravi Baboolal came in

as a first-year captain
for this team,

but he's actually proven to
be handy on the sticks, Kenny.

KENNY:
He sure has, Chris.

Red Devil actually runs
on two controllers.

Each one of its drive treads
has its own motor,

and it does take
a lot of coordination

between Ravi and his weapons
operator during these matches.

In the blue square, on winged
steed, she flies from above.

She's got the fight
with the flight

and the spinning bite.
It's Valkyrie!

CHRIS:
Leanne Cushing and Valkyrie,

they entered
the Desperado competition

in hopes of clinching
a spot in the top 16.

Unfortunately, they fell
a little bit short,

but at 2-2 on the year,

you have to think
their tournament hopes

are still alive and well.

All right, Ravi,
how are we feeling so far?

We're getting closer
to that top 16.

Feeling great, this fight's
really pivotal for us,

but we think we can take it.

We going to try
and out-drive them.

We know we can. They
have a two-wheel drive.

They're very squirrelly,
our tread pods are very stable,

so we're just going
to out-drive them,

and keep the front
pointed toward them.

Yeah, I think Ravi's
really honing it in

on how to drive his robot,
so we need to make sure

not to get pinned against walls,
and if our weapon keeps going,

we're just gonna
keep eating him.

We're hoping we're
just gonna slowly take

all the treads off of Red Devil.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny, sounds like

Leanne Cushing's got
a plan of attack,

and of her three weapon options,

she's chosen to go with that


that they call
Sonic the Wedgehog.

How's Red Devil
gonna counter here?

KENNY:
Well, Ravi is gonna wanna try

to stay squared up
to Valkyrie's weapon,

absorb some hits with that plow,

and land as many shots as
he can with that overhead saw.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Red team, ready?

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Blue team, ready?

[CROWD CHEERING]

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CHRIS:
And here we go, two bots,

a single three-minute bout.

Victory will be declared

by a panel of judges
or by a knockout.

As always, the ultimate goal:

To complete destroy
or disable your opponent.

[BUZZER BUZZING]

Let the bot battle begin!

Here comes Red Devil,
squaring up.

Oh, Red Devil takes
the first hit and says,

"Is that all you got?"

KENNY:
Yeah, and for Red Devil,

I was surprised they didn't
try to box rush Valkyrie here,

kind of took their time.

That's allowing that horizontal
spinner of Valkyrie to spin up.

CHRIS: Oh!
KENNY: Oh, man.

CHRIS:
The Red Devil taking
a lot of punishment early on.

Oh, look at the shots with that
wedge in front of Red Devil

they've already taken
from Valkyrie.

Bigtime destruction there.

KENNY:
Yeah, and the effects
are already starting

to really be evident
there on the tread.

Oh, look at that,
that's not good.

CHRIS:
Whoa, that tread is on its own!

It's got a life of its own.

KENNY:
One tread going one way,
Red Devil going another.

CHRIS:
What's going on here?
That Red Devil is evil.

There are spirits
inside that tread!

KENNY:
Did they just split
into two different bots?

Is this a part of their
strategy? I don't think so.

CHRIS:
Unbelievable! I don't think
we've ever seen this.

KENNY:
Well, I've gotta tell you,
Chris,

Red Devil doing
an incredible job

staying under control on one
tread, look at that driving.

CHRIS:
More than a minute
into this fight,

Red Devil literally
split in two.

Somebody take that amputated
tread and pack it on ice.

KENNY:
It's possessed.

CHRIS:
So Red Devil
already in survival mode,

as we approach the halfway mark.

I don't know whether
to watch the main bot

or the little guy that's
entertaining me in front of us.

Hi, Sparky.

Get in the fight, little guy.

What are you doing over here?

Valkyrie is cutting up
Red Devil right now.

Oh, looks like someone's doing

some construction work
over there.

CHRIS:
Red Devil's face is a mess,

its leg has been amputated,
but somehow he's still alive.

This fight is still
up for grabs, Kenny.

KENNY:
Oh! Yeah, Red Devil hanging on.

They have to try and break
that weapon on Valkyrie now

and even this thing.

We've seen this type
of scenario before.

And Valkyrie looking durable,

but they have to get
to that other tread

and end this while they can.

CHRIS:
Bigtime chunk
taken out of Red Devil.

KENNY:
Yeah, that plow is
getting destroyed right now.

CHRIS:
I don't even know
what's going on

with that little Devil
in the corner.

I think he's down for the
count. Pretty cute, though.

Can I buy one of those
in the gift shop?

KENNY:
Valkyrie also having
some mobility

and driving issues as well,
Chris.

I feel like it should
be way more effective.

They are cutting up Red Devil,

but they're going around
in circles here.

CHRIS:
Under 25 to go in the fight.

That weapon on Valkyrie
still going strong.

Can she finish here?

KENNY:
The quickest path to Red Devil's
a straight line, Valkyrie.

You gotta go straight,
where you going?

CHRIS:
Under 15 to go
in this do-or-die match

for both bots to have a chance
at making it into the top 16.

KENNY: Whoa, whoa!
Well, it's too late for a K.O.,

as Red Devil limps
towards the finish line,

but I think Valkyrie
will be feeling

pretty good about their chances.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]

Yes! Yeah

CHRIS:
What a bizarre showing
to start the evening,

but certainly a memorable one
for Leanne Cushing

and Team Valkyrie
as it goes to the judges.

And there they are.


Lisa Winter,

the former BattleBots [/i]
bad boy Derek Young,

and gaming industry
icon Naomi Kyle.

They'll be judging
on a five-point scale,

but the most important thing
they're looking for is damage.

Kenny, I remember a time when
Red Devil was still intact.

KENNY:
Heh, that's right.

Children, hide your eyes.

Red Devil's tread
just going one way.

The bot's over there.
Where you going?

The other way.

CHRIS:
Hard to win a fight

when you're hopping
on just one leg.

But Red Devil actually did
an amazing job of driving

and making it
to the closing bell.

Valkyrie's weapon
looked durable,

and even though she had
some mobility issues,

she inflicted plenty of damage.

Was is enough to get the W?

Let's go to Faruq and find out.

The winner
by unanimous decision is...

Valkyrie!
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
So Valkyrie moves to 3-2
on the season,

keeping its tournament dreams
alive.

And for Red Devil,
who squandered

a golden opportunity here,

their fate now hangs
in the balance.

One thing I do know, though,

with their bot in
pieces after that fight,

Ravi Baboolal might be paying
some extra baggage fees

on his flight home.
[KENNY LAUGHS]

[♪♪♪]

Brutus and Gigabyte.

Now, we are moments away
from their huge fight.

With a win,
Brutus would move to 3-1,

which you have to think
would be enough

to get him into the top 16.

And for Gigabyte,
sitting at 1-2,

it's win or go home here.

This one's gonna be
a whole lot of fun.

Let's take you inside the box.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

In the red square,
to battle this bot,

I hope you ate your spinach.

It wants to spill
all of your oil

and pop your eye.

[IMITATES POPEYE'S LAUGH]

Give it up for Brutus!
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Adam Bercu and Brutus

took down a full-body spinner
earlier this year

in Son of Whyachi.

He'll get a chance
at another here tonight.

In the blue square,
it's the ultimate hard drive.

It's got plenty of RAM
and will wipe your memory.

You just hit control-alt-defeat.

It's Gigabyte!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
And there we see
the full-body spinner Gigabyte,

led by Brent Rieker.

He started street-racing cars
at the age of 16

and says he approaches
robot combat

in much the same way,
pedal to the metal.

I guess a bot like Gigabyte,

you don't really
have many options.

I'm just gonna go in
for the box rush

like I did with Son of Whyachi
and try not to whiff.

They already know my strategy.
There is only one against them.

I just need
clean, simple execution.

If you end up
winning this match,

how confident are you
in getting a top-16 spot?

We don't know what they're
gonna do with the top 16.

We wanna win,
we know we have to win.

We have to win this fight.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
And now we get a good view

of that periscope attachment
on Gigabyte.

And remember,
it's not only funny-looking

but it also acts as
a self-righting device for them.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

Kenny, a couple of heavy hitters
about to square off here.

Got a prediction
on how it might go?

KENNY:
Well, neither of these teams

have let it go to the judges
even once this year.

Smart money's on seeing
another knockout here tonight.

[BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Takes about five seconds

for Gigabyte to get up
to full speed.

Brutus doesn't let him do it.

You always have to watch
how Gigabyte responds

after bouncing
around the BattleBox

like it has
the first 15 seconds.

KENNY:
Yeah, this is not
what Gigabyte wanted.

It does not want to be
trapped in a corner.

But look at this,
Brutus hesitating a little bit.

CHRIS:
Allows Gigabyte to get back
in the middle,

maybe trying to line itself up
for its next hit.

KENNY:
He's trying to get
that primary weapon going--

Oh, jeez!

Why does it have
to be towards us?

I mean, really?
Every time, Kenny!

It's like these bots
have got it in for us.

There's a whole BattleBox
to play in!

Go to the other corner
for a while.

Oh, another shot by Brutus.

KENNY:
No action from Brutus'
disc spinner yet.

Is he holding back
or is it damaged?

CHRIS: Oh!
KENNY: Either way,

very effective
with that wedge so far.

CHRIS:
Brutus almost flipped Gigabyte

out of the BattleBox Arena,
whoa.

Up easy, up easy.

CHRIS:
Brutus delivering
a barrage of punches,

but Gigabyte looking
very durable so far.

Oh, huge hit.

KENNY:
Chris, tough to tell

whether Brutus is trying
to break Gigabyte

before he unleashes
that primary weapon,

but he is being
extremely aggressive.

CHRIS:
Looks like Gigabyte,
a little off-center

as it's spinning around
and taking another shot.

KENNY:
As long as Gigabyte
is spinning,

it is a knockout threat.

CHRIS:
Part of Brutus has come off
inside the box.

KENNY: Whoa!
CHRIS: Oh, holy smokes,

how much longer
can these two bots keep this up?

And let's remember, it's not
the primary weapon of Brutus

that's doing a
lot of the damage.

It's that wedge in front,
not the vertical spinner.

That's something that will
catch the eye of the judges.

KENNY:
And some impressive impacts
here in the BattleBox.

Brutus just missing there.

CHRIS:
And that full-body spinner

no longer appears
to be working, Kenny.

Have those blows from Brutus

finally taken the sting
out of Gigabyte?

KENNY:
Yeah, Gigabyte in big trouble
here, Chris.

Brutus backs off,
and there it is,

that disc spinner
kicks into action.

Brutus has the opening
he's looking for, watch out.

CHRIS:
Brutus with the rope-a-dope.

This fight just got
a whole lot more exciting.

KENNY:
Now he's going for the k*ll.

CHRIS:
Brutus looking
for the knockout blow.

And now Gigabyte backs him off,

and Brutus is on his head,
upside down.

Can he self-right?

KENNY: What a reversal!
Stay away from him.

Okay. Okay.
Stay away!

CHRIS:
Forty seconds to go,

and Adam Bercu and Brutus
trying to flip back over.

The referee, John,
asking for Adam Bercu

to show some sort of movement.

Ten...
CHRIS: He's getting counted out!

Team Brutus can't believe it.

...six...
CHRIS: Are you kidding me?

KENNY:
Doing everything possible
to try to self-right.

...four, three...
CHRIS: Can he self-right?

He's running out of time, Kenny.
...one, knockout!

[BUZZER BUZZES]

CHRIS:
What a stunning turn of events

in the final 30 seconds here.

My goodness, that is
a crushing, crushing defeat.

Kenny, it seemed like Brutus

had a game plan going into
this one. Break it down for us.

KENNY:
Yeah, Brutus came out
super aggressive

but decided to hold back
on using his vertical disc

in the hopes that he
could disable Gigabyte

with his wedge before
he launched an attack.

CHRIS:
And he did just that.

KENNY:
He did.
Gigabyte stopped spinning.

Brutus fired up that disc
and pounced,

but in a crazy reversal,

Brutus caught a bad angle,
got flipped,

and like a fighter catching
an uppercut in the 11th round,

it was heartbreak city
for Adam Bercu.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
So both of these teams
finish their seasons at 2-2.

Is it enough to get into
the top 16, in your opinion?

It's gonna be tough.

Listen, strength of schedule

gets factored
into the equation.

I think that might help them
a little bit,

but this is one of
the strongest fields

we've ever seen on BattleBots.

Well, all I can say is,
good luck, selection committee.

All right, coming up,

the undefeated Bite Force
takes on the winless Bombshell.

And later tonight, our
main event, let's take a look.

I can't wait to see
the team from Brazil.

MARCO:
Last season,
Minotaur was a brand-new robot,

nobody knew about it.

KENNY:
A lot of people call these guys

the Tombstone of Brazil.

The fight that made Minotaur
famous was against Blacksmith.

CHRIS:
Oh, Blacksmith gets
thrown in the air.

That was awesome.

KENNY:
Minotaur is undressing
Blacksmith right now.

CHRIS:
Oh! Blacksmith had his face
ripped off!

Are you kidding me?!

That was the match
which went viral.

KENNY:
Oh, Minotaur

just pulverizing
Blacksmith right now.

Over 100 million people
saw me lose.

[KENNY & CHRIS EXCLAIM]

KENNY:
Oh, Blacksmith is on fire!

That will not happen again.

CHRIS:
Tonight, a rematch
two years in the making.

Blacksmith has
a chance at redemption.

AL:
We've modified the design,
we've evolved the design.

We're ready.

CHRIS:
But Minotaur looks

as destructive
as it's ever been.

MARCO:
Minotaur is gonna
go for the knockout.

He wants some destruction.
We don't want to waste time.

FARUQ:
Ladies and gentlemen...

CHRIS:
The table is set.

FARUQ:
...are you ready?

CHRIS:
The wait is over.

FARUQ:
It's robot-fighting time!

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Right now, we've got Bombshell

and Bite Force
preparing for battle,

and let's start with Bite Force.

Three fights, three wins,

and Paul Ventimiglia
has got the look

of a man on a mission here.

Tonight, he's taking on
Michael Jeffries and Bombshell.

For him, it's been three
fights, three losses,

and it's really been
a disappointing year

for the 2016 runner-up.

They have been delivering
exciting fights, though,

and I think that nothing would
please Michael Jeffries more

than going out there
and beating the 2015 champ.

At the very least,
that's a huge moral victory.

Let's see if Bombshell
can pull it off.

[CROWD CHEERING]

FARUQ:
In the red square...

[SIREN BLARING]

...we're about to enter
a state of w*r.

This is DEFCON 4,

and you're about to be
blitzkrieged by a bot.

It's Bombshell!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Michael Jeffries and Bombshell
have yet to get a win this year,

but it's partly due
to a brutal schedule:

Lock Jaw, Bronco, Yeti.

They draw yet another
tough opponent here tonight.

In the blue square,
straight from Silicon Valley,

here comes another tech boom.

Bring on the "killionaires"
and a big crash.

It's Bite Force!
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force
are looking to be the first team

to reach a perfect


it sounds like they're
planning to use this fight

as a bit of a tune-up too.

KENNY:
That's right.
Paul's looking ahead

at what it might take
to make a championship run,

and he switched out a number
of internal components.

Hard to imagine his bot
could perform any better,

but Paul Ventimiglia
is always looking

for places to improve.

My team knows our whole focus

has been going
to that tournament.

We've already been
looking really good.

Behind the scenes, we've
been prepping spare parts

for that tournament, building
up a whole spare frame.

We've had a lot of
reliability issues in the past.

It was one big motor.

Now we've switched over to
four smaller mag motors.

So it's a total change,
a lot more reliable.

We've been testing it in the
test box, but not in the arena.

This will be the first test
with the full system.

One thing that I think
helped us a lot last year

was the element of surprise,

and we've got a bit of that
this time for this fight.

So for the first time,
I won't be the driver.

We're going out there,
we're gonna put on

the best show we can,
and from there,

whatever happens to us happens.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
So, Kenny, Michael Jeffries
handed the weapon controls

over to Dan Hammer
in his last fight,

and now the drive controls
go over

to Matthew Carroll here tonight.

So I guess you could say
he's taken on the role of coach.

I just hope he doesn't
blow a fuse

if it's not going his way.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Fight, fight, fight, fight...

[BUZZER BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Bite Force already up to
full speed with that spinner.

KENNY:
Shaky driving from Bombshell

straight out of the gate,

showing his backside,
gotta be careful.

CHRIS:
Oh, Bombshell already took
a header.

Can it fix itself? Oh!

KENNY:
What a hit!

CHRIS:
Paul Ventimiglia puts Bombshell
on his back



He's lining Bombshell up
for another one.

This could get real ugly,
but that's what we want.

That's what we like.

Bombshell, he's got
nowhere to hide.

Bite Force
with a little foreplay.

Oh, delivered another
shot to Bombshell,

and flipping it
out of the arena!

Ten, nine, eight...
CHRIS: Unbelievable.

KENNY:
Well, he can't self-right
that way.

Bite Force making a statement.

CHRIS:
In less than one minute,
Bite Force.

...one, that's a knockout!
[BUZZER BUZZES]

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Why not do a celebratory dance?

Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force,
you are a bad, bad bot.

KENNY:
by Bite Force.

That motor is a monster.

I mean, it's one thing
to flip a bot.

It's another to send it
right out of the arena. Man!

CHRIS:
Just lined it up, 250 pounds,

and if I were you,
I'd get out of here.

Michael Jeffries
gave up the controls.

Might want to rethink
that strategy.

So Bite Force moves to 4-0,

remaining undefeated
on the year.

And for Bombshell,
it's been a disappointing 2018.

All right, coming up,

Lucky and Reality,
mere moments away

from the fight of their lives.

Kenny, I think
Mark Demers and Lucky,

one of the feel-good stories
here this season.

Winless until entering
the Desperado flash tournament,

won two fights, lost
in the final to Lock Jaw,

but certainly caught the eye
of the selection committee,

you have to imagine.
KENNY: No question.

They've proven that flipper
can be very effective.

Another win here tonight,
and that might be just enough

to earn a spot in
the championship tournament.

We don't know if Reality is
gonna make it into the top 16.

They're winless on the year,

but even though they lost
by knockout to DUCK!,

that drum spinner
looked really strong

until they burned out
their motor.

KENNY:
Well, listen,
we got a nice look

at what that primary weapon
can do

when it's working properly.

That thing spins
at 160 miles an hour,

only takes three seconds
to spin up to full speed.

That thing's a beast.

Sounds like a lot of violence
coming your way,

are you excited?
Yes, absolutely.

Let's get to it.

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the red square,

tickle your rabbit's foot,
pick your four-leaf clover,

but face this bot
and your good fortune's over.

It's Lucky!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
A few weeks ago,
Lucky was without a win,

not feeling confident.

Now it's a total 180.

KENNY:
Yeah, we saw a couple teams

that had good runs in
the Desperado tournament,

Lucky being one of them.

They did have to undergo

a pretty serious rebuild
as a result of it,

but, hey, if BattleBots were[/i]
easy, everyone would do it.

In the blue square,

last night I had a dream:
there were two robots

in a 20-foot-tall box about
to rip each other to shreds.

Well, it turns out it wasn't
a dream at all, it was Reality.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Reality,

that's a gnarly 60-pound
drum spinner in the front.

Actually has the batteries
to the bot inside of it.

KENNY:
That's right, very interesting
technology there,

but they want to give Lucky
a reality check, if you will.

They want to attack that flipper
with that drum spinner.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Fight, fight, fight...

[BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Reality fast out of the blocks.

We saw Lucky with
some outstanding driving

in that Desperado tournament,

and now going head-on
against Reality.

KENNY:
Uh-oh, Reality very close

to getting thrown
out of the box there.

CHRIS:
He's got that flipper going.

KENNY:
Lucky trying to lure him close
to the side of the box.

CHRIS:
Oh, there's a nice little shot!

Lucky, though, acting
more as a wedge

than a flipper at that point.

KENNY:
I think he's trying
to get Reality

to just roll right over him,

and then buck him off
like a bronco.

CHRIS: Uh-oh! Oh!
KENNY: There's some sparks.

They want to avoid those
head-on collisions though,

with that drum spinner.
They've gotta be careful.

That will damage their bot.
CHRIS: Like that?

KENNY:
Yeah, all right.

CHRIS:
Oh, look at that
self-righting mechanism

on Lucky,
that thing's so cool.

KENNY:
But they just wasted a flip

on trying to get
self-righted here. Oh!

CHRIS:
And now they're wasting
some armor on the front

by sticking their nose
in that drum spinner.

Kenny, so important
for Lucky not only to win

but put on a show
for the selection committee.

It's not gonna be just enough
to get a W here,

and it looks like Lucky's got
some serious drivetrain issues.

Can you show me you've
got some kind of control?

I'm going, I'm going.

Gotta crab walk
over there, if you can.

KENNY:
You know what, it did
damage to Reality as well.

When you have a primary weapon
as powerful as Reality's,

you can do a lot of damage
to yourself as well,

and I think Reality's
experiencing the same thing.

REFEREE:
Reality,
do you have control?

No, I'm on that side--

I need you to engage,
don't stand back.

CHRIS:
Bit of a crabwalking
dance-off here, Kenny.

KENNY:
Yeah, both bots having
some drivetrain issues,

but Reality creeping closer.

CHRIS:
Look out.

Oh, there we go,
there's another big shot,

and Reality takes one
in the kisser.

The way these two are moving,

it's like they wanna fight
but they can't get there, like,

"Hey, hold me back,
hold me back."

KENNY:
Lucky not moving.
Chris, this could be it.

Ten, nine, eight...
CHRIS: Here comes the countdown.

...seven, six...
CHRIS: Can Lucky show

any transitional movement?

Triggering the flipper
won't cut it, I'm afraid.

That's just the reality, guys.
...two, one, knockout!

[BUZZER SOUNDS]
CHRIS: And that is it,

as Lucky gets counted out.

KENNY:
Lucky looks very angry
that it lost that one.

Look, he's spazzing out.

CHRIS:
He's breaking
into convulsions right now.

KENNY:
Protesting this.

CHRIS:
Kenny, a couple of huge hits
early on,

and after that, not much.

KENNY:
Yeah, not the way
Lucky wanted to start.

You can't go face first
into that drum spinner,

just too much power
in that Dutch weapon,

and Lucky, unfortunately,

was pretty much behind
the eight ball after that,

wasn't able to drive
the way they wanted to.

They weren't really successful
with that lifter at all.

You see Reality just
kind of ramming its face,

challenging Lucky for
those head-on collisions,

and they obliged,
and unfortunately,

that was it for Lucky.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Reality gets its first
BattleBots win,[/i]

and for Lucky, it's
a disappointing end to 2018.

They'll likely be out
of the top 16 here.

Better Lucky next year.

It's a battle between two bots
on the brink of the top 16.

That's End Game taking
on Son of Whyachi.

[CROWD CHEERING]

A pair of bots that
definitely have their eye

on cracking that playoff spot.

With both of these teams
sitting at 2-1,

this has got the feel
of a playoff bout already.

And for 26-year-old
captain of SOW, Luke Ewert,

who took over the team
from his father this season,

a win here would show
that he and SOW

would be a bot to be reckoned
with for many years to come.

And for 22-year-old
BattleBots rookie Jack Barker,[/i]

captain of End Game,
he'd like nothing more

than to continue
his Cinderella run.

Will the clock strike midnight,

or has Jack Barker's party
just begun?

Let's see if Son of Whyachi
can put an end to End Game.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

In the red square,

this bot's from
America's dairy land,

and it's about to milk you
for all you're worth.

He doesn't go cow tipping,
he goes bot ripping.

It's Son of Whyachi!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
And there we get
a good look at SOW.

And I gotta admit, I'm always
a little scared of that thing.

KENNY:


spinning at 160 miles per hour.

It's the type of bot
that either gets the knockout

or gets knocked out in most
every one of its fights.

In the blue square,

this Jack is here
to slay some giants,

and he's ready
to stalk you down.

He's not looking for fame,
but you'll remember his name.

It's End Game!
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
New Zealand's Jack Barker
came into this competition

a relative unknown
in the good old U.S. of A.,

but he since earned himself
the name the Kiwi k*ller.

I honestly don't know what
he has against a tart fruit

that can help prevent
heart disease and stroke,

but I think the name
speaks for itself.

He's 2-1 on the year.

I would imagine this is
a pretty important fight for me

to go 3-1 instead of 2-2.

Similar to my last two fights,
I'll try to get around him,

avoid the box rush
at the beginning,

and that's about the sum of it.

For the Son of Whyachi,
the key is to be aggressive.

We're just gonna go straight in,
then get stuck in,

so they can't get up to speed.

We've played some of
biggest names in the sport,

and we're about
to play another one,

so we know if we win this,
we'll be in the top 16.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny,
it looks like End Game

is coming out with a new weapon
setup for Son of Whyachi.

Why the change-up?
KENNY: Well, this is a setup

that End Game uses against
horizontal spinners.

The idea is to give
Son of Whyachi

less surface area
to hit with those blades.

Jack Barker thinks this will
allow him to land his shots

without taking too
many in return.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Fight, fight, fight...

CHRIS:
A pair of 20-somethings
on the verge of the top 16.

One of them will
punch their ticket tonight.

[BUZZER BUZZING]

Let the bot battle begin!

Whoa! Holy smokes,
what just happened?

KENNY:
Kiwi down!
I repeat, kiwi down.

CHRIS:
Something got blown up,
and it might have been End Game.

That thing hasn't
moved a muscle, Kenny.

KENNY:
We do have movement
from Son of Whyachi.

CHRIS:
But what about End Game?

Is there a doctor in the house?

That thing's gonna need
some smelling salts.

KENNY:
It's the end for End Game,
Chris.

CHRIS: Yep.
KENNY: On first hit.

Ten, nine, eight...
KENNY: And it is over.

CHRIS:
We call that a Tommy Two Tone,
a one-hit wonder.

We've seen SOW do that before,

and I'm sure, Kenny,
we'll see him do it again.

That's a knockout.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]

CHRIS:
Wow, 43 seconds,
End Game game over.

KENNY:
That was on another level,
Chris.

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny,
I'm gonna give you

one thing to break down.

KENNY [LAUGHS]:
This was like

pointing two bazookas
at each other.

I mean, this could have been
a double K.O.

Just look at that impact.

Wow, Son of Whyachi flying
through the BattleBox,

shattering that
inner layer of LEXAN glass

like it was nothing.

And looking at this
footage, you think,

"Well, Son of Whyachi
must be the one

that's gonna get
the worst of this here,"

almost flying out of the arena.

Son of Whyachi powerful
and durable as well,

and that was the difference.

I suspect that the insides
of End Game

are completely destroyed.

CHRIS:
That's just the way it goes
with Son of Whyachi.

Will it ever go
to a judges' decision?

It hasn't in four matches
this season.

No way, no way.

All right, coming up next,

the moment
we've all been waiting for.

A rematch two years
in the making.

[♪♪♪]

MARCO:
Daniel, our driver,

he's been driving
our robot since 2007.

He's a very sweet guy
when he's not driving.

When he's driving,
he becomes Mr. Hyde, heh-heh!

KENNY:
Oh, Minotaur just pulverizing
Blacksmith.

MARCO:
He's very passionate about it.

A lot of emotion.
Yeah!

We go back! Minotaur!

MARCO:
If you like this
inside the arena,

he projects himself
in the robot.

And this is great,
because it gives me

a higher adrenaline rush for him
to get back and get angry.

Yeah!

MARCO:
I have to actually hold him
after the match ends

for him to calm down.

It is the moment
we've all been waiting for,

the main event,
the rematch of 2016.

Blacksmith taking on Minotaur.

More than 100 million people
have seen this on the Internet.

Al Kindle and Blacksmith,

he's been waiting
for this for two years.

FARUQ:
The winner, Minotaur!

KENNY:
When you're on
the wrong side of a fight,

and one that 100 million people
saw, you want redemption.

You want to go
out there and say,

"You know what, that was not me.

I've got a better bot
this time around."

But he also wants to deliver
an exciting fight.

If he's able to do that,
that's another accomplishment.

CHRIS:
For Minotaur, it's huge.

In fact, Marco told us
that it's really a must-win.


including a loss to Tombstone,

so he really has
to step it up tonight.

KENNY:
Yeah, absolutely,
and it might not be good enough

to just win, he has to do it
impressively.

So I think for Minotaur,
they're probably feeling

pressure to go out there
and finish Blacksmith yet again.

I can't wait to see
what the sequel has in store.

Let's take you inside
the box for the main event.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Ladies and gentlemen,

get ready for our main event.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
Kenny, Al Kindle thinks that
if he upsets Minotaur tonight,

he has a legit shot
at the top 16.

KENNY:
Well, Chris,
more than anything else,

you just mention the name
Minotaur around Al Kindle,

you'll never see him
more animated.

For him, this would be

like almost winning
BattleBots itself.[/i]

He wants redemption,
he wants revenge.

He does not like the fact
that he lost to Minotaur

in a fight that over


He wants to go out
there and win this one,

and win it impressively.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
Oh, there they are,
the energetic Minotaur team.

They soak it all in
when they're here.

KENNY:
Oh, they really love to compete.

They know they have
a championship contender

right there in Minotaur.

That is a devastating bot.

They were so close in 2016,
and they know

what kind of fight they
delivered the first time around.

They want to deliver
another exciting one

here against Blacksmith.

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the red square,

the Jersey boss should be
called Bot Springsteen.

It'll leave you
torn in the U.S.A.

It's Blacksmith!

CHRIS:
Kenny, we all remember
Blacksmith

losing its head
when these two first met.

What's different about
the bot we see here tonight?

KENNY:
Well, Al Kindle's
not only improved

the hammer's durability

but he's also added those
red forks in front of the bot.

Al hopes that that'll
keep Minotaur's drum

from doing too much damage
to Blacksmith's chassis.

In the blue square,

like a bull in a China shop,
here's a bot you can't stop.

The blade-breaking,
earth-shaking,

no-faking Minotaur!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Marco Meggiolaro and Minotaur,

driven by Daniel Freitas.

He's one of the fiercest
competitors we've ever seen.

KENNY:
Yeah, I'm not sure what he does
to get ready for these battles,

but his intensity is unmatched.

CHRIS:
Looks like he's got

that thousand-yard stare
going right now, Kenny.

Hopefully we don't get
in his sights.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny.

Two bots in the box
about to go to w*r.

What should we be
looking for here?

KENNY:
Minotaur has apparently
dialed back

the power on that drum.

They're hoping that'll keep
them from popping a wheelie

so they can win the battle
for low ground

when these two collide.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Red team, ready?

CHRIS:
And for Al Kindle,
it's hammer time.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Blue team, ready?

[CROWD CHEERING]

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Fight, fight, fight, fight...

CHRIS:
Minotaur, Blacksmith,
the rematch.

[BUZZING]

Let the bot battle begin!

Minotaur getting
that drum spinner.

Kenny said only
about up to 50 or 60%.

I'm sure it still packs
a hell of a punch, though.

Ooh, and getting right on
those forks of Blacksmith.

Blacksmith, with that flaming
hammer, swinging and a whiff.

KENNY:
Their first fight built up
to an amazing crescendo.

Could it be the same thing here?

Minotaur holding back early on.

Both bots just feeling
each other out.

CHRIS:
Oh, this is very tactical,
the first 30 seconds.

Uh-oh, now you can hear
that drum spinner!

Hold on to your hat, Kenny.

Daniel Freitas has got
that thing cooking.

And don't the crowd
just love it!

This is what
we've been waiting for.

KENNY: Oh, just missed.
CHRIS: Bringing it right to us.

Come here, little buddy.

Ooh, and Daniel Freitas
just got stuck

on part of the floor.

KENNY:
Nice shot there by Blacksmith,

and, oh, Minotaur lifts him up.

CHRIS:
Truly damaging to Blacksmith,

the underbelly
takes several shots.

KENNY:
This is exactly
where Minotaur wants to be,

right on that flank.
Can Al Kindle turn it around?

CHRIS:
Great action so far.

Oh, almost gets nailed into
the screws, does Blacksmith.

Right in front of us,
oh, the flaming hammer.

KENNY:
Oh, big shot by Blacksmith!

CHRIS:
Two huge shots
right on the noggin of Minotaur.

KENNY:
Not a ton of power
behind those shots, though.

CHRIS: Uh-oh!
KENNY: He might be stuck there.

CHRIS:
Yeah, the forks were stuck
in the k*ll saw,

but Minotaur knocked him out.

KENNY:
Yeah, Chris, those forks are
so low to the ground.

CHRIS: Oh-- Uh-oh! Yes!
KENNY: Oh!

Serious sparks.

KENNY:
Wow, these hits are
just devastating.

CHRIS:
Oh, you can see
that drum spinner

doing just nasty damage,
and it sounds so brutal.

KENNY:
Minotaur clearly
the faster machine here, Chris.

Blacksmith taking punishment,

but those low-scraping forks
have been pretty effective

in preventing
Minotaur from getting

that dangerous low ground
on the front side.

CHRIS:
Blacksmith
counter-punching here.

KENNY: Oh!
CHRIS: Uh-oh!

Blacksmith trying
to stay off those screws,

and he just gets by.

KENNY:
Tell ya what, Al Kindle doing

some excellent
defensive driving here, Chris.

CHRIS:
Minotaur trying
to line up Blacksmith,

and it looks like Blacksmith

has a little hitch in
its giddyap, Kenny,

with under a minute to go.

KENNY:
Yeah, that's right,
it's limping right now.

Oh, Minotaur taking
full advantage of it.

CHRIS:
Oh, wow, and trying to get him

under the pulverizer as well,
but the pulverizer--

Oh, he finally makes
a connection on Blacksmith.

KENNY: Oh!
CHRIS: Is another one coming?

Yes, there is! And another.

Taking a shot at those forks
in front.

Thirty seconds to go.

KENNY:
Whoa, huge shot!

CHRIS:
Minotaur, that energy
just flipped him right over.

KENNY:
A shot like that
can turn a fight, Chris.

Is this Blacksmith's moment?

CHRIS:
Oh! Oh, the hammer delivers
a couple of shots.

KENNY:
Uh-oh! Flames rising
out of the top of Blacksmith.

CHRIS:
Well, he doesn't care,
and nor does Minotaur,

as Blacksmith tries to swing
his way out of this fight.

Last few seconds

to make an impression
on the judges for both bots.

This rematch is gonna
go the distance.

[BUZZER SOUNDS]

We're done, we're done.
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
And that will do it.

Daniel Freitas and Minotaur

feeling awfully good
about that performance.

Was it enough
to defeat Al Kindle

for the second time
in three seasons?

[KENNY CHUCKLES]
CHRIS: Interesting decision

coming your way from the judges.

Kenny, Minotaur dictated
the tempo from the onset.

KENNY:
Yeah, Minotaur getting
underneath Blacksmith

with that little wedge,
always attacking from the side,

or from that front corner.

Never really getting head-on

with Blacksmith early on
in this fight.

CHRIS:
The question, always,

when it goes
to a judges' decision:

How much damage did you do
with your primary weapon?

We just saw
a couple of great shots

by Blacksmith
and that flaming hammer,

but it was that drum spinner

that just kept chewing away
by Minotaur.

KENNY:
Well, I like the fact

that Al Kindle played the
counter-puncher in this fight.

Minotaur the aggressor,

Blacksmith looking for
those counter shots

with that flaming Hammer,
made it a very exciting fight.

Some excellent defensive driving
from Blacksmith as well,

but I think there
was just too much power

in the drive motor of Minotaur,

too much power
in that primary weapon.

But we had ourselves
another classic.

CHRIS:
Let's get the judges' decision.
Down to Faruq.

We have a unanimous decision!

And the winner is...

Minotaur!
[ALL CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

All right. Marco, that rematch
lived up to expectations.

That was very tense.

His fork was very sharp, very
difficult to get underneath.

We were trying to get
on his side,

trying to break his mechanism.

The thing is that we didn't
have the weapon at full power,

so it was tougher than expected.

And they reinforced
Blacksmith a lot.

It's a really tough bot.

Was that your strategy
going in,

to hold back on the spinner?

Yes, because when you go
at full speed,

the robot pops a wheelie,

and so it's hard
to get underneath him, so...

How proud are you of
representing Brazil right now?

I'm very proud.

[CROWD CHEERING]
I love being here

and I love this sport.

I'm very happy for Brazil.

Thank you for welcoming us.

And what was that chant
that you taught me earlier?

Via Brasil!
Via Brasil!

Via Brasil!
Via Brasil, everybody![/i]

Big round of applause
for Minotaur.

Thank you.
Thank you.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny,
there was no flaming hammerhead

flying across the BattleBox,
but this one was fun to watch.

KENNY:
It was still a classic.

Big picture, there are
a lot of teams after tonight

that are gonna be waiting
with bated breath,

wondering if the selection
committee will pick them.

Bite Force I don't think
will be too worried

at 4-0 on the year.

Son of Whyachi put themselves in
a good position with a win

to move to 3-1.

But for some of these
other teams,

their fate's out of their hands,

and they'll just have to wait
with their fingers crossed.

So once again, for Faruq
and Jessica Chobot,

my man Kenny Florian,
I'm Chris Rose.

We'll see you next time
on BattleBots.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[WHIRRING]