03x08 - I'm Here to Kick Some Bot

[bunniefuu]

So often, inside the battle box

these matches are decided
by the skills of the driver.

Will Bales,
with his bot Hypershock,

is one of the greatest
drivers in the sport.

In fact, he won
the Best Driver Award in 2016,

and that gives him
a huge advantage

every time he enters
the battle box.

What's up, Chris?

Nothing, Will.
[ENGINE PUTTERS]

Wow, he really can
drive anything.

[TIRES SCREECHING]
[GLASS SHATTERING]

[♪♪]

Hey, everybody, and welcome
to BattleBots: Fight Night.

This is the show that takes
rock 'em, sock 'em robots

to its deadly conclusion.

I'm Chris Rose, and joining me
is a man with elbows of steel,

Kenny Florian.
Thanks, Chris.

I actually tried to enter
this year's competition,

but I couldn't make weight.

Or get that flamethrower
installed in time.

KENNY:
It's true.

CHRIS: But the action
inside the battle box

is heating up regardless.

Tonight's main event
features Lock-Jaw and Bronco.

Two contenders with top
pedigree inside the box,

driven by masters of the sport.

It's gonna be an all-out brawl,

especially since
Lock-Jaw is battling

with its back against the wall.

After two tough fights
already this season,

tonight's match might be
its most important one yet.

KENNY: Yeah, let's take
a look at Bronco.

Alexander Rose
and Reason Bradley

are looking hot
after their first fight,

sending Bombshell
nearly 15 feet in the air

with that flipper.

They've upped their power
for this year,

and it's awesome
to watch in action.

CHRIS: Check out the rest
of this electric fight card.

We've got the devastating
Dutch drum spinner.

Reality, ready to rip
the beak off a Duck.

And we've got
Mr. Miami Vice himself,

Will Bales and Hypershock,

looking to sink his teeth
into a 250-pound cheeseburger

with a bacon-shaped
horizontal spinner,

Battle Royale with Cheese.

Plus, Witch Doctor looks
to unleash their voodoo magic

against the Jersey Boy
with the flaming hammer,

Al Kindle and Blacksmith.

After stumbling
out of the gates this year,

both of these teams are willing
to tear the other apart

to keep their
tournament hopes alive.

But, let's kick off
the action tonight

with what could be a dazzling
display of kinetic energy.

Warrior Dragon,

with their combination
full-body spinner and flipper,

squaring up to Victor Soto

and the deadly double
spinning blades of Rotator.

Which one of these spinners
will end up a winner?

We'll find out shortly.

Faruq get on in here.
The world is yours, my man.

Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?

It's robot fighting time.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

In the red square,

Warrior the Magic Dragon
lived by the sea

and it frolicked
in a fiery mist

in the land called
Please Help Me.

It's Warrior Dragon.

CHRIS:
Team Warrior Dragon is 1 and 0

after a win against Chomp,

looking pretty relaxed here

with the lawn chairs,
a deadly robot and a drone.

Just another weekend
at the lake.

FARUQ:
In the blue square,

you say "rotate-o,"
I say "rotaht-o."

No matter how you say it,
this bot will mash you up.

It's Rotator.

CHRIS: Rotator is sitting
at 1 and 1 on the year,

with a loss to Petunia,

but a win in an untelevised
match versus Predator.

KENNY:
They've swapped up their discs

for the blades you see there.

That should allow
for more surface area

to strike Warrior Dragon
and do damage.

The idea is gonna
be to stay aggressive,

and then hopefully
just ram him hard enough

so that either his blade
or his motor weapons

burn up over the course
of the time.

So in the first minute,

it's gonna be a lot
of big hits, I would assume,

mostly from him.

But hopefully
the last two minutes

I can take over and, you know,

driving skill will come
into play a little bit there.

They have a heavier weapon,

so they would overpower
our drivetrain

and potentially
backdrive our motor,

and that could fry
our electronics pretty easily.

So we're gonna spin
in the opposite direction

so that it's more of almost like
a climbing cut.

They do have a very tanky robot,

so I don't think we'll be able
to get to the insides,

but we may be able
to knock something loose.

ANNOUNCER:
Robots activate.

CHRIS: Kenny, sounds like
we're gonna see

a lot of hits in this one.

KENNY: And I like how Rotator

is changing the direction
of their blades.

That means they'll be
rear-ending Warrior Dragon

instead of taking
a head-on collision.

ANNOUNCER:
Red team, ready.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

Blue team, ready.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Rotator already on its move
and taking a shot.

And another as well!

And another!

Looks like that top blade is
not hitting on Rotator, Kenny.

KENNY:
Yeah, that is by design.

Rotator only needs
to spin that bottom blade

to make contact.

CHRIS: Oh, and there's
another big collision

as the drone watches on!

Oh, another nasty knock
to the schnoz!

KENNY:
Chris, both bots executing

their game plan so far.

Rotator has that blade working,

and Warrior Dragon is happy
to meet force with force.

CHRIS: Big sparks, nice shot
there by Warrior Dragon.

And the drone trying to get in.

KENNY: That blade on Rotator
working overtime, Chris.

CHRIS:
Couple of big hits there.

KENNY: Yeah.
Both bots being aggressive,

but Rotator is shaking
a little now.

And now that back part of
Warrior Dragon is not spinning,

but check out the drone
trying to get involved

with that flame.

CHRIS: Now Rotator's
starting that top blade, Kenny.

That drone better not get too
close, it'll suck it down.

KENNY: Look at this,
it's gonna get drone involved.

It's spinning.
Watch drone get burned up.

Oh! Little too close
for comfort there.

That drone channeling Icarus,

flying a little too close
to the sun.

So now it's one-on-one
right in front of us.

Let's see if Rotator can do
anything on the offensive.

This is some next-level
driving here from the Ewart clan

and Warrior Dragon.

Pinning Rotator
up against the box here.

Rotator hasn't been able to--

Oh! The Pulverizer!

What's up?

Oh! Taking bits and pieces
out of Rotator!

Nice use of the battle box
there by Warrior Dragon.

KENNY: So it seems both bots not


Warrior Dragon's
lost its primary weapon.

Now just relying on the
driving skills of Clint Ewart.

He's got Rotator pinned!

CHRIS: He can hold him there
for a little while,

then he has to let him go,
which he does.

KENNY: Oh, this is
a brilliant strategy.

He's taking precious time
off the clock here.

Not allowing Rotator
to get any hits going.

CHRIS:
k*ll saws now functional

with under a minute to go,
and uh-oh!

Warrior Dragon smoking
right in front of us!

KENNY: This is exactly
what Team Ewart was afraid of.

Warrior Dragon burning up
its motors here.

CHRIS:
Well, he's moving just a little.

But check out Rotator.
That primary weapon's back.

He's got a free shot
on Warrior Dragon

if he can just move.

Are we heading for
a double KO, Kenny?

KENNY: Neither bot has been
stationary long enough, Chris.

CHRIS: Well, both bots
are on the canvas.

Trying anything to show
they're still functional.

Can somebody make
one final push?

Oh! Watch out for the k*ll saws,
Warrior Dragon.

Not a great place to lose power.

KENNY:
Oh, here comes Rotator.

CHRIS: Rotator clipping
toward Warrior Dragon.

Oh! Big hit there.

Under 10 to go.

Too late for a count-out in
what's been a tactical battle.

A real seesaw affair.

And look at Rotator.

Spinning like he's winning.

Trying to tell the judges,
"Pick me, pick me."

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

And here they are.

Derek Young, the former
BattleBots bad boy.

From Mythbusters, Grant Imahara.[/i]

And our old friend
from BattleBots 2015 season,[/i]

Bobak Ferdowsi.

Kenny, I don't envy the judges
having to make this call.

How are they going
to break this one down?

KENNY: Well, as promised,
both teams came out aggressive,

resulting in some great action.

The way I see it,

Warrior Dragon
won the control battle.

Really pushing Rotator
around the box

and pinning him
very effectively.

But Rotator came out on top
in the damage category,

getting the better
of Warrior Dragon

with that bottom blade

and knocking out
their primary weapon.

That's a powerful statement
for the judges.

We have a split decision.

Judge Bobak scored
the battle for Rotator.

Judge Derek scored
the battle for Warrior Dragon.

Judge Grant scored
the battle for the winner...

Rotator!

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS: Rule number one in
BattleBots, Kenny:

if you want to make sure
you win,

don't let it go to the judges.

KENNY:
Well, for Victor and Rotator,

it doesn't matter
how you get it.

A win is a win.

And they move to 2 and 1.

CHRIS:
Coming up next,

the youngest driver
in the field.

Thirteen-year-old Hannah Rucker
makes her season debut

and she leads Duck into battle

against Reality.

Duck is 1 and 0 with a win

in a rumble against
Free Shipping

and Mecha Rampage.

He'll be taking on Tim Bouwens

and Reality
from the Netherlands,

who are 0 and 1

and looking for their first
BattleBots win.

KENNY: Reality's drum spinner
weighs 68 pounds,

and as we saw against
Saw Blaze,

it packs a punch even in a loss.

And Duck really only has
that 5-pound beak on the front,

but his short bot
with a powerful drivetrain

gives him an advantage
in a shoving match.

Also behind that beak
is a 30-pound steel wedge.

He'll be looking
to use that wedge

to absorb hits
from Reality's drum,

keep it away from his wheels,
and get his beak onto Reality.

Let's go inside the battle box.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

In the red square,
from Holland.

If it were a beer,
it would a Deineken.

You're about to be
blackout drunk.

Here to pour it on,
it's Reality.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
There's Reality

and the all-star team
of Dutch engineers.

They've had a lot of success
in lighter weight classes.

Hoping to get their first
heavyweight win here tonight.

In the blue square,
got a robot you need beating?

He'll take a quack at it.

Underestimating this bot
is just plain daffy.

Duck!

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Hal Rucker standing alongside

his 13-year-old daughter,
Hannah.

Hal takes care of the driving,

while Hannah
handles the weapons.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

In order to get a win tonight,

I think we have to control
the fight

because we don't have a big,
nasty weapon.

We're all about manipulation
and control

and being able to last.

And also just going for it

and ramming
into their weapon directly

to try and break it.

He's a very well-built robot.
Built like a brick.

We tried to stack him
against the wall.

Tried to feed him
into the screws.

Rip off his wedge,
rip off his wheels.

We'll just beat
the duck out of him.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

ANNOUNCER:
Robots activate.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS: There's a good look
at the drum spinner on Reality.

That thing is no joke.

KENNY: Yeah, Chris,
but you heard Hal.

He's not intimidated.

He wants to invite contact,

break that drum spinner,
and capitalize.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin.

Reality trying to get around
back of Duck.

Instead faces him head-on.

Lot of energy in that
drum spinner.

Oh!

Gives Duck a shot
right to the beak.

KENNY:
Great driving from Reality.

CHRIS: And again.

But this is Hal's strategy.

He says, "I'm gonna hit
my face into your fist

as much as I can."

KENNY:
That's right, that front wedge
is serving him well right now.

It's protecting Duck.

Big hit there.
And another.

But Duck taking the punishment.

CHRIS: How frustrating
this must be for Tim Bouwens.

Uh-oh, something just came off.

Was that Duck? It was.

KENNY: Reality's
picking off those tires.

That's what we were
talking about, Chris.

CHRIS: Oh! Another huge hit.

That back right wheel is gone.

Uh-oh, and now Duck
facing the screws

but gets away.

Good driving, Hal.

KENNY: Oh! Reality with
another blow to Duck.

Both bots sticking
to their plan.

But you have to say Reality
is ahead at the moment,

being the aggressor.

CHRIS: Reality doing
a nice job going on the attack.

One for four
in the tire department.

Nice shot there.

KENNY:
Well, one thing's for sure,
Duck can take a hit.

Reality smashing into him.

CHRIS:
Reality almost flipping.

KENNY:
Duck is not backing down.

Nice hit there from Reality,

able to get underneath
the wedge.

And we get a nice lift on Duck.

Uh-oh, Duck better protect
that other tire.

CHRIS: I'm impressed
that Duck could--

Uh-oh. Reality's down.

Having a problem
with the drivetrain.

Can you show me
any kind of movement?

CHRIS: Ninety seconds to go.

Tim Bouwens's bot has gotta
show some sort of movement

or it'll get counted out.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

CHRIS:
Can Reality power back up?

He had this match in the bag.

But Duck, the spinner k*ller,

has inflicted a disaster
scenario on Reality

and will take the W.

Knockout!
[BUZZER]

CHRIS:
Wow.

Quack, quack.

Duck remains unbeaked.

Kenny, it kind of reminds me
of Sandler

in the movie Happy Gilmore,

when he's standing
in the softball cage

just taking those ba*ls
right off the chest.

"Come on, bring it on!"

KENNY [LAUGHS]:
Duck can take a licking

and keep on ticking.

Hal's strategy
worked to perfection here.

He was able to keep
his wedge pointed

at Reality's drum spinner
the whole fight.

And that 30-pound hunk
of steel did the rest.

CHRIS: We've seen some
amazing fights so far in 2018.

Direct hit.

And while we've had a chance
to hear from our winners...

That's why we built the new Bite
Force, for that kind of action.

CHRIS: ...we're going
to take you back to the pits

to show you
what it feels like to have

your beautiful robot
ripped apart

and tossed into the junkyard.

This is another edition
of the Botopsy Report.

Yeah, he's beating him up badly.

Look at this.
He's cut right through it.

Spitting flames everywhere.

Knockout!
CHRIS: Wow.

That match completely
did not go the way I wanted to.

Jameson's an excellent driver.
Sawblade's very maneuverable.

He did not give me
a single opening at all.

The saw did a lot
of localized damage.

He cut through one
of the weapon clamp motors

that we're going
to have to replace.

Halfway through the motor,
can't even turn anymore.

Ultimately, my downfall
was the receiver

became unrestrained
from its mount.

The wires hit a motor
and got cut.

So at the very end there,

I lost drive power
and I couldn't move.

So we're gonna work
on repairing the clamp.

And then pulling that motor,
repairing that.

And then just rerouting
those wires.

I don't think it'll be
that hard to repair.

There's just
one or two parts

that I need to score from other
builders that I didn't bring.

There's some welding that we're
going to have to do, sure.

There's some metal bending
we have to do, all right.

But at least not
obliterated, right?

You know,
so it's a lot more fun,

especially with the new
four matches kind of format.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Whoa!

CHRIS: Something
already flew off Gigabyte.

Gigabyte has lost its dome!

Ah!
REFEREE: Three, two, one.

Knockout!
[BUZZER]

MAN: Everything was going
fairly well,

and then took a big hit.

The mast just snapped.

It was kind of comical,
because we're watching the top

and the bottom's going.

It's like having
two robots in there.

I'm just disappointed
that the parts failed.

The mast was made
by somebody else.

And it was made out
of cast aluminum

and not 6061.

You cannot trust anyone else
to make your parts.

Well, we have an extra one.

But I think I should make
a new one.

Yup, I'm going to go
to the drawing board.

I'm gonna make the part myself,

and we're gonna put
it back in the robot,

and we're gonna to
put it back together,

and we're gonna be good.

We'll have to check
the electrical system

and make sure that
it still works.

It's gonna take a lot better
parts until we start winning.

CHRIS:
Here comes Minotaur again.

Oh! He's chewed up the private
parts of Hypothermia.

KENNY: He's beating up
Fuzzy's bot right now.

CHRIS: Oh!
Taking him for another ride.

KENNY: Oh, he's smoking now.

CHRIS: He's smoking
and going for one last ride.

MAN:
I just lost a tough fight.

I'm disappointed.
I was hoping to do better.

I know how hard he hits.

I knew what I had to do,
and I didn't do it.

So, you know, that's the kind
of damage I expected

to come away with if I didn't
put him up on a wall early.

Now that motor's
not feeling very good.

The real damage is underneath...

which is bad news.

That could be expensive stuff.

I have a ton of work
ahead of me.

I've lost the motor,
two speed controllers.

The frame will need major
rework to be back in the fights.

This whole bottom plate was gone
at the minute and a half mark.

So the last minute and a half,

I was driving around
with this open to the air.

So all of these
speed controllers

were hanging on cable ties.

I've got the parts.

I've got the knowledge
and the materials.

It's just a question
of how long it's gonna take.

So I got spares
of everything.

This is gonna take some work.

I was hoping not to have to do
this much work after the fight.

KENNY:
Oh! Huge hit right there.

CHRIS:
Oh, I spoke too soon, Kenny.

Can Hypershock self-right?

Let's see if by force he does--
Oh, my God!

We got guts spilled
all over the battle box!

KENNY:
Wow!

Knockout.
[BUZZER]

MAN: We fought Bite Force,
and we definitely lost.

Batteries flew out,
sparks came out.

Top plate came off,
all the guts were out.

Wheel's messed up.

The drum's messed up.

That's messed up.

The arms are messed up.

The back is cracked.

Wait, so were the batteries
separated as well as ejected?

Yeah.

The rebuild strategy

is, step one:
take it all apart.

I'm sure there's more than

what we can see
that's messed up.

And any of the things
that failed we have to,

you know,
rectify those problems.

Like, for example,
these rubber mounts.

Those are no good.

We have to come up
with something else.

You know, it sucks,
but we don't have a choice.

We gotta be ready
for the next fight.

MAN:
And they are ready tonight.

Hypershock takes on
a 250-pound cheeseburger.

CHRIS: But first, let's take
a look at tonight's main event.

This crowd is up on its feet.

We always want to build
a better, more powerful robot.

KENNY: That's as perfect
of a shot as you're gonna get.

The first version of
Bronco could throw a robot,

you know, 5 feet.

Now we're putting marks on
the glass 12 feet out.

Bronco's awesome.

CHRIS:
Lock-Jaw...oh!

MAN 2: I think the cool part
about Lock-Jaw, this time,

is that it's a lot
more destructive.

CHRIS:
Oh, look at that. Oh!

MAN 2:
I want people to know that

when we spin up that weapon,
it's gonna count.

I think the last time
we fought Lock-Jaw was 1999.

MAN 3: Never really
had a rematch again.

MAN 4: Bronco is one of
my all-time favorite robots.

It's been 19 years since
we've had a battle.

We're gonna go toe
to toe for awhile.

We just got out of
our match with End Game.

Did not go as we thought.

Feeling like I got
a good a*s-whupping.

Right now Lock-Jaw's
track record is 1 and 1.

So I really need
to win this fight.

Matter of fact,
it's absolutely critical.

And my strategy for Bronco

is to do what they do
to everybody else.

Not gonna let up.

And he does!

I'd love to throw a robot
up in the lights.

CHRIS: People in the first row,
get ready.

MAN: I don't know
what it's like to be

on the other end of it,
but it's gotta suck.

CHRIS: That was a perfect hit
there from Donald Hudson.

MAN 2: I just want it to be
a knock-down fight.

I want people on their feet.

I imagine we're gonna see
a lot of destruction

coming from Lock-Jaw.

CHRIS: This is insanity
inside the battle box.

That's coming your way
later tonight.

Up next, we have Hypershock

versus Battle Royale
with Cheese.

Let's take you inside the box
to Faruq.

FARUQ:
In the red square.

If it was a '90s
hip-hop legend,

it would be Cyprus k*ll.

It's insane in the mainframe.

Here's something
you can't understand.

This is how you k*ll a bot.

Hypershock!

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Will Bales and Hypershock,

hungry for a win tonight.

They started off the year
getting dismantled

by Bite Force.

FARUQ:
In the blue square.

It aims to cheese.

Hope you're not
smack-tose intolerant.

Pay homage to the fromage.

It's Battle Royale with Cheese!

CHRIS:
There's head chef Miles Pekala,

surrounded by all
his hamburger helpers.

Kenny, he couldn't get
this robot to work

in his first fight.

KENNY: Yeah, it wasn't pretty
and believe it or not,

they've added a mini-bot
for this one.

They're calling it
the Shorter Pounder.

It's supposedly a flamethrower.
I'll believe it when I see it.

The robot works so much better

than it worked
in the Tantrum fight,

that I don't think they'll
anticipate how well it works.

Our plan is to hit Hypershock
as hard as we can,

and then pray
that we land on our feet.

We're coming off a loss
against Bite Force.

Going up against
the cheeseburger,

we should be able to win.

Uh, and so in that regard,
it's a relief.

But at the same time
if we lose to the cheeseburger,

it's a real problem.

ANNOUNCER:
Robots activate.

CHRIS:
You heard Will, Kenny.

This should be a gimme fight
for Hypershock.

KENNY:
Yeah, as you see,

that "get served" bumper sticker
there on Hypershock.

If Will can't win this one,
he needs to pack up and go home.

And for Battle Royale
with Cheese,

I just want to see one shot
from that bacon spinner.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Oh, boy.

GIRL:
Oh, boy! Here we go!

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin.

And here comes Hypershock
chasing right out of the gate.

Firing up that weapon,
looking at Shorter Pounder.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Oh!

Oh, it just took
Shorter Pounder apart!

KENNY: Wow! Nice little
appetizer there, Chris.

CHRIS:
Yeah, but I think I hear
Hypershock's stomach rumbling.

He wants that main course.

KENNY: Huge hit right there.

CHRIS:
Battle Royale with Cheese

is now an open-face sandwich.

KENNY:
That burger is done, dude.

CHRIS: Uh-oh.

Oh! Not again.

Oh, no!

KENNY: Another hit. Oh!

CHRIS: He wants this burger
out of the box.

And here comes the countdown.

...8, 7...

CHRIS:
But is Hypershock done?

Oh! No, he wants dessert too.

...one, knockout.
[BUZZER]

CHRIS: That'll do it.

Hypershock sends
Battle Royale with Cheese home

in a doggie bag.

Now Kenny I usually chase
a burger with a beer.

In this case,
Will Bales chased a burger

with his bot.

KENNY: This looked like me
at lunchtime.

I mean Hypershock
took the little burger out,

then he decided
to go for the entrée here.

Just destroyed that burger.

For the second fight in a row,
Battle Royale with Cheese

couldn't get
that bacon spinner going,

and Hypershock
put him out of his misery.

CHRIS: I guess he wanted
to make sure that burger was...

well done.

Will, it looked like you were
very hungry for that win.

Oh, man, I'm so hungry.

[LAUGHS]

It's nice to win for once.

A disappointing
first fight.

Does this make up for it?

Yeah, definitely.
We still got some issues.

It was having a hard time
spinning up.

But once we did get it going,
it was cooking.

It was cooking?
Are you doing this on purpose?

I swear I'm not.

[LAUGHS]

What made you go after
the little mini-bot?

Well, I wanted
an appetizer first.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Wah-wah.

It looked so fun.

And I was like, I wonder how
far we can hit it, you know?

Well, congratulations
on that win.

I enjoyed it.
Thank you very much.

Yes.

CHRIS: Will Bales apparently
has no dietary restrictions.

Serving up the win and moving
to 1 and 1 in 2018.

KENNY: Yeah,
but after a one-shot beating

from Bite Force
and this cupcake win,

Hypershock remains
a bit of an unknown.

They still have a lot to prove.

CHRIS: Coming up next,

it's a fight with tournament
implications on the line.

Witch Doctor will work
their voodoo magic

on Blacksmith's fearsome
fiery hammer.

And after that,
two of the sports old guard

face off for the first time
in almost 20 years.

It's Lock-Jaw versus Bronco.

The fight we've all been
waiting for.

It's coming your way,
on BattleBots: Fight Night.

Uh-oh. Oh, no!

He just took
Shorter Pounder apart!

I just fought Hypershock,
and unfortunately,

because we couldn't
get our weapon up to speed,

uh, he basically m*rder*d us.

CHRIS: Oh, no!

Battle Royale with Cheese
is now an open-face sandwich.

MAN: Yeah, so the thing is,
is that our robot,

to make it look like
a hamburger,

has a lot of bad
engineering choices

which are just aesthetic,
and one of them is the top bun.

CHRIS: Oh, God!

Hypershock sent
Battle Royale with Cheese home

in a doggie bag.

INTERVIEWER: How do you think
you're doing in the competition?

Pretty badly. I mean, like,
we are a hamburger,

so it's kind of ridiculous.

KENNY:
That burger's done, dude.

CHRIS: We've got
Witch Doctor and Blacksmith

about square off
in the battle box.

Andrea Suarez and Witch Doctor

have their backs
against the wall.

After starting 0 and 1
thanks to a loss to Yeti.

They're taking on
Al Kindle and Blacksmith,

who are sitting at 1 and 1.

Both of these teams need
this fight

to catapult them back into
contention for the tournament.

Kenny, is this a must-win
for both of these bots?

KENNY: I think so.

Looking at Witch Doctor,
their obvious strength

is that 47-pound drum spinner.

Remember,
even though they lost,

that spinner did a massive
amount of damage to Yeti.

However they brought a brand-new
robot into this year,

and they're having trouble

getting their drive motors
dialed in.

That's going to be
an issue against Blacksmith.

This is bot
known for durability.

I mean, Al has gone the full
three minutes against Minotaur.

A knockout never comes easy,
but their hammer

might have problems
against Witch Doctor.

Andrea has their new
rib cage top armor

that's specifically designed
for overhead weapons.

These bots look well-matched,
and I'm expecting a great fight.

A lot on the line tonight.
Let's take you inside the box.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

In the red square.

For Mardi Gras, this ragin'
Cajun bot doesn't throw beads.

It throws beatings.

It's about to be Fat Bruiseday.

Witch Doctor!

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

CHRIS: Witch Doctor throwing
some hammers at Blacksmith.

They're hoping to work
their magic tonight

in the battle box.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

In the blue square.

Hang with this bot
and you will get hammered.

Here to serve a round of bruise,

the man, the myth,

it's Blacksmith!

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS: There's Blacksmith
and Al Kindle.

He's competed in over


Hoping to take another
giant step here

toward winning
his first Giant Nut.

The plan for Witch Doctor is
to obviously avoid the weapon.

We have a running forks
that we're hoping

will actually keep
the weapon away from us.

If we can pick up a win
tonight, we'll be 2 and 1,

and put us in a very good spot
to get into the round of 16.

So we're hoping this can be
the make-or-break match for us.

Our biggest fear, the thing
we're most nervous about,

is that our own reliabilities
just isn't there.

We had to rewire
the entire robot.

And we put different motors
that we had a teammate overnight

from home
in South Florida.

This is the most work
we've ever done on site.

This match is going
to be a huge test for us,

and it's going to be a big sign

of what's to come
with Witch Doctor.

ANNOUNCER:
Robots activate.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
CHRIS: Here we go, Kenny.

Witch Doctor, Blacksmith.

Two bots with a lot to gain.

And everything to lose.

KENNY: Absolutely, Chris.

I'm thinking
Blacksmith has the edge,

but it's gonna be tight.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin.

Witch Doctor using
the serpentine movement.

Little standoff here.

Always wary
of Blacksmith's hammer.

Uh-oh, bot head-on
by Blacksmith.

Blacksmith's got ahold
of Witch Doctor.

And then they separate.

KENNY: Nice defensive
driving there by Witch Doctor.

Now trying to get around
to the side.

Doesn't want to be
in the front too much there.

CHRIS: There's the side,
and there's some sparks.

Blacksmith conserving
the use of that flaming hammer.

KENNY:
Well, those forks on Blacksmith
are a great addition, Chris.

Al Kindle keeping
Witch Doctor at bay for now.

CHRIS: A gentle push
from Witch Doctor.

There's those forks.

It's a lot of pushing
and shoving so far.

Forty seconds into the fight.

KENNY: Right now,
the difference that I see

is the speed of Witch Doctor.

Taking full advantage
of its speed.

Getting around to the side.

CHRIS: Oh! There's that hammer
of Blacksmith.

Witch Doctor attacks
from the back.

Intriguing tussle so far, Kenny.

KENNY: Very technical
fight here, Chris.

CHRIS:
Oh! Looks like Witch Doctor

trying to get Blacksmith
toward the screws,

and Al Kindle drives out of it.

Witch Doctor trying to use
the battle box,

but nice shot there.

KENNY: The power of that
drivetrain on Witch Doctor

is so impressive.

CHRIS: Al Kindle
playing with fire here,

and he's about to get sized.

Big swing and a miss
so far by Blacksmith

with that flaming hammer,
but where's the flame?

Witch Doctor's got him-- No!

Slams him into the side.
Big hit.

KENNY: Yeah, that hammer
is not working

the way they want it right now,

and you can see it
struggling right now.

CHRIS: Whoa! Witch Doctor
really taking it to Blacksmith.

Incredible aggression.

Still waiting for that hammer
to have an impact,

but it looks like
it's going down.

KENNY: So far, that big
drum spinner of Witch Doctor

working the way they want.

CHRIS: The pushing and shoving
by Witch Doctor

has been winning
that robot the fight so far.

Closing in on a minute to go.

Big hit on the schnoz
of Blacksmith.

And now Blacksmith
getting taken for a ride.

Nearly into the screws.

KENNY: Witch Doctor
just ate up those forks

like they were spaghetti.

And, oh, what's that?
He's stuck.

Uh-oh. Blacksmith's in trouble.

That hammer
just useless right now.

CHRIS: Blacksmith
with nowhere to run,

nowhere to hide.

Uh-oh a tire has come off
of Witch Doctor.

The back left one is gone.

And now with under minute to go,

the k*ll saws
have been activated.

But how about the damage
that Witch Doctor is doing?

Uh-oh, Blacksmith gets caught
on the k*ll saws.

KENNY:
That's the benefit of that

four-wheel drive
of Witch Doctor.

It can still drive very
effectively,

even with three wheels.

CHRIS: If Witch Doctor won't
get you, the k*ll saws will.

Both of them get nicked
by the k*ll saws

out of the floor.

Blacksmith in serious trouble,

with under 30 seconds to go.

Maneuvering around the floor.

KENNY:
Blacksmith just can't keep up

with the speed of Witch Doctor.

Uh-oh, look at this.

CHRIS: Witch Doctor
gets put up on the screws!

KENNY: Oh, my goodness!
Full shot by Blacksmith!

Yeah!
CHRIS: What a reversal!

Witch Doctor
spinning her wheels!

Flapping her armor.

Doing anything she can
to release the pressure

on those screws.

KENNY: Blacksmith just
pulled off the upset!

Oh! She's good! She's good!
CHRIS: She got off!

KENNY: Witch Doctor
got off the screws somehow!

What did I just see?

REFEREE: We're done,
we're done, we're done!

[AUDIENCE CHEERING LOUDLY]

Unbelievable!
Are you kidding me?

MAN:
Yes!

KENNY:
Witch Doctor looking like

they were at death's door,

and got right off the screws.

CHRIS: Kenny, Witch Doctor
owned this fight,

but what a roller coaster
in the end.

I'm still in shock.

KENNY: Witch Doctor just
all over him the whole fight.

And the hammer
of Blacksmith

just not working very well
at all.

It must have been very
frustrating for Team Blacksmith.

CHRIS: I'm sure the judges
were thinking

Witch Doctor had this
until those final moments.

KENNY:
Listen, this just shows that you
are never out of a fight.

It only takes one shot
to change everything.

And Blacksmith got that shot.

Look at this.

He delivers Witch Doctor
onto the screws.

The countdown is on.

Blacksmith is celebrating.

And then this happens.

Witch Doctor
with the miracle escape,

and they finish the fight.
Incredible.

CHRIS: Unbelievable.

Now this goes to the judges.

Here's Faruq.

The winner,
by unanimous decision is...

Witch Doctor!

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

CHRIS:
I don't know how you're doing.

I have to call my therapist
after watching

the final 20 seconds of that.

The ebbs and blows,
and the ups and downs.

That was some definite drama
for your mama right there.

I mean, unbelievable.

CHRIS: And if that fight
wasn't enough for you,

our main even is up next.

And Kenny, it was funny,
because in the pits,

Xander Rose
and Team Bronco told us

that they have
not fought Donald Hudson

since 1999 in Long Beach,

which seems pretty amazing.

Bronco's coming into
this fight 1 and 0

after a dominant win
over Bombshell.

Tossing them out of the arena
in under 90 seconds.

Lock-Jaw, on the other hand,
also dispatched Bombshell

but fell to the
New Zealand newcomer, End Game.

Now Donald Hudson's 1 and 1,

and he's got to be feeling
the pressure for this fight.

KENNY: He sure is.

Looking at this matchup,
it's hard to quantify

just how devastating
Bronco's flipper really is.

Put it this way, Xander and
Reason have a 300-pound brick

at their shop
that they've been able toss



But this year, Lock-Jaw features
a 45-pound vertical spinner.

And that type of weapon
has caused problems

for Bronco in the past.

Defensively,
it's pretty simple, Chris.

Don't hang out
on the front of Bronco,

or you'll get some air miles.

Can we get this thing going?
Let's do it.

Let's head inside
the battle box

to see two legends
go at it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

it's time for tonight's
main event.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Donald Hudson and Lock-Jaw

riding the wave
of emotion this year.

He told us earlier
that it's absolutely critical

that he wins this fight tonight.

KENNY: That's right,
Donald has been in the sport

for 21 years,

and he's one of the most
respected builders

and drivers in the game.

So you know he's always
going to bring it.

But it seems like he's brought
a certain intensity this year

that he hasn't had
in the last couple of years.

Looks like he's out
for blood tonight.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS: If there was a
pneumatic flipper Hall of Fame,

Bronco would be in it
even though it's active.

KENNY: Yeah, that is certainly
the most powerful flipper

in BattleBots history.[/i]

And Reason Bradley,
as good as it gets

when it comes
to driving these flippers.

Those guys have
a lot of experience.

In the red square
it's the Cujo of bots.

It likes to gnaw and bite.

But don't sleep on this bot.

It stayed at a Maul-iday Inn
last night.

It's Lock-Jaw.

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

CHRIS: Donald Hudson
built his first robot in 1997

as a hobby.

He turned that
into a career in robotics,

and won six Giant Nuts
along the way.

Now he's on the quest
for his seventh.

In the blue square.

This bot is so scary,
it could be on Danger Things,

and send you flipping
upside down.

They're about
to turn it up to 11.

It's Bronco!

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

CHRIS: There's Team Bronco.

All business, all the time.

KENNY: And you can see
those wings on the outside.

They call those twangers.

They're meant to protect
Bronco's wheels

from that vertical spinner
on Lock-Jaw.

They didn't get much
of a test against Bombshell.

And Lock-Jaw's strategy will be

to get his weapon
into those wheels.

ANNOUNCER:
Robots activate.

CHRIS: Whoa! Bronco's showing
off that flipper already.

Look at that, Kenny.

Bronco's turning around
to start the fight.

KENNY: Yeah, they want
to lead with that wedge

to counter Lock-Jaw's spinner.

Showing Donald Hudson
a little respect.

They didn't do that
for Bombshell.

ANNOUNCER:
Red team. Ready.

Blue team. Ready.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Let the main event begin.

And here comes Bronco
looking for that side.

Uh-oh, Donald Hudson
having some issues already

with its drivetrain.

Looks a little bouncy.

KENNY: Oh, nice little jab
from Lock-Jaw there.

Managed to get under Bronco.

An important hit
early on in this match.

CHRIS: Uh-oh,
it looks like Donald Hudson

and Lock-Jaw has just taken
a chunk out of the floor.

KENNY: Well, something's
definitely not quite right

with Lock-Jaw, Chris.

He hasn't moved
from that position.

Could be having
some mechanical issues.

It's not working.
Something's happened.

CHRIS: Well, Lock-Jaw's
a sitting duck here, Kenny.

Bronco has a free hit.

Watch out, everybody.
This might get ugly.

His wheel drive
isn't working right.

CHRIS: But Bronco's having
some issues too, Kenny.

Is there something in the air?

A bad bot virus
we don't know about?

KENNY [LAUGHS]:
Could be, Chris.

CHRIS: Bronco trying
to get the right angle

in order to flip.

KENNY:
Not sure about the virus,

but Bronco's steering
looks to be counterintuitive.

It's just not going
where the boys want it to go.

CHRIS: Well, that's a big relief
for Lock-Jaw.

Wait-- Oh, here we go!
KENNY: Whoa.

CHRIS:
Bronco just misses the flip,

couldn't get all the way
under Lock-Jaw.

KENNY: And it just destroyed

that front lifter there
of Bronco.

CHRIS:
So Bronco figuring it out.

Oh! That's a big flip.

Oh, it's out of the battle box,
and here comes Bronco.

Look at that.
Lock-Jaw going for a joyride.

He's got Lock-Jaw on the side,
and now he pops him off.

KENNY:
Timing is everything for Bronco.

Once he gets underneath,
activates that flipper,

you're going for a ride.

CHRIS: Well, Lock-Jaw's lucky
he's still inside the box

after that flip.

Oh, he's got him near
the screws.

This is where Bronco could
do some damage to Lock-Jaw.

Lock-Jaw scurrying.

That's a bad place to be
with Bronco on the prowl.

KENNY: Finding that angle
is Bronco.

Bronco trying to get around
to the side.

CHRIS:
Oh. Oh, he's got it.

He's got it.
He's got him up on the screws.

Oh, no, Lock-Jaw's
in serious trouble.

Can Lock-Jaw get off the screws?

He can't.

Oh! Huge hit by Bronco!

Whoa! There's another huge
piece coming off of the bot.

KENNY: Oh, this is brutal.

CHRIS: Well, Bronco's
found his flipper.

It's back with a vengeance.

Under a minute to go.

Can Lock-Jaw survive?

Watch out for the k*ll saws.
They're active now.

There you go, you could ask
Bronco about that.

So Lock-Jaw
still having those issues.

And Bronco with zero fear
for his opponent.

Why isn't he destroying him,
Kenny?

KENNY: Well, something
is clearly not right, Chris.

Could be a frequency problem.

CHRIS:
Can Bronco get one more hit?

Or are they wary
of taking another shot

from Lock-Jaw's spinner?

Bronco edging around,
lining him up.

I think he's going
to let Donald Hudson

flail around the floor.

Whoa! He takes one
from the k*ll saws.

KENNY: Bronco looking
for one more shot,

looks like he's going
to run out of time.

CHRIS: Ten seconds to go
in this fight.

Oh, another shot
by the k*ll saws on Bronco.

As the crowd counts it down,

the great escape
from Donald Hudson,

somehow going the distance.

And that's going to do it
for the main event.

A frustrating
three minutes for Lock-Jaw.

This one now goes to the judges.

Kenny, it looked like
both bots were having

technical issues in this fight
from the very start.

KENNY:
Yeah, but it looked like Bronco

was able to push through
better than Lock-Jaw.

Donald was able
to use that spinner

to damage Bronco's flipper,

but those drivetrain issues

meant that he couldn't
stay away for long.

Look at that flip there.

CHRIS: Unbelievable
that Lock-Jaw actually

survived for three minutes
in this one, Kenny.

KENNY: That really shows
how good of a builder

and driver Donald Hudson is.

I mean, that's one
of the greatest flips

we've ever seen right there.

Even with the limping robot,
he's able to hang on

with Bronco all the way
to the judges.

CHRIS: I think we all know
which way this is going.

So here's Faruq
with the results.

The winner of tonight's
main event,

by unanimous decision is...

Bronco!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS: Kenny, neither bot
was physically 100 percent,

but these legends
put on a great show still.

KENNY:
They absolutely put on a show.

Some great hits,
some great flips.

Lock-Jaw unfortunately
picked up some Bronco air miles,

but it was fun
for the crowd.

CHRIS: Meanwhile,
Donald Hudson is a legend

in dire straits at 1 and 2.

He's gonna have to find some way

to keep his tournament
hopes alive.

And how about the indelible
image of tonight.

No question, the last 20 seconds
of Witch Doctor and Blacksmith

going back and forth.
KENNY: Unbelievable.

You know, Witch Doctor was
dominating that whole fight.

Blacksmith almost pulled off
that upset and comeback win,

but wasn't able to pull it off.

So once again,
for Faruq, Jessica Chobot,

my man Kenny Florian,
I'm Chris Rose.

We'll see you next time,
on BattleBots.