[Faruq] Over
it's 25 year history,
excellence atBattleBots
has been measured in hardware.
Punctuated by
the ultimate prize,
the Giant Nut.
Tonight,
the quest for another one
of the sport's crown jewels...
[Chris] See End Game
win the first ever Golden Bolt.
[Faruq] Enters it's
second chapter.
Five nights of single
elimination fights...
[shouting indistinctly]
[Faruq] Culminating
in a merciless,
winner take all tournament.
I'm not dead yet!
[Faruq] Welcome to robot combat
- at its most raw.
- Let'sgo!
[Faruq] This
isBattleBots Champions,
the race for the Golden Bolt.
[robotic voice]
Robots, activate.
[crowd cheering]
Okay. [applauds]
- Yeah!
- [applauds]
What's up? Whoo!
Good crowd. I love it.
Hey, everybody, and welcome
to BattleBots Champions.
I am Chris Rose joined as always
by the guy that
runs circles around
the other robot combat analyst,
Say hello to Kenny Florian!
- [crowd cheers]
- [applauds]
Thanks Chris. Tonight
the free-for-all begins
as dozens of bots
lineup for a chance to win,
say it with me, Chris.
[both] The Golden Bolt!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Whether you're
a rookie on the fringes
or a veteran
desperate for glory,
this is an event like no other.
It's a real chance
to boost your stock,
rise up in the rankings,
and put the robot
combat world on notice.
In this tournament you've
got to lay it all on the line
because every fight
is win or go home.
Kenny, BattleBots Champions
is where the chaos erupts.
[Kenny] That's right,
Chris. Golden Bolt I
gave us some of
the wildest moments
and nastiest knockouts
we have ever seen.
And in the end it was End Game
taking home the hardware.
And we are back
to do it all again.
Here's the way
it's going to work.
Tonight will be the first
of five qualifying brackets.
Each of these Sin City Slugfests
will pit eight bots
against each other
in a high stakes one
night tournament.
[Kenny] At the end
of each Slugfest
one team will earn a
spot in the ultra-exclusive
tournament of Champions.
All told, five winners
will be moving on
and when they get there,
they'll be joined by
former Giant Nut winners,
-End Game, -[crowd cheering]
Tantrum,
and of course, the reigning
title holder, SawBlaze.
[Chris] This epic six episode
series will be a knockdown
drag out sprint
to the finish line.
And all of these teams
have their eyes on the prize.
So let's take a look at
who will be kicking our
tournament off tonight.
More than a few of these bots
would present a major challenge
to all those Giant Nut winners.
Rotator, Valkyrie,
these are some big names, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, couple of former
most destructive
bots right there.
We've also got a pair
of brutes in Kraken
and Switchback,
Ominous, Terrortops.
Those are newbies
that have flashed
some potential, but we're
getting this night started
with SHREDDIT BRO! and Skorpios.
Evan Arias believes his
bro is ready for a breakout.
Zach Lytle and Diana Tarlson
ain't giving out any freebies
as they set their sights
on the Golden Bolt.
All right, buckle up, Kenny.
I have a feeling this is
going to be a wild ride.
Are you guys ready?
[crowd cheers]
Faruq, kick us off. Let's go.
Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
[crowd cheers]
It's Robot Fighting Time!
[crowd cheering]
In the Red Square from
Staten Island, New York,
here to check
your Shreddit report
and deny you a lease on life,
it's SHREDDIT BRO!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] It is great to be
back here in Vegas, Kenny.
[Kenny] Nothing like it.
[Chris] There's Evan Arias,
captain of SHREDDIT
BRO! in the shades.
Coming off another
rough world championship.
But we know this squad from NYC,
they never lack confidence.
[Kenny] Well, they
love their drum.
SHREDDIT BRO!
Wants to be a brawler,
hasn't proven it
so far in its career.
This fight should come
down to lasting power
something which Skorpios
has a clear advantage.
I'll tell you something, Chris.
If he doesn't deliver
a competitive
performance tonight,
this could be the last
time we see Evan Arias
make the walk to the BattleBox.
In the Blue Square
from Lafayette, California,
currently on trial for murdering
over 14 couples therapists.
It's Skorpios!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Team Skorpios!
Diana Tarlson on the right,
Zach Lytle on the left.
A few seasons ago,
this team won a bounty.
That's going to serve them
well in this format, Kenny.
[Kenny] No question about it.
Skorpios may have lost
some of its juice recently,
but this is such a dangerous,
well-driven robot.
And it knows how to
fight through attrition.
The Hammer Saw
tech held them back
once again in World
Championship VII,
so this is a big chance
to respond in a matchup.
They should win.
And frankly, they need this win.
Expect Skorpios to take
the fight to SHREDDIT BRO!
Tonight we have, uh,
three fights lined up
if all goes well
in our first fight.
We're going against Skorpios,
which is a Hammer Saw robot.
We plan on hitting their forks,
get them a little bent up.
I'm looking to really
knock them off their game
and then just take advantage
of, uh, when their
little belly's exposed.
This new tournament, the
Golden Bolt tournament,
is very important to us.
Back in the World Championships,
we had a 2-2 record,
which was decent.
It was good for a new robot,
but we're looking to go 3-0.
SHREDDIT BRO! is a
force to be reckoned with,
and we're going to absolutely
sweep the competition.
Evan has been around
for a couple years.
Now he's bringing SHREDDIT BRO!
This is going to be
hopefully a real exciting fight,
lots of back and forth.
But he is also a box.
Skorpios loves boxes.
- Flat surfaces cut easier.
- They fit... They fit
perfectly in our... in
our scooped wedges,
and it's a nice big top
for me to just wail on.
It's going to be a literal
slugfest for us tonight.
- Skorpios!
- [crowd cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All tournament
long, Mr. Kenny Florian.
Going to be donning
his bookie cap.
It is Vegas, after all.
So tell us who you're
picking in this one, my friend.
[Kenny] Well, I'm giving a
healthy edge to Skorpios.
That plow is
incredibly effective
in both facets of the game.
Defensively, it's
like a pair of hands
holding back a dog's bite.
Yeah, they're going
to get chewed up,
but at least it's not your face.
And offensively, it can
pop SHREDDIT BRO! up
so Skorpios can
unleash its Hammer Saw.
Historically, Skorpios
is a vertical k*ller
so Evan's going to have to hunt
for angles, all fight long.
[crowd chanting]
Skorpios! Skorpios!
[crowd chanting]
Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Win three straight
fights and punch your ticket
to the Golden Bolt Tournament.
Do either one of these
squads have what it takes?
Let the bot battle begin.
Evan Arias with that 60-pound
weapon up to full speed.
Going right at Skorpios.
Skorpios saying, "I've
taken down spinners
bigger and badder than you, kid.
Bring it on!"
Oh, takes SHREDDIT
BRO! on a little spin,
but Arias gets away.
[Kenny] Yeah, those
scoops on the front
of that plow of Skorpios
working out very well for them.
- Uh-oh, uh-oh!
- [Kenny] Oh!
- Skorpios just shoved it.
- [Kenny] Oh, boy.
[Chris] Oh, man,
it's still working,
but there's a lot of smoke
coming out of that thing.
[Kenny] SHREDDIT BRO! landing
some shots at the front of the armor
trying to win this pushing
battle here against Skorpios.
[Chris] Wow, I mean,
these two are just going at it.
[Kenny] The question is, will
SHREDDIT BRO!'s weapon hold up?
That has been a major
issue for this team.
[Chris] Whoa, oh! Big hit.
SHREDDIT BRO! has been inverted.
[Kenny] Skorpios
has to be careful.
That last shot was in the
area of their weapon coupling.
That is a critical
part of the robot.
And there goes the chain, Chris.
[Chris] And finally,
somebody backs off...
[both] Oh!
[Kenny] Good shot there
by SHREDDIT BRO!
[Chris] Great shot.
Scorpios went flying,
and it takes another shot.
[Kenny] Oh, you see
that front scoop there on...
Scorpios, flipped up.
That's going to allow SHREDDIT
BRO! to take advantage.
[Chris] Unreal, Evan Arias.
Now he's got reason
to be confident.
Look at him continuing
to be on the attack
right in front of
the driver's window.
[Kenny] Can he go
the distance, though?
Oh, he's got another
blade and a half.
- [Chris] Wow!
- Boy, oh, boy.
The guy from New
York is taking it to
the veteran bot builder.
[Kenny] Yeah, he
is unleashing hell
right now on Skorpios.
Skorpios trying to run away.
Let's go!
[Chris] Skorpios
has nowhere to hide.
That Hammer Saw is not working.
- [Kenny] Oh.
- All they have is that plow.
[Chris] And maybe
time on their side,
- [Kenny] Uh-oh.
- But Skorpios has stopped running momentarily.
[Kenny] But has
SHREDDIT BRO! hung up?
Can Evan get off?
He can.
Get off! Get off!
Leave him there!
[Chris] Wow.
The countdown has started.
Evan Arias and SHREDDIT BRO!
Major underdogs
coming into this fight
are going to pull off
a jaw-dropping upset
to tick off the night.
Knockout!
[Kenny] Are you kidding me?
[laughs]
[indistinct screaming]
Let's go!
- Let's go!
- [indistinct shouting]
Let's go!
Yeah!
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Kenny, let's
put this into perspective.
We just saw a team that
was at risk of relegation
after last season
take down an
established veteran.
[Kenny] What a performance.
SHREDDIT BRO! was relentless.
The weapon never stopped
and Skorpios never
knew what hit him.
[Chris] Evan Arias
used that 60 pound drum
to disable the Hammer Saw,
peel back that plow,
and eventually turn the
lights out on Skorpios.
The bot from New
York City saying,
"Allow me to
reintroduce myself."
Bro, what an upset.
- Evan Arias.
- [Kenny laughs]
Yeah, hold on.
Oh, na... Yeah.
[Kenny laughs]
Yo, what up, dog?
- What's up?
- Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Dude, this is...
this is what you've
been telling us
for years now, right?
Oh, yeah. I'll tell
you three things.
The most handsome,
the most aggressive,
and the most handsome.
- Let's go!
- [laughing]
[crowd cheering]
How the heck did
you get your robot
to finally perform like that?
Trial and error, man.
You just got to
keep going at it.
You know, when it's a
new robot, it's really hard,
especially when you dial it in.
It took a few fights,
but, you know,
now it's a whole
other tournament.
We're here. We're
ready. Let's go!
I'm afraid to even ask this one,
but what is your
confidence level
that you can make
it to the Golden Bolt?
How high are
these ceilings again?
-Oh. -[both laugh]
All the confidence
in the world. Let's go.
I got the best team behind me.
That's all I need.
Evan, congratulations
on the huge win.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
- [crowd cheers]
- [applauds]
[indistinct murmur]
- [man] Congrats, guys.
- Thank you.
Well, we've always loved
the energy Evan Arias
has brought to BattleBots.
It's just great that his robot
came along for the ride.
You know, Evan's been
searching for that definitive win.
That was that fight right there.
And this is the beauty
of this event, Chris.
You never know which team
might have a run in them.
SHREDDIT BRO! is
now just two wins away
from punching its ticket to
the Golden Bolt tournament.
Man, that sounds weird.
[Chris] It sure does.
But for now, Evan's squad
heads back to the pits.
They will fight the winner
of Switchback and Kraken
later this evening.
All right, there's a look at
the golden boy, Victor Soto,
captain of Rotator,
might very well be
the favorite tonight.
Has an opening
match-up with Terrortops.
Victor's saying, "You
might be Jurassic,
but you're about to
get Jur-a*s kicked."
We'll have the fight
when BattleBots continues.
All right, we'll continue on
here with the opening round
of the Sin City Slugfest.
Whichever team
survives tonight's gauntlet
will earn a spot in the second
annual Golden Bolt tournament
where they will join
Giant Nut winners
End Game, Tantrum and SawBlaze
in the exclusive field.
Up next, it's a grizzled veteran
Victor Soto and Rotator
taking on a 19-year-old
rookie named Ben Burton
and his bot Terrortops.
And let's start with
the vet, Rotator.
Up and down, World
Championship VII showing...
I'm not even sure the
robot was ever at 100%.
Got bounced in the round
at 32 by Copperhead.
What does Victor Soto
want to accomplish here?
[Kenny] Well, remember,
in Golden Bolt one,
Rotator was on the receiving end
of one of the biggest
knockouts inBattleBots history
in its fight with Glitch.
Victor took that loss in stride,
but you better believe he
hates seeing that highlight
over and over.
He wants to be the one
dishing out those KOs,
so this is a real shot
at redemption for Team Rotator.
And when you look
at tonight's lineup,
you've got to think
Golden Bot is the favorite.
This is an opportunity to
elevate that weapon system
back into elite territory,
tear through some
softer matchups
and finally make a
run at a major trophy.
Meantime, this is a big step up
for Ben Burton and his crew.
He's 19 years old. He
is the youngest captain
in the entire field here.
Uh, he was actually
fighting in exhibitionmatches
during the regular season.
So what he was
trying to do is prove,
"Hey, we're good enough o
participate in Season Eight
down the road."
Well, guess what? This is
a huge opportunity for him.
[Kenny] Absolutely. I
think it's still too early
to consider
Terrortops a contender
to join the World
Championship VIII field.
That is, unless it's got
a deep run in it tonight.
Listen, Ben's probably exhausted
from incubating dinosaur eggs
somewhere down in Costa Rica.
[Chris] You're ridiculous.
[Kenny] In all
seriousness, excited to see
what the young captain's got.
[Chris] Well, we just
saw SHREDDIT BRO!
Pull off a massive upset.
Could Terrortops follow suit?
Let's find out.
Terrortops is a
very unique robot.
It's a vertical spinner
that also has a lifter.
So they can actually lift you up
and expose the
underbelly of your robot,
so they can drive their
vertical spinner into it.
We're going to try to
be as aggressive as Ben.
Five seconds in, six seconds in,
we should be at top speed.
We start attacking. We're going
to see if we can hit the sides,
the back, bend some forks.
It looks like they
have some thin armor.
We can probably shred those
up and get the damage points.
And we're just going
to keep hitting hard
and causing as much
damage as we can.
[crowd cheering]
Our first fight is Rotator,
who is definitely in my top three
bots I don't wanna fight this season.
They're just really
tough for us, because
our wedges are quite low,
when we get high up,
they get purely vertical
which is really bad when going
against a spinner like Rotator
We're definitely going to
be playing a lot with our arm.
They have forks on the back
and the spinner on the front,
and we don't want that
spinner to hit our arm,
we want our arm to
get under their forks.
So you might see them
spinning a lot and us just
raising and lowering
our arm the whole fight.
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Okay, Kenny, you
know we like to keep it real.
Does Terrortops doesn't
have any shot at advancing?
[Kenny] It's
absolutely a long shot,
but that's more of a testament
to the class Rotator's in.
For what it's worth, Terrortops has
had success on the robot combat circuit.
Ben's added Tegris armor panels
to protect the lifting arms,
he thinks that if he can land a
few flips, things will go his way.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Rotator, Terrortops, their first step
towards the Golden Bolt starts right now.
Let the Bot battle begin.
Terrortops with its
arms in the air to start.
Oh, nice head to head
hit. Good job by Terrortops.
[Kenny] Terrortops clearly having a lot
of confidence with that vertical spinner.
- [Chris] Wow.
- [Kenny] Well, Victor Soto claps back
nice shot with the undercut.
- [Kenny] Oh!
- [Chris] Rotator, good shot,
Terrortops works
it's way back up.
[Ben] Just send
the forks its way.
[Kenny] Nice little self-right but
dealing with some drive issues.
I don't think they liked
that shot from Rotator.
[Chris] No, not at all.
- [Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] Looks like that drive in the right side maybe down.
[Chris] He's got him
floating around the battle box.
And Rotator looking
to take advantage.
- [Kenny] Victor Soto can take his time now.
- [Chris] Nice.
[Kenny] The Undercutter
doing a number of Terrortops.
Ben Burton needs to
stay squared up to Rotator.
[Chris] And that
maybe a tall task,
'cause Terrortops is hurting, it's severely
lacking in the mobility department too.
[Kenny] Here's Victor Soto looking to bully
the newbie up and on to the upper deck.
- [Chris] Oh.
- [Kenny laughs]
[Kenny] The weapon on Terrortops
grinding on the BattleBots floor there.
[Chris] That vertical disc is still
spinning with Victor Soto underneath.
And looking to take
Terrortops for a ride.
Ben Burton though, slips free.
[Kenny] Rotator backing off, Terrortops
doesn't look like it has much left in the tank.
Victor Soto needs
to finish the job.
Got speed, it's got speed.
[Chris] And remember Rotator
is gonna need to win two fights
after this one, if it wants to punch it's
ticket to the Golden Bolt Tournament.
[Kenny] Oh, there's a great shot,
Terrortops getting ground in there.
Oh, Victor getting in there
and underneath that lifting arm.
[Chris] More than 90
seconds through this match.
-[Kenny] Impressed with the
durability of Terrortops, -[Chris] Yeah.
[Kenny] This is their first year in
here against a veteran bot Rotator
and they maybe behind
on the scorecards,
but their weapon is still
active and they are hanging on.
[Chris] Oh, Victor Soto
taking the rookie into the rails.
And then holding a 100
pound pulverizer, it's a bad spot.
Look at that thing, ow, ow, ow.
[Kenny] Oh, now Terrortops having to fight
Rotator and the hammer at the same time.
[Chris] Yeah, oh-oh, they're
right Terrortop's still moving.
Very gingerly, has lost
a couple of ribs Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, Rotator
assessing the damage
- [Kenny] Do I get him? Do I get him?
- [Chris] Yes.
Is he moving? Is he moving?
- [Kenny] Oh, Oh...
- [Chris] Oh, yeah.
[Kenny] This maybe
the end for Terrortops.
[Chris] Approaching the 30 second
mark and the countdown has started.
The rookie is not showing
enough movement.
Tried so hard doing the
wave, look I'm moving.
No you're moving
out of the way kid.
All right, there we go.
Whoo!
That power switch
got me nervous.
[Chris] Well Kenny, Rotator
certainly in control, throughout.
[Kenny] Absolutely, Terrortops
won the first exchange,
but lost half it's
drive shortly after,
could never really
get that lifter involved
I think those armor plates
ended up limiting its reach
but those are the type of tough lessons
you have to learn as a first year team.
[Chris] Yeah and this was really
were the rookie robot got in trouble
anytime you gotta run into
the screws and the upper deck
it's gonna be an issue.
[Kenny] And for Terrortops
these are kind of fights they want
they want to face
elite competition,
I... I would put Rotator
into that category,
they've been around
a very long time.
They're gonna learn a
lot from this and improve.
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct chatter]
Victor what... Victor what were
you looking at, the replay already?
No, we're data logging.
We've had so many issues with
the weapon in the past that we've
- started... logging the data.
- [Chris] Yeah.
So we can basically match it up with the
fight to see where something went wrong.
Yeah, what did the data
say, that you kicked your a*s?
It looks like it.
It seems like you
guys took a little
took it easy a little bit in the
beginning, wanted to analyze the
the robot a little bit, then
you kind of just went at 'em.
Yeah, so back in the
championship tournament
we were being a
little more defensive
and always started
with the forks
this time I just said, "Okay, well let's
just buy some time a few seconds to spin up,
and just go more
offensive rather defensive."
Once they were up against the
screws then I said," Okay, let me try to
like pinch them a little and see if I
can get them on the upper deck."
But I just decided, let's just
be more offensive this time.
We wish you luck, we'll see
you in the semi finals here tonight.
- Thank you.
- [crowd cheering]
- Congrats.
- Thank you, guys.
[indistinct conversation]
[Chris] So, Rotator and the golden
boy Victor Soto are moving on,
He'll be waiting on the winner
of Valkyrie and Ominous.
As for Terrortops, tough
competition a quick exit,
but maybe there's
something there Kenny.
[Kenny] Well you know
Chris, life, uh, uh, finds a way.
[Chris laughs] Okay.
[Chris] Coming up, it's a heavy duty
battle between Switchback and Kraken
moreBattleBots
Champions after the break.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] All right, we are
back here in Las Vegas
and up next, Switchback
taking on Kraken,
the winner earns a date
with SHREDDIT BRO!
In the second round on
tonight's Slugfest bracket.
Let's start with Switchback,
which just completed it's second
regular season here at BattleBots,
They're captained and
engineered by Greg Needel
a very cool bot and I feel like
they're building some momentum.
[Kenny] Yeah, I... I
definitely like this weapon
way better than when we saw
them a couple of seasons ago.
That articulating arm has
elevated Switchback's versatility,
it's armor configurations
have absorbed,
plenty of punishment
and kept it in fights,
Looking forward to seeing what kind
of improvements they've made here
as they face Kraken.
And Kraken's still one of the
most popular robots out there,
captained by Matt Spurk
and his entire family.
Listen, they haven't won
anything over the last few seasons.
And Matt debuted a completely rebuilt
Kraken in World Championship VII.
So he didn't care
about the win, loss at all.
He just wanted to feel like the Bot
was making some improvements.
[Kenny] Right, last season really
was experimental for him and his team.
He was prepared for growing
pains transitioning from a crusher
to a spinner. Now that he's
had some time with the bot,
remember, Matt is a
literal rocket scientist,
I'm expecting more
outta Kraken here.
[crowd chanting] Kraken! Kraken
[Kenny] Both bots are locked
in let's hear from the captains.
We feel very comfortable
going weapon on weapon.
Um, drum versus vert.
Uh, we... we like that match up.
It's just a question of is that gonna happen
up here or is it gonna happen down here,
Matt's an aggressive driver
I'm an aggressive driver,
I assume we're gonna lose
patience really quickly and
just start ramming in the
middle of the BattleBox.
In a perfect world
this fight goes quickly,
so that we can get
the robot back to the pit
recover for whoever's next.
They're a tough opponent for us, because
they like to attack with a high reaching
weapon as well.
Which is how we
would like to attack,
we would like to really use our...
our hammering saw configuration
where it kind of
hammer it down on them.
The plan to win this
match against Switchback
is to get out early
get out fast, get on him
and just trying to circle around
avoid that big spinning weapon upfront
as much as possible.
It's as simple as hit
him and don't get hit.
[crowd cheering]
[robotic voice] Robots activate.
[Chris] Some nasty looking
weapons out there Kenny.
But I think the Narwhal
is the real danger.
[Kenny] Oh, yeah that cute
little nose actually shoots lasers.
No, the Narwhal is more
about being a nuisance
and giving the young Spurk boy
some stick time here on the big stage.
The real weapons out there
are Switchback's 40 pound drum
and Kraken's vertical disc.
It's much lighter at 13 pounds
but it hits hard in that
kinetic pressure configuration.
[Chris] Eh! I would
still go with the Narwhal.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting]
[Chris] Let the
bot battle begin.
[Kenny] Kraken
fast on the attack.
[Chris] Wow! Switchback
pumps back Narwhal.
Threat neutralized.
Oh, Kraken digging in.
Oh, and it gets
taken into the screws
and hit on its head.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] Oh, wow, look at
the power of Switchback.
- Kraken... get your head out of the screw.
- Evacuate.
[Kenny] Yeah, I can see
Kraken lost a weapon belt.
- [Chris] Ah!
- [Kenny] Great job by Greg Needel
to keep punching with
an opponent on the ropes.
[Chris] Oh, Kraken's smokin'
that dragon's hurt
but it's still moving.
You cannot k*ll me!
[Kenny] Well, Matt's first robots
are known for being unkillable.
Since World Championship
IV he's only had three fights
not go the distance, Chris.
[Chris] Well now
that 13 pound blade,
it spins at over
non-functional of Kraken
What can he do Kenny?
[Kenny] Well for starters the team's
gotta stop flailing the head like that
they should lower the weapon
arm, like how Switchback has theirs
which will make it more
effective as a push bar.
[Chris] Greg Needel showing
Matt Spurk how it should be done.
[Kenny] Now is Switchback's weapon
is just shutdown or is it disabled.
[Chris] Well we've got chains
scattered all over the arena floor.
If Switchback's weapon
is also out of commission,
Kraken is still very
much in this fight.
[Kenny] Yeah, Kraken
could outlast them.
Uh, looks like it's
spinning up again, Chris.
[Chris] Yep, Oh-h*, h* man.
Kraken tried to prevent it
from getting in full speed.
[Kenny] Greg Needel really
dictating the action here.
[Chris] Still 90 to go in this fight, and
here's Switchback putting down the clamps down
on Kraken yet again.
[Kenny] Yeah, Max Spurt's team
trying to use the head to wickle free here.
Huh, and I don't think
Switchback strategically
power down their weapon
Chris, they've got the lead
they just need to
take time off the clock.
[Chris] Kraken, trying
to get it's bearing,
oh, no another shot
here by Switchback.
Oh God he's just been teaching
a master class in a screw job.
And this is what Switchback's
wide frame is meant to do.
It's kind of like a
snow plow out there
[Kenny] Yeah, and a little
smoke now for Kraken.
[Kenny] At this point they just have to
hold that Switchback's drive gives out.
[Chris] With under a minute
to go, those k*ll saws are active.
Kraken doing everything
it can to try and
do something to Switchback.
[Kenny] Starting to see a little
more smoke now, but whose is it?
It's smoking, that's us.
[Chris] Greg Needel's team is claiming
it if Switchback's starting to overheat,
maybe Kraken's still
got a shot here Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, but they are
wisely bleeding the clock again
Switchback showing it
can win as a control bot,
But Kraken's not going
down without a fight.
[Chris] Really a remarkable
job by Matt Spurk and his crew
to have this bot so durable
that it can take this pounding.
It's still make it the full
three minutes, Kenny.
[Kenny] Absolutely, Kraken
as tough as they come,
it's the offensive side of
things that Matt Spurk needs
to figure out with
this new robot
but credit to Switchback doing
what they need to do to advance.
[Chris] And now this one
will head to the judges.
To see who is moving
on to the semifinals.
All three judges are
formerBattleBots participants.
They are Fon Davis, Lisa
Winter and Derek Young,
scoring on an 11 point system.
Up to five points to
be awarded for damage
three for aggression
and three for control.
That was fun man.
- Yeah, good play, yeah.
- Good play.
[Chris] Well things were working
in the beginning for Kraken until just
too much muscle from Switchback.
[Kenny] Yeah, unless it was
that weapon to weapon hit
that really got that weapon
belt to fall out of Kraken
you see it hanging
off right there.
Kraken did a great job at
getting off the screws but,
Switchback taking full
advantage of that some nasty shots
early in this fight.
[Chris] Greg Needel was
relentless with his follow up shots.
And then it looked like
he shut down his weapon,
and basically just started
playing prevent defense.
[Kenny] No doubt, Switchback went into
control the fight and drain the clock mode.
You know these two robots
are actually very similar
but the difference
here was execution.
While Kraken kept flailing it's
head after the weapon went down,
Greg Needel turned
his robot into a plow,
credit for Matt Spurk's bot for
being so tough to take down.
But Switchback,
dominated this one.
[Chris] And even in the final
few seconds, Kraken was saying,
you're not gonna get
rid of me this easily.
Let's see the
results here is Faruq.
The results from
the judges are in.
[crowd cheering]
The winner by
unanimous decision is...
Switchback!
Yeah! Whoo!
[Chris] Greg, congratulations.
How exciting would it be for you guys
to win tonight and enter the Golden Bolt?
I mean the Golden Bolt is, you
know, the pinnacle of this sport where,
we have to fight through other champions and
everybody else who's run the same gauntlet.
So that would be amazing
to, uh, be in the BattleBox
to be compared to robots of
that class, it would be incredible.
Two more steps and you're there.
- We'll see you later tonight.
- For sure.
[indistinct conversation]
So impressive to see the
growth of Greg Needel's team
and Switchback that's a team
that can make a serious jump.
[Kenny] Every single
time, every single fight,
you see a better version of Switchback,
uh, that's a very impressive team.
[Kenny] And listen, great effort
from Matt Spurk and Kraken,
just ran into a team who as you
said earlier, has a lot of momentum.
[Chris] That's right and
Switchback is riding it into a
second round match
up with SHREDDIT BRO!
All right, next up in
our opening round,
the slick omni wheeler Ominous will collide
with the vicious undercutter of Valkyrie.
A former most
destructive award winner
and one of the hardest
hitters in the modern game.
First year captain Lucy Du, is still
trying to unearth this kind of potential.
- [man] Woah! Hell man.
- [crowd cheering]
[Kenny] Pinches the
Rotator all over the BattleBox.
[cheering and applause]
[Chris] We got more
on the first round
of the Sin City Slugfest
coming your way right now.
It's Valkyrie taking on Ominous.
And let's start
off with Valkyrie,
which has made theRound
of 32 in seasons past.
That did not happen
this past season.
Uh, their new captain, Lucy Du,
taking over for Leanne Cushing.
Lucy has been a... a veteran
member of other teams in the past,
but she became a captain
here for the first time.
Obviously joining a team that
had had a degree of success.
An up-and-down season for her
but has a chance
to hit the reset button
here in Slugfest number one.
[Kenny] Yeah, there is
an absolutely monster
lurking under the
shell of Valkyrie.
Lucy has yet to figure
out how to unleash it.
World Championship
VII moved Valkyrie
even further off the
competitive map,
and it's veering into
desperation territory.
Whatever outside pressure
this squad's dealing with,
they need to figure it out
right now against Ominous
or we may have seen the
last of the mighty Valkyrie.
In the meantime, we
saw Tim Bouwens back
at BattleBots for the
first time since 2018.
Back then, he brought
a robot called Reality.
This time it was Ominous.
It didn't have a
wonderful regular season,
didn't make it to
theRound of 32.
But this bot, from
the Netherlands,
showed glimmers
of potential, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, this
is an ambitious build.
But in this sport,
you don't get credit
for good ideas.
You need to perform
or your time here
is gonna be short.
The vertical disc has good
pop when it can make contact
but Tim has struggled
to give it opportunities.
Those omni wheels do provide
an advantage that make
Ominous so unpredictable.
It's hard to line
up a big shot on it.
Those omni wheels, I love 'em.
They're the things
where you can float
- all over the floor like this.
- [Kenny laughs]
- And just go everywhere.
- Way more mobile
- than how you're moving now.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- I'm not moving quite as well as I did in my young...
- back in season two?
- The wheels are similar but...
- All right.
- The motion.
Let's get to it. Faruq.
[audience cheering]
In the red square...
From Somerville, Massachusetts,
it made Thor run for the door.
It's Valkyrie!
[audience cheering]
[Chris] Team Valkyrie!
This robot's been a
part of some of the most
violent and unforgettable
fights of all time, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, safe to say
Valkyrie is the hardest
hitter in this field,
has a variety of blades
in that undercutter setup.
This one is called
Sweet Caroline.
Lucy wants to aim for
the sides of Ominous
and pummel it
around the BattleBox.
[cheering and applause]
[audience chanting]
Valkyrie! Valkyrie! Valkyrie!
[Faruq] In the blue square...
From Tilburg, Netherlands,
the hills may have eyes
but do they have
a deadly spinner?
Didn't think so.
It's Ominous!
[audience cheering]
- Woo-hoo!
- [Chris] The Dutchman.
Tim Bouwens, captain of Ominous
there on the left.
This is a sleek-looking machine.
[Kenny] Oh, it's beautiful.
The movement
is fantastic as well.
But when we last saw the
bot, Tim struggled with control.
With so much at stake
for the future of this team,
he needs to throw
caution to the wind
and push Ominous
forward more aggressively.
[cheering and applause]
Always a little bit worried
going against that
vertical spinner
with a big wedge.
I think, um, that way, it's...
It's not really
advantageous for us
but as long as the
weapon is robust enough,
I think we can do it.
Our strategy is, uh, hopefully
to get around the wedge.
They have this huge
wedge in the front
and see if we can
do undercutter things
and just kinda get underneath
and get their omni wheels.
Having to turn matches around
back to back is really tough.
It always depends on how
much damage you take.
It gets a lot, um,
and you have to
completely rebuild the robot.
It's... it's really stressful
and everybody kinda has
to be on top of their game.
Valkyrie is a really
tough opponent.
It's, uh... it's...
If it... if they
get up to speed,
they're really a
force to reckon with.
Um, our plan is just not
to let them spin up fully.
I think we have a
good enough top speed
to at least box rush them.
We have enough plow on the front
to make sure that we'll
at least survive the first hit.
Using our omnidirectional drive
we'll be able to
face the opponent,
uh, not only with our weapon
but also with the... the
heavily armored front.
And wait for the
good chewy wheels
to show up at the... at our disc
and go for them.
Yeah. [speaking indistinctly]
[indistinct chatter]
[Chris] All right, Kenny.
For the fans who want
a throwdown on
some BattleBotsaction,
what's the play here?
[Kenny] Well, I'm
giving Valkyrie the edge
but it's a lot closer for me
after seeing that front armor
attachment on Ominous.
That could end up
frustrating Lucy Du.
Still, Valkyrie's massive
reach advantage,
with the undercutter,
has the potential to
dictate the story of this fight.
[automated voice]
Robots, activate.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] All right.
We got a good one
brewing here, Kenny.
The stakes for this
tournament are high enough.
But for these two squads,
their standing in the
sport might be on the line.
Will Ominous glide
into the second round?
Or will the mighty Valkyrie
deliver a victory worthy of Valhalla?
We're gonna find out
when BattleBots:
Champions continues.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] This is
BattleBots: Champions
where Valkyrie and Ominous,
two bots with uncertain
futures in the sport
are ready to throw down.
One of these teams
will move closer to a spot
in The Golden Bolt tournament.
It is win or go home.
Here we go.
[audience cheering]
[audience chanting]
Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Winner of this match
will face ROTATOR
in the second round.
Lucy Du, the
captain of Valkyrie.
Tim Bouwens of the
Netherlands leads Ominous.
Let the bot battle begin!
Ominous floating
over and taking a shot.
Sweet Caroline.
[Kenny] The weapon of
Ominous had stopped spinning
after that first exchange.
Have they lost it?
Or has Tim Bouwens shut it down?
[Chris] There is some
life in that dual disc.
Tim Bouwens firing back
up and tracking Valkyrie.
Lucy Du, probing.
[Kenny] That wedge holding
up really well in Ominous still.
- [Chris] Oh.
- [Kenny] Always interesting any time to get
a vertical spinner against
a horizontal spinner.
There's an
opportunity for Ominous
- to attack the backside of Valkyrie.
- [Chris] Yeah.
- [Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] Oh.
[Chris] A nice shot
by Valkyrie there.
Start chipping away at
the front end of Ominous.
[Kenny] Lucy Du
has to be careful
to not oversteer in this fight.
Ominous doesn't have much reach,
but she needs to
avoid showing it.
Valkyrie's backed up.
[Chris] Lucy with an
opportunity to fire back
at her critics here
in the Slugfest.
Remember, she was not
happy about being left out
of the World
Championship VII tourney.
Can she make a statement
by going on a run this evening?
[Kenny] Valkyrie slowly
trying to break down
the defenses of Ominous.
Tim Bouwens, trying
to stay squared up.
That undercutter on
Valkyrie looks hungry.
[Chris] Still looking
for that hurt...
massive hit of the fight.
- [Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] Oh, big impact.
Now Ominous in pursuit
but Valkyrie with the
whip-around counterstrike,
doing her best Ray Billings
and Tombstone impression.
- [Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] Couple of power shots landed by Ominous.
[Kenny] Lucy learned a
lot in the regular season,
and you could see
it here in her driving.
[Chris] Both weapons
still humming.
Valkyrie lining up a shot...
- [Kenny] Oh.
- [Chris] ...and delivers it to the front of Ominous.
Just passed the halfway mark,
and the bots looking
for some space.
[Kenny] Here comes Valkyrie.
[Chris] Oh, and collision
that sends Lucy Du's bot
careening into the screws.
[Kenny] Still time for
both of these teams
to make a push for a knockout,
that would impress the judges.
This one's not over, Chris.
[Chris] Lots of
sparks, lots of jabs
and a few big shots
in this fight so far.
But no critical
damage to speak of.
But which of these teams
is gonna exert their
will down the stretch?
Winner moves on
to the second round.
Loser takes a long flight home.
Much longer, by the
way, if you're Ominous.
[Kenny] Whoa! That was a
nice weapon-to-weapon hit.
- [Chris] Oh...
- [Kenny] Is Ominous alive?
[Chris] No, that's it.
That is it.
We waited more than two
minutes for the first huge shots.
And Valkyrie giving it a
sniff to see if he's still alive.
And now backing off.
- Ten!
- [Chris] That will do it.
- Nine.
- [Chris] The countdown has started.
Valkyrie is gonna move
on to the next round,
where it will face ROTATOR
in the Sin City
Slugfest semifinals.
Knockout!
[Kenny] That's a
big win for Lucy Du.
[Chris] And this one
was a slow burn, Kenny.
Very effective defensive
configuration by Ominous.
But you just have to sense
that big shot from Valkyrie
was lurking in there.
[Kenny] Yeah,
nice job by Lucy Du,
keeping the pressure on Ominous.
Chipped away at that big wedge.
Probed and prodded and
jabbed with the undercutter,
and eventually got the
weapon-to-weapon shot
she was looking for.
- [Kenny] Boom.
- [Chris] There it is.
[Kenny] What a shot.
[Chris] Valkyrie sends
Ominous back to the Netherlands
and launches itself
into the next round.
Lucy... congratulations.
Thank you.
Now that sort of shot...
That's the sort of shot that
you delivered to Ominous
- that you've been waiting for.
- [Lucy] Yeah.
Um, I think as we gained
more confidence in the robot,
we were able to, kind of,
full stick in a little bit more.
Uh, Lucy, we will see
you in the semifinals
against ROTATOR.
Congratulations.
All right. Thank you.
[cheering and applause]
That was awesome.
Yeah, that was great.
[Chris] So Team Valkyrie
will head back to the pits.
To try and get their bot
ready for what will be
a highly-anticipated
rematch with ROTATOR.
Their first fight was an
epic back-and-forth classic.
Had more sparklers than a
wedding on the Fourth of July.
We'll break that
down a little later.
But up next, we'll kick off
the second round
of tonight's Slugfest
with SHREDDIT BRO!
Versus Switchback.
And to hear Evan Arias tell it
his bot is the most destructive,
the most handsome.
It's got a GRAMMY.
It was the first bot on Mars.
Fact is, no one talks
the talk like Big Evan.
Now we'll see if he
can walk the walk
asBattleBots:
Champions continues.
[cheering and applause]
[Chris] It is time for more
of the Sin City Slugfest.
We started with
eight bots tonight
and now just four
remain in the quest to join
The Golden Bolt
tournament field.
There's a look at teams
Valkyrie and ROTATOR
getting prepped for
their second round fight.
Just around the corner, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, no rest
between matches in this event.
It's go, go, go or you go home.
[Chris] Okay. Time to
kick off round number two.
We got SHREDDIT
BRO! versus Switchback.
[audience cheering]
And for the madman Evan Arias,
dude is loving life
after a shocking KO
Skorpios in round one.
He is feeling great
about his robot,
and it looks great.
On a scale of Pain
Train to Minotaur,
this bot's trending
in the right direction.
Well, listen, whatever Evan...
Evan, whatever you did to
SHREDDIT BRO! and left,
just do that again.
Do that again.
I mean, his robot looks
so much, uh, better,
so much stronger, so
much more powerful,
so much more durable.
And let's be honest,
his driving may be rough
around the edges at times,
but the man is fearless.
Let... let's just slow
his roll for just a second,
because Switchback,
that thing is a brick.
It can deliver a
shot with its weapon.
So I think that Greg Needel
has the advantage
here, don't you think?
[Kenny] Yeah, this
is a sophomore team
on the right trajectory,
led by a captain
with the right attitude,
which is get better each
and every time out there.
Switchback isn't a
world-beater just yet
but their armor setups
are incredibly effective.
I'm looking for more
progress on the offensive end.
The drum has knockout power
but not a lot of sting power.
And that weapon's
gonna be tested here.
Evan Arias has an
in-your-face driving style,
so Greg Needel is gonna have
plenty of opportunities
to make a statement.
- This could be an extreme one.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- We'll find out who's headed to the final.
Faruq.
[cheering and applause]
In the red square...
This lo-fi darling
came out of nowhere.
Now he's making the rounds.
Trying to be a legend,
even though he's like
your corpse underground.
He's not big but
you'll get hipster cred
if he hits you with his tool.
And you can say,
"Yeah, he k*lled me
before he was cool."
It's SHREDDIT BRO!
[cheering and applause]
[Chris] Evan Arias coming of
off his best performance ever
in a fight earlier tonight.
He was losing confidence
when he was average.
Now how do you feel?
[Kenny laughing]
I mean, he... he
loves this game.
Great to see him finally
get his bot dialed in.
Is it dialed in for this fight?
[Chris] Yeah, we'll see.
[Kenny] Find out.
[cheering and applause]
[Faruq] In the blue square...
This next bot sounds
like a pop up band
from the early mid-2000s.
"Breaking Back Sunday"
or "Newfound Glory"
is how a Switchback
concert sounded.
His body count sum is 41.
Now you have a
brand-new home in heaven.
Just make sure your
heart strings are in tune
as the APB plays Blink-187.
It's Switchback!
[cheering and applause]
Yeah!
[Chris] Round two
for Team Switchback.
This is the bot we
were honing in on
before the night started, Kenny.
And it has not
disappointed so far.
[Kenny] No, and with
this armor configuration,
SHREDDIT BRO! is
gonna have a tough time
landing significant
strikes on Switchback.
You know, Evan is
gonna come out swinging.
So Greg Needel might wanna
just play defense early on
and outlast the BRO!
[audience cheering]
Right now, we have
Switchback coming up
and I'm very excited.
That'll be our
second fight tonight.
Hopefully, we get
another one and I...
I just can't... I'm looking
forward to it. We...
After knocking out Skorpios,
I feel like there's
nothing we can't do.
I'm usually confident but
I'm, like, overly confident now.
So Switchback is
an interesting robot
that has these lifter arms
attached to their weapon,
that whole assembly.
So we're looking to knock
the arms completely out
and hopefully
break their pulleys
and render the robot useless.
Because they
have a... a big drum
that basically
scrapes the ground,
uh, we're gonna go to
our beak configuration.
That beak will hopefully
take the impact,
stop their drum before the
weapon-to-weapon impact.
And we really need to...
make sure that we're
hitting our angles of attack,
trying to win the ground game
and then, you know,
hoping that the,
uh, weapon-to-weapon
engagement goes our way.
[automated voice]
Robots, activate.
[audience cheering]
We're good.
[audience chanting]
Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Evan Arias
and SHREDDIT BRO!
Greg Needel and Switchback.
Winner is moving
on to the final.
Let the bot battle begin.
Switchback either
taking its time
or having trouble
on the floor, Kenny.
I can't know which one.
[Kenny] Oh, a big pop there.
Switchback's weapon belt
is now lying on
the BattleBox floor.
That's gonna be a problem.
Advantage SHREDDIT
BRO to start this fight.
[Chris] So now Switchback,
what is it gonna get,
- it's smoking on top of everything else.
- [Kenny] Oh, no.
SHREDDIT BRO! just
shredding Switchback.
[Chris] Going to the back
side, opening things up.
[Kenny] Look at that rear armor.
SHREDDIT BRO!
Breaking the factory seal.
[Chris] Evan
Arias can fail none.
- He is going in for the k*ll!
- [Kenny] Oh!
SHREDDIT BRO!
Is nasty. Look at this.
[Chris] Oh, man. Wow!
- Oh, is he gonna follow it up?
- [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] Oh, he just
cleans up the mess.
[Kenny] He is destroying the armor
all over Switchback right now, Chris.
[Chris] Greg Needel having
trouble getting his robot right side up.
But Evan Arias... Oh, God!
He took the shot from
the 100-pound hammer.
Good. Good on drive.
[Kenny] Switchback still mobile
but desperately trying
to find some space
to reset here.
[Chris] So impressive.
Now the only thing to worry
about if you're SHREDDIT BRO! is,
if you stop working
at some point.
'Cause he's dominating.
[Kenny] And that's been the
issue with SHREDDIT BRO!
The reliability of that
weapon hasn't been great.
It's last few fights, though,
it's been fantastic.
[Kenny and Chris exclaiming]
[Kenny] Serious airtime
for Switchback, Chris.
I think that's a knockdown.
[Chris] Unbelievable.
The question was could
Switchback stop the BRO?
- The answer is hell no!
- [referee counting down]
[Kenny laughs]
[Chris] SHREDDIT
BRO! and Evan Arias
- off to the final.
- [referee] Two, one.
Knockout!
[man 1] Let's go!
[Chris] What a performance.
The ascension of
the BRO continues.
[indistinct chatter]
[man 2] Oh, my God.
Whoo!
[Evan and Greg
speak indistinctly]
[Chris] Kenny, Evan Arias has
dominated with a 3 lb
version of SHREDDIT BRO!
On the Beetleweight circuit.
This kinda offense is why
it's so feared in that division.
[Kenny] My goodness.
Landed some
absolutely ferocious shots
in this one, Chris.
Ripped into Switchback's armor
and sent it flying
backwards into the corner.
I thought Greg Needel
panicked a little
bit in this fight,
having trouble getting
his robot on its feet.
As a result of all the pressure.
Phenomenal
performance by the BRO.
[Chris] Couple more
really nice shots and...
- [Kenny] Oh!
- Oh! That was the finishing blow.
- Evan Arias.
- Yup.
Oh, hold on, hold
on, I got you, I got you.
Yeah, sorry. Sorry, bro.
Yup!
Evan, do you think you
have some believers now?
Uh, I might have, like, three...
Some of them are
mannequins on the front,
but we have a few
more now. Let's go!
[Kenny chuckles]
Dude, in season 6 and season 7
you talked your bot
up and we were like,
"Okay, dude. When are
you gonna start delivering?"
Well, that has happened tonight.
What has been the big
deal with you guys here?
So, I would say, uh, you
know, doing the robot up,
you know, we had all types
of drive issues, weapon issues.
And then coming
into this tournament
you know it's the
second fight of the night
and honestly, uh, there
was a lot to get here
and we really wanted to
make sure we were dialed in.
Evan, the reliability of that
drum is just unbelievable.
You're hitting
with such ferocity.
And you guys are just inviting
these weapon to weapon exchanges
and winning them all.
Yeah, that's how...
That's kinda how we do.
We love weapon
to weapon contact.
Everyone who loves this sport, you
know, you go for that big engagement.
And we wanted the big hits.
And, you know, sometimes we got
great competitors who want the same thing.
So, uh, I would say
this weapon design
is something we're gonna take
and, you know, keep
going with in the future.
Uh, I see a long career
for SHREDDIT BRO!
- Well, congratulations.
- [Evan] Thank you, guys.
[speaking indistinctly]
- [man 3] Nice fight. Good fight.
- [man 4] Good job.
- [Kenny] Bruh.
- [Chris] Bruh.
- Bruh.
- Bruh.
That was awesome. That was...
That was a lot of fun.
SHREDDIT BRO!, you
know, they've had their issues
and to see them come
in here in the Slugfest,
they've been very
impressive, man.
[Chris] So, against all odds,
the BRO is moving
on to the final.
It will face the winner
of our next match.
Lucy Du and Valkyrie.
Victor Soto and ROTATOR.
A World Championship V rematch.
A trip to the Slugfest
final is on the line.
We'll have the fight
whenBattleBots:
Champions continue.
This is BattleBots:
Champions, Sin City Slugfest.
One half of tonight's final
is officially locked in
as SHREDDIT BRO!
Yes, you heard me.
SHREDDIT BRO! is on a tear.
Kenny, there's a look at Evan
Arias, already back in the pits
after that incredible
knockout win over Switchback.
Chatting it up with his
victim, Greg Needel.
I like this. Like,
this shearing action.
Definitely, all things
started to shear off.
[Kenny] Yeah, the work in the
pits is the other battle tonight.
SHREDDIT BRO!'s
drum has taken a beating.
Armoring will be
critical for the final.
It's not just about repairing,
but preparing for whoever
their next opponent might be.
[Chris] And we're gonna
find that out, right now.
ROTATOR and Valkyrie.
Back in season 5
they put on an all-time classic.
[Chris] ...Cushing's
popped up onto its heels.
It was a 3-minute melee, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, endless sparks.
Both weapons at full capacity.
[Chris] Both teams
refusing to back down.
[Kenny] Huge hits.
Victor's driving was incredible.
- [Chris] Keeping the pressure on.
- Go, go, go, go.
[Kenny] You had Valkyrie
ripping off ROTATOR's armor
late in the fight.
[Chris] Pieces of ROTATOR
all over the BattleBox.
[Kenny] Got that one
favorited on YouTube.
[Chris] Now, I got it.
Back then, Leanne
Cushing not Lucy Du,
was the captain of Valkyrie
but I wouldn't be shocked if we
see the same thing here tonight.
[Kenny] No question about it.
Um, you know, Lucy might not have
the experience of Leanne Cushing
but she is getting
better with this robot.
And for Victor Soto it's
feeling like business as usual.
Time and again,
ROTATOR is in the mix
But now I want to
see that k*ller instinct.
It's time for ROTATOR to prove
it's a championship level bot.
[audience cheering]
[Chris] We're
ready for a fun one.
So are the captains.
We fought Valkyrie
two years ago,
and we had a 3-minute
spark fest basically.
They ripped off our plow
and won, a judges' decision.
Very close match.
We have a little bit of
a chip on our shoulders.
We wanna come
back and beat them.
We have a whole new plow
redesigned just for Valkyrie
and we can't wait
to use it and try it out.
We're gonna hopefully
use the plow to
kind of slow them down,
pin them against a wall.
And then we're gonna use our
blades to try to aim for the wheels.
I know they have some interesting
armor configurations as well.
We're gonna see if we
can use the thin blades
to slice even easier
through the armor
and get to the wheels
and disable them.
In our fight against Ominous
we ended up taking more
damage than we initially thought.
Um, we thought that
we had just bent a blade
but in addition to that we
also bent the weapon shaft.
And, um,
so the team has been
working around the clock
trying to turn it around, um,
so that we're ready
to fight ROTATOR.
ROTATOR is a really
formidable opponent
and, um, they
always hit really hard,
they are generally
really reliable,
so we really have
to bring our A game.
I think that there is a
pretty decent chance
that both robots will take a
lot of damage, win or lose.
I think, any time,
Valkyrie meets the wedge
there's gonna be a lot of sparks.
[robot announcer]
Robots activate.
[Chris] All right. This matchup
getting a lot of attention back in the pit.
Their first encounter
was an instant classic.
So, how do the builders
see this rematch going down?
[Kenny] They've got
ROTATOR as a 72% favorite
despite losing
that first matchup.
[Chris] Does that surprise you?
[Kenny] Listen, I get
it. In recent seasons
ROTATOR's been a
class above Valkyrie.
For this one, the team's added that
beefy AR400 plow to eat up shots.
And you heard Victor. He
wants to attack Valkyrie's tires
with the overcutter.
But Valkyrie's blade, New Glory,
gives it a big reach advantage.
This should be
another brawl, Chris.
[audience chanting] Fight!
[machine beeping]
[Chris] Let the
bot battle begin.
Those horizontal blades
getting up to full speed.
Victor Soto circling Valkyrie.
[metal clanks]
[Chris] Oh, nice side shot.
- And, yeah... Oh!
- [Kenny] Oh!
[Chris] A vicious
shot by Victor Soto.
Trying to attack those wheels.
[Kenny] Lucy doing a good job of
keeping that weapon pointed at ROTATOR.
ROTATOR now...
losing its balance here.
Nice shot by Valkyrie.
[Chris] Excellent
work by Valkyrie.
[Kenny] Victor Soto
not relying on that wedge
as much as I thought
he would here.
Keeping that blade squared up.
[Chris] Valkyrie not minding.
Going weapon to weapon.
It's that wedge it's
trying to stay away from.
[Kenny] Another shot to the
side of Valkyrie by ROTATOR
but look at the
follow-up from Lucy Du.
Goes over ROTATOR now.
This is the oppression
we've been waiting to see
from Lucy since last season.
- [Chris] Man, the energy that these weapons...
- [Kenny] Wow.
Just have.
So far they've
been trading jabs.
But it feels like any second a
nuclear b*mb could go off in here.
And Chris, that first moonshot
might be what turns this fight.
[Chris] Now, Victor trying to...
That wedge right into
the mouth of Valkyrie.
You know, there's a current
poetry in each engagement here.
The sparks are flying,
weapons are humming.
Two legends going toe-to-toe.
Blow for blow.
[Kenny] Yeah, each driver is
carefully trying to find an edge here.
They know what happens
if they make a mistake.
[Chris] Little bit of
separation there.
Valkyrie goes in over again.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
[Chris] That was a big piece
of Valkyrie that just came off.
[Kenny] Yeah, looks
like it lost the armor...
- [Chris] Oh!
- Protecting its left side wheel.
[Kenny and Chris exclaim]
[Kenny] Nasty shot that sends
robots in opposite directions.
ROTATOR having some
issue with its left tire.
[Chris] Oh, no
question about it.
It has been chopped up.
And Lucy Du is
right on top of it.
Can she put the
nail in the coffin?
[Kenny] She's just trying to
get whatever she can right now.
And remember, the
left wheel is exposed
to one shot from ROTATOR.
Could even this back up.
[Chris] Under a minute to go.
Who's gonna close this out?
Oh, look at that.
That's tire's just
shredded, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, let's see if Lucy
can get around and finish it off.
It's attacking the
other side now,
but either way, I
love the aggression
we've seen from
her in this fight.
[Chris] Oh!
That's like the third or fourth time
we've seen her leapfrog over ROTATOR.
[Kenny] This fight's gonna
come down to the wire, Chris,
but right now ROTATOR's
wheel is the big difference.
That was for a lot of
damage points from Valkyrie.
[Chris] Well, their first fight
at World Championship V
was an instant classic.
The sequel's doing it justice.
So many punches
landed by each robot.
[Kenny] And look at this!
Lucy is not backing off.
[Chris] Just listen
to the sound of that.
[Kenny] That plow is about to
fall off ROTATOR, it looks like.
[Chris] Oh, Lucy Du
trying to k*ll that plow.
Can she knock it off
before time expires?
- [buzzer sounds]
- [Chris] She cannot.
But what a fantastic
fight this matchup was,
the second time around.
Everything is now in
the hands of the judges.
Lucy, good job.
[speaking indistinctly]
Couldn't get that wheel.
[Chris] Kenny, there is a
tremendous amount of filth
on the BattleBox floor.
I certainly understand why.
[Kenny] These were some
tremendous shots, back-and-forth.
See Valkyrie riding over
the top of ROTATOR there.
ROTATOR had some nice licks
to the front armor on Valkyrie.
This was just a
brawl here, Chris.
[Chris] There were two massive
shots in the middle of this fight
that set up an exciting finish.
The first one, ripped
into Valkyrie's armor
and left its wheel exposed.
The second left ROTATOR's
wheel severely compromised.
[Kenny] Yeah, and I didn't
think we'd be saying this
but what made the
difference down the stretch
was Lucy Du's aggression.
With her side exposed,
it would've been easy
for her to be cautious
and let time run out,
but she stayed on
top of ROTATOR,
targeted Victor's wheel
and did a ton of damage
to the plow as well.
[Chris] It's amazing
because ROTATOR's mindset
has been all about
durability over the years.
And here, limping around
with a gash in the wheel.
Let's find out who's moving on.
Faruq.
The results from
the judges are in.
Whoo!
The winner by
unanimous decision is...
- Valkyrie.
- [exclaiming]
[woman 1] Did it. We did it.
Oh, God.
[woman 1 screaming]
So happy!
[Chris] Lucy, congratulations.
That is the most emotional
I've seen you and your team.
Why jumping for joy so much?
Uh, that fight was
kind of awesome.
Uh, we spun the
whole three minutes and
it was great.
[Kenny] It was more
than kinda awesome.
It was very awesome.
You know, you
guys just stood there
and started trading
shots the whole time.
Was that a part
of the game plan?
Yeah, absolutely.
Um, our plan was just
- point the spinny thing and...
- [Kenny chuckles]
drive.
Well, listen, this is your
first year with the robot.
We know that Valkyrie's had
a tremendous amount of
success here at BattleBots.
But for you personally,
how satisfying is
it that you're now
one win away from
participating in the Golden Bolt?
Um, I think
for me and my
team it means a lot.
We put a lot of
work into upgrading
that weapon system on Valkyrie,
to make sure it spins the full
three minutes every single fight.
Um, and I think it's shown
that in every fight we've had.
Congratulations, Lucy.
We'll see you in the final.
Thanks.
Valkyrie!
[indistinct]
[Chris] Okay, Kenny,
tonight's final all set.
Valkyrie moves on to
face SHREDDIT BRO!
Both teams just one win away
from a trip to the
Golden Bolt tournament.
[Kenny] Huge credit to Lucy Du.
She's got Valkyrie
back on the right track.
And for Victor Soto and ROTATOR,
another solid showing
but a major trophy still
eludes this talented squad.
So, coming up next,
SHREDDIT BRO! versus Valkyrie.
A berth in the Golden
Bolt tournament awaits.
Don't go anywhere.
It's the final.
And it's next on BattleBots.
We are back on
BattleBots: Champions,
Sin City Slugfest.
It is time right
now for the final
between Valkyrie
and SHREDDIT BRO!
And if you picked these two
to make the final at
the start of the night,
you need to go buy yourself
a lottery ticket right now.
This is the long
shot of long shots.
Two squads coming
off disappointing,
underwhelming World
Championship VII seasons.
And I'll tell you what,
if they performed
like this back then
there's no doubt they would've
grabbed a spot in the tournament
and potentially made some noise.
[Kenny] Absolutely. This is also
a fascinating matchup
in terms of backgrounds.
SHREDDIT BRO! has
more humble beginnings.
Evan Arias comes from
the projects of New York.
Got passed over
for scholarships.
The man is
essentially self-taught.
[Kenny] On the other
hand, you have Valkyrie.
A complex engineering marvel
with a gaggle of
MITeers behind it.
Two vastly different
pasts for these squads.
But they're
converging right now.
Why don't we start
it out with The Bro?
Evan Arias, SHREDDIT BRO!
We love Evan's confidence,
the cool-guy vibes.
But behind that is a steady,
dedicated, and patient captain.
His squad's truly been through
theBattleBots meat grinder, Kenny.
[Kenny] Yeah, it all started a
few years ago with Pain Train,
which was never
really competitive.
Kind of, the butt of the joke.
But Evan stayed positive.
He was k*lling it in the lower
weight classes of robot combat,
with his three pound
version of SHREDDIT BRO!
He scaled it up.
It didn't work
out great initially.
But Evan stayed positive.
Here in the Slugfest,
back against the wall,
SHREDDIT BRO! knocks out
a proven contender, Skorpios.
Delivers a stunning KO of
Switchback in the semifinal.
Tonight, Chris, that
positivity is working overtime.
And it's finally paying off.
Now just one win away from
joining the Golden Bolt tournament.
So too, is Lucy Du,
the brand new
captain of Valkyrie.
But we've got a little
business to take care of.
Before the break, Rotator
did appeal it's loss to Valkyrie.
The judges took a
look. Told Victor, no dice.
And team Valkyrie
got the official nod.
That is a big resume
piece of Lucy Du.
Who as we know, took
control of this big-named bot.
Perhaps the expectations
were too high, early on.
After all, it wasn't just Leanne
Cushing that left the squad,
it was also the
driver, Fred Moore
who now spins
dough for RIPperoni.
So, Lucy's working two jobs,
but she's confident in her
team and her own abilities.
And perhaps, that pushed
her to do so well tonight, I think.
[Kenny] Yeah, absolutely. I
think they've had two solid wins.
Uh, and they're looking
stronger and stronger as well.
Lucy getting much more
familiar with her bot, Valkyrie.
Somebody is off to the
Golden Bolt tournament.
Is it SHREDDIT
BRO! or is it Valkyrie?
Let's find out. Faruq.
[crowd cheering]
[Faruq] Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?
It's time for the main event.
[siren blaring]
[Faruq] In the red square,
this New York bot will
put you underground,
like a subway tunnel
that's been abandoned.
And like that city,
you'll never sleep
for fear of the dead
that you'll be handed.
So run for Jersey.
Hit the turnpike,
or your demise, it
couldn't be gorier.
And beware this
team in Sin City,
'cause man, they
look like warriors.
It's SHREDDIT BRO!
[Chris] Come out and play.
SHREDDIT BRO! making its third
trip to theBattleBots this evening,
in unexpected
run, to say the least.
But, Kenny, it might be time
to start believing in The Bro.
[Kenny] Well, the biggest KO of
the night belongs to SHREDDIT BRO!
That's already a
feather in the cap,
considering the talent
level this evening.
But you're only
one win away from
the most successful
night of your career,
you have to dream big.
Evan Arias, go
for it all, my man.
[Faruq] In the blue square,
this thing is a
horizontal spinner,
just like Pat Sajak's wheel.
But give it a spin,
and all you're winning
is a mouthful of steel.
You'll get lit up like
Vanna White touched you.
It'll be bad for morale,
and go completely bankrupt,
if you try to buy a vowel.
A-E I owe you a beat down
from Valkyrie.
[Chris] Lucy Du and her
talented team KO'd Ominous,
won the rematch with Rotator.
Just one more win to advance
to the tournament
of champions, Kenny.
Valkyrie is back.
[Kenny] It's definitely back.
And the field isn't
gonna like that.
When Valkyrie is on its game,
the repair bills, back
in the pits, go way up.
And the vibe with this
squad is completely changed.
They're ready to bring the
fight to SHREDDIT BRO!
And take their shot
at the Golden Bolt.
[Chris] Okay. As they
say here in Sin City,
big money, big money, big money.
Hit me, Kenny.
[Kenny] Well, full
credit to Evan Arias
for even making this a question.
But the edge still
goes to Valkyrie.
It's got that 65
pound blade Sweet
Caroline again.
It got bent up against Ominous,
but looks pristine now.
And Lucy says,
she's aiming dead center
on SHREDDIT BRO!
She has full faith in
her bot's durability.
For The Bro, not much
in the way of changes,
and Evan's practically giddy
at the notion of weapon
to weapon strikes.
He believes,
that's his best shot,
at coming out on top.
[robotic voice]
Robots, activate.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] An offensive, brawl
brewing here in the final.
SHREDDIT BRO!
Valkyrie.
Who's gonna earn a
shot at the Golden Bolt?
We'll find out,
whenBattleBots:
Champions continues.
[Kenny] Let's take
a look at the awards
from World Championship Seven,
presented earlier this year.
The excellence in
sportsmanship award
went to Rory Mangles
from Monsoon,
The most destructive robot,
World Championship
VII runner-up,
Huge.
An award near and dear
to the hearts of
theBattleBots community,
the Grant Imahara
award for best design...
The pizza bot,
RIPperoni.
Finally, the founders award,
which celebrates
those that best represent
the spirit and
values ofBattleBots.
The one and only,
Martin Mason from MaDCatTer.
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
Whoo!
Yeah!
Whoo!
[Chris] We are
back onBattleBots.
We've got SHREDDIT
BRO! and Valkyrie,
inside the box for
tonight's Slugfest final.
A berth in the Golden Bolt
tournament is on the line.
Evan Arias,
Lucy Du,
show us what you got.
[crowd cheering]
Fight! Fight! Fight!
[Chris] Let the
bot battle begin.
Ah, there's your face to face.
[Kenny] Yeah, we're
gonna find out real quick,
whose weapon is more powerful.
-Oh. -Oh.
[Kenny] Nasty shot there.
[Chris] SHREDDIT BRO!
Continuing to attack Valkyrie.
[Kenny] Yeah,
they're going right at it.
- [Chris] Oh, yeah.
- Both teams.
[Kenny] Not shy
to exchange here.
[Chris] Kenny, it's
just gonna come down
- to dependability in this one.
- Oh.
[Kenny] Yeah, I'm
surprised Valkyrie isn't trying
to go for the wheels
on SHREDDIT BRO!
[Chris] Uh-oh. Valkyrie up against
the screws on the upper deck.
And, able to slip free.
Now looking to get that
undercutter back up to speed.
And Kenny, SHREDDIT BRO!'s
weapon, no longer working.
Did Evan Arias lose it
in that last exchange?
[Kenny] Those were
some violent shots
to start this match, Chris.
Obviously, SHREDDIT BRO!
Not known for its durability.
I think that weapon is down.
Which mean Valkyrie
will have surged ahead
on the score cards here.
[Chris] Just about a minute
into this Slugfest final.
Is this where the
Cinderella run of
SHREDDIT BRO! comes to an end?
[Kenny] Oh.
[Chris] As Evan Arias delivers
a shot to the front of Valkyrie.
He is now scrambling without
use of his primary weapon.
Can SHREDDIT BRO! find a
way to get back in this fight?
[Kenny] Oh, Evan Arias
keeping the pressure on,
continuing to throw
SHREDDIT BRO!
Into Valkyrie's weapon.
And, Chris, I think Valkyrie
may be struggling with
some mobility issues now.
[Chris] SHREDDIT
BRO! smothering Valkyrie,
as we approach
the half way point.
And Lucy Du needs to find a
way to create some space here,
and catch a breathe.
Trying to hold on to a lead,
and punch her ticket to
the Golden Bolt tournament.
Oh!
[Kenny] Oh, there's a nice
shot there, at the side of the box.
[Chris] Valkyrie looking a
little sluggish after that shot.
SHREDDIT BRO!
Starting to come back here,
giving Valkyrie a
tour of the BattleBox.
Certainly being more
aggressive of the two bots.
[Kenny] Uh-oh.
It's now Valkyrie
tastin' the screws.
That's no good.
[Kenny] And Valkyrie having
serious drive train issues, Chris.
[Chris] Yeah. I mean, if
SHREDDIT BRO! is still
fully functional
on the drive area,
Valkyrie's...
just kinda sittin' and spinning.
Don't know if that's
enough movement.
[Kenny] This is exactly what
SHREDDIT BRO! needs to do.
There's 40 second left, Chris.
They need to stay
aggressive here.
If Valkyrie survives,
this could be their fight.
[Chris] Evan Arias is doing
everything in his power
to try and disable Valkyrie.
[Kenny] Oh, oh.
[Chris] A great job
by SHREDDIT BRO!
Valkyrie, is it moving or not?
[Kenny] Doesn't look
like it's moving, Chris.
This could be a knockout
for SHREDDIT BRO!
Are you kidding me?
- Nine, eight...
- [Chris] The countdown is started.
Seven...
[Chris] Valkyrie is not moving.
Can you believe?
Evan Arias and SHREDDIT BRO!
Knockout.
[Chris] ...onto the
tournament of champions.
Wow!
[indistinct dialogues]
That was proper SHREDDIT BRO!
[man] Oh, my [bleep].
That was us. Oh.
[Chris] Well, Kenny, uh, they
weren't bashful about saying,
"We're going weapon to weapon".
[Kenny] No. And we got
a great fight, because of it.
See Valkyrie get jammed
up against the screws there,
but their weapon just
would not stop spinning.
[Chris] Well, at this point,
Shreddit's weapon was done.
So they had to go to plan B,
and, boy, did they execute it.
[Kenny] Yeah, that's right. And
this is where you need to have
composure, and the
ability to adapt and adjust.
And that's exactly what
SHREDDIT BRO! did.
You know, they
believe in their robot,
and they just kept
slamming Valkyrie,
into the sides of the BattleBox.
Eventually, Valkyrie got
pinned into the corner.
SHREDDIT BRO!
Just stayin' on top of it.
And Valkyrie's dream of being
in the Tournament of
Champions was over.
So I got away from
you this time. Hold on.
[Chris] Evan Arias
and SHREDDIT BRO!,
congratulations.
You are off to the Golden
Bolt tournament of champions.
Very happy to be here.
Honestly if it wasn't
for my amazing team,
we would not be this far at all.
Take us through that crazy
fight, man. What happened?
Whoo!
So, that's a scary weapon.
And, uh, usually my
game's like, head on.
And, uh, I was kind of hesitant,
but I was hoping, maybe... maybe
we could do some damage there.
But, uh, that thing is...
That's a nasty weapon.
[Kenny] Evan...
It seems like those
weapon to weapon hits
shut you guys down.
But then you guys adjusted
and started ramming Valkyrie
into the side of the BattleBox.
Yeah. So that's my game.
It was, you know,
head on, no matter what.
Whether weapons working nice,
gotta keep, you know, keep
being there aggressive, keep going.
And hopefully
things will work out.
Big picture here, Evan.
A few seasons ago,
you joined us
here, at BattleBots,
with a robot called Pain Train.
And to be honest,
it was kind of,
painful to watch.
Um...
[crowd exclaims]
A few years later,
here you are...
challenging for the Golden Bolt.
How did this all happen?
Uh, I would say,
experiences, lessons,
and honestly, the
community coming together,
and having the
best team behind me
makes me afraid of
nothing that's ahead of me.
[crowd cheering]
You are a guy that's from the
East Coast, up there in New York.
You make no bones about it.
You didn't have the engineering
opportunities as a kid,
that a lot of the people
back in the pits do.
What does this mean to you,
and the community back East,
that you're trying to build?
Well, I want everybody to know,
it doesn't matter where you grew
up, where your background is,
if you got the heart
and you got the spirit,
if you wanna do
it, make it happen.
Follow that dream.
[crowd cheering]
Well, you've almost
achieved that dream.
We will see you in the
tournament of champions.
Congratulations to you
and you entire squad.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering]
[Chris] Hi, Lucy.
Hi.
I know you're disappointed.
One step shy of making
the tournament of champions.
Did you think you
really had a chance
to clench this thing, once you
saw his weapon stop working?
I did.
Um, but unfortunately,
shortly after that,
something in our drive, died.
And we kind of
just, drifted around
by the weapon, for
the rest of the match.
Um...
It happens.
It seems like
your guy's strategy
was to go weapon to
weapon with SHREDDIT BRO!
Do you regret that strategy?
Not at all.
Um, our weapon still spins.
It's totally fine.
And I think that, as a team,
that was our entire
plan for the season,
is make sure the weapon
never stops spinning.
So we're all really proud of
the work that we did on that.
And, um, the weapon rips.
Thanks so much
for the entertainment.
Another great season
for you and team Valkyrie.
Thank you.
Did good.
Well, congratulations to Evan
Arias and SHREDDIT BRO!
Evan's first few seasons, here
atBattleBots were bleak, to say the least.
But one thing we know
about New Yorkers,
they do not quit.
Evan was determined to
make a big splash in this sport.
He brought in the Bro,
and finally it happened tonight.
No, absolutely.
And this was a
gutsy performance.
Evan sent SHREDDIT BRO!
Head first into every fight.
Consequences be damned.
And the bot held strong.
When we looked at the field,
even at the
beginning of the night,
we didn't pick that bot,
to be representing this bracket
into the Tournament
of Champions.
And now, they're
just a few wins away
from hoisting the Golden Bolt.
Well, if you thought, they
were a long shot tonight,
just wait a few weeks.
SHREDDIT BRO! you
may be the king of this hill,
but Mt. Everest awaits.
[Chris] And remember,
there is still four
spots up for grabs.
Next week, another batch
of mechanical monsters
is gonna battle it out
in qualifier number two.
Looks like a loaded
line up, Kenny.
[Kenny] That's right.
We'll see the k*ller Bs,
Bloodsport, Blip,
and Black Dragon.
Whiplash hunting for
its first major trophy.
The Founders award
winner, Martin Mason
and MaDCatTer,
and so much more, I can't wait.
So that'll do it for tonight,
for Faruq, my
man, Kenny Florian.
I am Chris Rose.
We will see you next time here
on BattleBots Champions,
Sin City Slugfest.
Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?
Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register
09x01 - Let the Bot Battles Begin! (part 1)/That's What You Call a KO! (part 2)
Watch/Buy Amazon
Show is an adaptation of the American Robot Wars competitions hosted in the mid–late 1990s by Marc Thorpe, in which competitors design and operate remote-controlled armed and armored machines designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament.
Show is an adaptation of the American Robot Wars competitions hosted in the mid–late 1990s by Marc Thorpe, in which competitors design and operate remote-controlled armed and armored machines designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament.