03x18 - It's Tournament Time

[bunniefuu]

[♪♪♪]

FARUQ:
Tonight,

the 2018 BattleBots[/i]
World Championship begins.

55 teams started with a dream.

CHRIS:
Here comes End Game.

Oh, Shrederator
goes flying, Kenny.

But for most,
it became a nightmare.

[♪♪♪]

KENNY: Oh!
Oh, my God!

Stop, stop, stop.

And after a grueling season
of destruction...

only 16 remain.

CHRIS:
Bring it on! Oh!

Now they compete
in the deadliest

robot-fighting tournament
on earth.

[CHRIS & KENNY EXCLAIM]

Will we crown a new champion,

or will the king continue
to reign supreme?

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
Whoa! The champ marches on.

Weapon will strike weapon.

KENNY:
Oh!

Force will be met with force.

[KENNY & CHRIS EXCLAIM]

Who will seize the moment,

win four fights... [/i]
CHRIS: Are you kidding me?

...and hoist
the ultimate prize?

The path to immortality
begins now.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Hey, everybody,
and welcome to BattleBots.

The wait is officially over.

After a spectacular
regular season

of unbelievable bouts,

tonight we kick off
the final stage

of the epic quest
for the 2018 championship.

I'm Chris Rose,
and joining me,

a man that's seen a few
championship bouts of his own,

UFC star Kenny Florian.

This is it. The 16 best robots
from across the world,

as determined by
our selection committee,

are now set to compete

for the 2018 BattleBots [/i]
World Championship.

Up-and-comers like Whiplash,

Monsoon and SawBlaze.

Monsters in the sport like Yeti,

Minotaur and Bronco.

And former champs
Bite Force, Lock-Jaw

and our number one
seed, Tombstone.

It's like a variety pack
of violence.

This isn't a battle.
This is all-out w*r.

All right, here's how
it's all gonna work.

The top 16 teams have been
slotted into a bracket

and will now compete in
a single-elimination tournament.

Win and you advance,
lose and you go home.

It'll take
four hard-earned victories

to claim the championship title.

And one team will take home
the greatest trophy on earth,

the Giant Nut.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Now, tonight will
feature exclusively

the left side of the bracket,

meaning by the end of the night

two teams will punch
their tickets to the semifinals,

putting them just one win
from the championship bout.

KENNY:
And just take a look
at these matchups.

We've got a rematch
of the 2016 finals,

a fight featuring two teams

with seven
Giant Nuts between them.

And, oh, yeah, Minotaur.

Any other night,
any one of these fights

could be the main event.

I'm feeling like
a kid on Christmas.

CHRIS:
Then, hey, enough
with the analysis.

Let's light this candle
and kick things off

with the number five seed,
SawBlaze,

taking on the 12th seed,
Monsoon.

It's the opening round of
the 2018 World Championship.

And it starts right now.

Faruq, my man, take it away.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

Ladies and gentlemen,

are you ready?

[CROWD CHEERING LOUDLY]

It's robot-fighting time!

[♪♪♪]

In the red square,
this bot comes in fast

with saws a-blazing
and vicious attacks

that are hair-raising.

It's SawBlaze!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
After an impressive


Jamison Go and SawBlaze
may just be

the most dominant saw
in BattleBots history,[/i]

but none of that matters now.

It's win or go home.
Put up or shut up.

I can't think of a third one,

but you get what
I'm going after here, Kenny.

It's tournament time!

FARUQ:
In the blue square,

this bot will leave
you washed up.

Prepare to cower under
its tidal wave of power.

It's Monsoon!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Tom Brewster and Monsoon

have made an unexpected run
this year,

and now there's
a little added pressure.

His parents have made the trip

all the way across the pond
to watch him compete.

So if he loses tonight,
they might make him swim home.

[KENNY LAUGHS]

[♪♪♪]

So, Kenny, we've got
the five-seeded SawBlaze

taking on the


What's Thomas Brewster gotta do
to get an upset win tonight?

KENNY:
Well, if Tom's done his homework
on SawBlaze,

he knows Jamison's gonna
box rush and use that plow

to keep Monsoon's weapon
from spinning up.

He'll have to fight
for time and space

so he can get that bar going
and hopefully land

some of those
patented uppercuts.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Oh, yeah, he's got
the flame working already.

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Red Team, ready?

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CHEERING]

Blue Team, ready? [/i]
Yes.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

CHRIS:
Monsoon and SawBlaze,

two up-and-coming teams
to kick off

our 2018 BattleBots [/i]
World Championship tournament.

[BUZZING]

Let the round of 16 begin!

And SawBlaze all over Monsoon.

Box-rushes him
right out of the gate.

KENNY:
Crazy aggressive.

CHRIS:
Oh, serious sparks happening
already,

and, oh, Thomas Brewster
and Monsoon

gets taken into the screws
and in the rails.

KENNY:
That's so much power,
but look at this.

Monsoon got on the back side
of SawBlaze.

CHRIS: Whoa!
Huge driving error from Jamison.

He just lost that right tire.

CHRIS:
Monsoon absorbed that charge
from SawBlaze,

turned right around and said,
"Right back at ya, big fella."

But look at that. Jamison Go's
like, "I don't care.

I'm the mack daddy of
driving inside this box."

KENNY:
Those three forks are
so low, Chris.

He's able to get
underneath Monsoon

and combine that
with his power--

CHRIS:
Just look at that.
That saw's got nothing, Kenny.

He just can't get the robot
to do what he wants.

KENNY: Oh!
Spin away.

Get away and spin up.
I'm trying, I'm trying.

CHRIS:
SawBlaze all over Monsoon here.

Doesn't wanna give him an inch

or let that vertical bar
get up to full speed.

KENNY:
That's right, Chris.

And that lift wedge on SawBlaze
has been super effective

at keeping that weapon
of Monsoon at bay.

There you see it, SawBlaze
pushing him into the wall.

CHRIS:
That power of SawBlaze
on full display here.

That dust pan is working.

It is also so wide
with those three forks,

just taking Monsoon
for a ride around the box.

KENNY:
I'm really impressed
with how Monsoon

has been holding up, though.

CHRIS:
Oh, another serious shot
into the rails.

Oh, and another.

SawBlaze getting underneath
Monsoon at will,

now looking to take it
for a ride.

Look out!

KENNY:
Oh, huge hit.

Might have just disabled
their primary weapon, Chris.

It's all right, it's all right.
I didn't have it on, keep going.

KENNY:
And you hear Tim Rackers
from Team Monsoon

saying he powered down
the weapon before that impact.

And there you see it,

that vertical bar spinner
is still working.

That is quick thinking.

Major league operating
right there.

CHRIS:
Thomas Brewster has to go away

and get some distance,
don't you think?

Kind of regroup?

KENNY:
Absolutely, but I tell you what,

those tires of SawBlaze
on the right side

are barely holding on there. Oh!

CHRIS:
There goes one set of tires.

And SawBlaze suddenly
falling all apart here!

KENNY:
Big shift in momentum right now.

CHRIS:
Rubber is strewn
all over the box.

Monsoon making a push here.

A shot from the k*ll saw,

but trying to work
the left side of the tire

and totally disable SawBlaze.
KENNY: Oh!

He took his whole wheel
off, Chris.

CHRIS:
Oh, unbelievable.
Double saw whammy right there.

KENNY:
Those tires are gone.

CHRIS:
SawBlaze in bigtime trouble
here.

[CHRIS & KENNY EXCLAIM]
KENNY: Huge hit.

Finish him, come on!
Run it back!

CHRIS:
You gotta be kidding me.

KENNY:
He's got 20 seconds
to pull this off, Chris.

CHRIS:
Monsoon dismantling SawBlaze

in the late stages
of this fight.

Is SawBlaze in danger
of being counted out?

KENNY:
Oh!

CHRIS:
Oh! Weapon-on-weapon crime.

[TIMER BEEPING]
This one will go the distance.

Oh!
KENNY: Wow!

[BUZZER SOUNDS]
Yes!

CHRIS:
Unbelievable shot
at the end by Monsoon.

Thataway, mama, be excited!

Your boy done good.

KENNY:
That couldn't have been
a better finish for Monsoon.

CHRIS:
And now it's in the hands
of the judges.

Tonight's panel consists of
Naomi Kyle, Derek Young

and former captain of Team
Mega Tento, Lisa Winter.

[ALL LAUGHING, CHEERING]

Monsoon, Monsoon! Rragh!
Monsoon!

CHRIS:
Kenny, before Monsoon

could even get out of the gate,
SawBlaze was right on him.

KENNY:
That fight was ridiculous.

First of all,
what a start from SawBlaze,

showing who the more powerful
bot was right off the bat.

Getting underneath Monsoon,

driving him against
the BattleBox.

CHRIS:
But then, in what was
a turning point in the fight,

SawBlaze made a critical error

and exposed its backside
to that spinner on Monsoon.

They were able to disable
that weapon arm,

and from there
they turned their focus

onto SawBlaze's wheels.

And that's when the momentum

shifted inside the BattleBox.

Here's Faruq with the decision.

The winner
by a unanimous decision is...

Monsoon!
Yeah!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Thomas Brewster scores an upset

and makes his mammy
and pappy proud.

They might wanna call
the hotel and extend their stay

because it looks like he's
primed for a deep run here.

So Monsoon starts the night
with a shocking win

over the fifth-seeded SawBlaze.

He'll be taking on the winner
of Minotaur/Witch Doctor.

But up next we'll see Bombshell

go toe to toe
with the defending champ,

the number-one seed,

the baddest bot
of 'em all, Tombstone.

[CHRIS & KENNY EXCLAIMING]

Finish him!

CHRIS:
Oh!

Yes!
Yeah!

THOMAS:
That might've been the most
brutal fight we've ever done.

I am astonished.

I mean, we came here thinking

we're just gonna win
one fight and go home.

And we're now in
the final eight.

And I don't really know
what to say about that.

Came and shook my hand.
Tombstone?

Yeah, he was into it.

He likes it.
He likes the damage.

Ray Billings was
shaking Tim's hand.

And he was looking over going
like, "Well done, well done."

Ray Billings, you know,
Tombstone, and... Oh.

If he's impressed, I'm happy.

Yeah?
Yeah.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Just getting to the 16
is a dream in itself,

but we're three fights away
from the title now,

and I think we can
go all the way, yeah.

We have Ray Billings' approval.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
The last time these two met

was in the 2016
championship bout,

And it took only 53 seconds
for Tombstone

to absolutely
dismantle Bombshell.

And, Kenny, Ray Billings
looks nothing short

of dominant again this year.

KENNY:
As he tears through
the competition,

this is a guy with
less and less to prove.

He's the undisputed king,

and now he's thinking
about his legacy.

With back-to-back championships,

he would enter rare company.

He doesn't care
who's in front of him.

This is just the first step
in his journey to a 2018 title.

CHRIS:
Meanwhile, Bombshell has had
a pretty rough year.

They went 0-4
in qualifying matches

and snuck into the tournament
by getting

a controversial win
in our Last Chance Rumble.

Their prize, a fight against
what most people consider

the baddest bot in the world.

But that doesn't mean

they'll be rolling over
for him, Kenny.

KENNY:
Absolutely not, Chris.
Bombshell is an experienced team

and they clearly know how to win

when their back is
against the wall.

I mean, don't get me wrong,

they're a huge underdog
in this one,

but Mike Jeffries
needs a perfect fight

to even stand a chance.

[♪♪♪]

All right, let's see
if the champ can move on

or if there's an upset
a-brewing inside the box.

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the red square,
it came with one mission:

To pillage and maim.

The record unblemished,
every result the same.

No matter the bot,
no matter how brave,

you're gonna end up
in your grave.

It's Tombstone!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Ray Billings and Tombstone

is coming off an undefeated year

in which he knocked out
every one of his opponents.

Tyson, Jordan, Billings.

This guy's at the top
of his game right now.

In the blue square,

it won the Last Chance Rumble

and earned the final spot.

Can it keep the momentum
going and remain red hot?

Will it win?
How far will it go?

Don't light its fuse
or else this bot will blow.

Bombshell!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
And there we see
Michael Jeffries and Bombshell.

He's looking a little beat up
after a tough year.

But don't let
that record fool ya.

They shouldn't be
taken lightly here.

KENNY:
That's right.
After losing to Ray

in the championship bout
last season,

Michael Jeffries went back
to the drawing board,

redesigned his bot
and effectively built Bombshell

with the sole purpose
of beating Tombstone.

We're using the short S7 bar.

It's the same one
we used against Minotaur.

I'm hoping to get
behind him and cut in,

cut the tires off,

cut behind that
big wedge he's got.

If I get anything on the back
of the robot, it's coming off.

We're detonating
the Bombshell, okay?

It's going boom.

My big focus
early in the fight is gonna be

trying to use his energy
against him.

He has such
a massive spinning bar

that I'm gonna be trying
to get it to bounce

and reflect off
the front the robot

and give myself an opening
to go in with the disc.

So it's really down to,

do I give Ray an opening
to get to us

or does he give us an opening
to get to him?

And whoever makes that mistake
is gonna lose the fight.

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
All right, Kenny, here we go.

A rematch to
the 2016 championship bout.

And for Bombshell,
I'm sure it's feeling

like a championship in itself.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

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

[BUZZER BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Oh, we got a collision already!

Gotta keep an eye on Tombstone
and its driving ability.

It looks a little gimpy, Kenny.

Oh, and a couple of big jabs.

Uh-oh, Tombstone, does it seem
a little off-center to you?

KENNY:
Yeah, Tombstone has to be
careful here.

Bombshell's been able
to get under him so far.

CHRIS:
Oh, holy smokes!

We got serious sparks
inside the BattleBox.

KENNY:
Bombshell not
giving Tombstone an inch.

CHRIS:
Tombstone trying
to get to the side

of Bombshell and not face
that huge wedge in front.

Oh, look at Tombstone's chain!

Oh, no, it's the chain.

CHRIS:
It is!
It's the chain of Tombstone!

The champ has lost his weapon
only 40 ticks into this fight.

KENNY:
Bombshell's primary weapon

looks like
it's not active either.

Let's try it, let's try it.
The belt's off, I think.

CHRIS:
This is huge news, Kenny.

Both bots are on the ropes.

KENNY:
This is unbelievable, Chris.

So two dead weapons,
let's see here.

CHRIS:
So now this is
push bot versus push bot?

KENNY: That's right.
CHRIS: That's how it could be

for two more minutes.
Don't worry about the weapon.

Okay.

CHRIS:
Now it's up to the drivers

to utilize the BattleBox
to their advantage.

Big hit delivered by Bombshell.

KENNY:
I gotta say, Chris,
without any active weapons,

Bombshell may be better set up
to score points here.

That wedge should allow him
to control the action.

CHRIS:
How will the champ adjust?

KENNY:
Look at this, Bombshell
taking Tombstone for a ride.

CHRIS:
Bombshell just body-slammed
him into the corner, wow!

KENNY:
Don't look now, Chris,

but Bombshell thinks
he can win this fight.

Consistently able to get
underneath Tombstone.

CHRIS:
Ray Billings looking for
some space to breathe here.

KENNY:
Chris, I think Tombstone
may have just backed

onto his own weapon chain here.
CHRIS: Oh, did the champ

just high-center himself
on his own chain?

A rare mistake by Ray Billings!

Ten, nine, eight...

CHRIS:
The countdown has started!

Do we have a 16th seed
upsetting the one?

...three, two, one. Knockout!
Ah, [BLEEP]!

[BUZZER SOUNDS]
CHRIS: We do!

The champ is done!

Way to go.

CHRIS:
Mike Jeffries celebrating,

and Ray Billings stunned.

Somebody slap me and make
sure I'm not dreaming.

The biggest upset possible

in the opening round
of the tourney.

Awesome fight, man.
CHRIS: I need a minute

to collect my thoughts.

So, Jess,
let's send it down to you.

[CROWD CHEERING]

JESSICA:
Michael, oh, my gosh.

You guys have run the gamut
of highs and lows

during this entire season
so far.

It's been a wild ride for us.

I mean, we started
out 0-4.

We won the rumble, and then
we got the number-one seed.

We've been waiting
for two years for this fight.

We finally got it, did
what I thought would work.

I was actually going in
fairly slow.

I was trying to get
his weapon bouncing off

the front of our robot
to get him unstable.

That gave us the chance
to get in nice and tight

and actually start getting
some hits with the disc.

So it was really about
being aggressive

but being very controlled
with it.

Well, you're moving on
to the quarterfinals.

What are your concerns?
We got work to do in the pits

before our next fight,
but I think we can make it.

Awesome, well, congratulations,
guys on an amazing match.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Kenny, I'm borderline shocked.

I really am.
I can't believe it.

This is another great reminder
that this isn't a sprint.

It's a marathon.

In the end, it was even too
much for the great Tombstone.

Did you hear the cheering

from the pits
during that fight?

Oh, yeah.

That means the field
is wide open.

Who knows what's gonna happen?

We've seen two upsets already,

and next we'll see Lock-Jaw,
the number nine seed,

taking on the eight-seeded
Son of Whyachi.

[♪♪♪]

Our next first-round fight
features a young g*n

taking on a Desperado
play-in tournament winner.

Kenny, these are two bots

with massive pedigrees
in the sport.

Donald Hudson and Lock-Jaw,
one of the legends,

been fighting robots since 1997.

Meanwhile, Luke Ewert was born
and raised in the sport.

His bot, Son of Whyachi,
won a Giant Nut

in 2001 with his dad Terry,

and he's fired up to continue
the family legacy.

KENNY:
That's right, lots of firepower
in this fight.

Son of Whyachi has
one of the most deadly weapons

in the competition,

while Donald Hudson and
Lock-Jaw are widely considered

one of the best builders
and drivers in the game.

It should be
an old-school rumble, Chris.

It's a coin flip.

Time right now for
the eight/nine matchup.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

In the red square,
it's the pride of Spin-sconsin,

here comes
the triangle of death.

It's Son of Whyachi!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Luke Ewert and Son of Whyachi,



and here's the truest testament
to that massive weapon:

All four of their fights
have ended in a knockout.

In the blue square,
this bot will have you singing

"I fought the Jaw
and the Jaw won."

Here for another clash,
lock the casbah,

it's Lock-Jaw!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Here's team Lock-Jaw,

and, Kenny, Donald Hudson
always seems to have

an ace up his sleeve.

KENNY:
That's right, Chris.

Donald definitely
knows the power

behind Son of Whyachi's spinner,

and he's attached
that steel plow

to the back of Lock-Jaw
as a shield

to absorb those punishing blows.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

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

[BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

It's win or go home.

Son of Whyachi spinning up,
nearly to full speed, and oh!

A huge hit! Are both bots okay?
Are they running all right?

KENNY:
Both bots look okay, Chris.

CHRIS:
The big wedge
hits Son of Whyachi,

which gets thrown halfway
around the ring.

KENNY: Oh!
CHRIS: And again!

KENNY: Oh, man!
CHRIS: Kenny, that plow

just going right
into Son of Whyachi. Whoo!

KENNY:
Well, Lock-Jaw's trying
to jam him up,

but he's also trying
to get close enough

where he can now go in
with his drum spinner.

Now he can go in.
Let's see if he reverses.

There he goes.
CHRIS: Yes, good call.

KENNY:
Wasn't quite able to
get there fast enough, though.

CHRIS:
Oh, another hit from Lock-Jaw.

KENNY:
Big difference in Son of Whyachi

is his durability and--

CHRIS:
Son of Whyachi's caught
in the screws!

KENNY: Getting chewed up!
CHRIS: Caught in the screws!

Lock-Jaw comes in,
trying to finish him off,

and it's smoking
a little bit as well.

But look at it,
he keeps on ticking.

So impressive. Uh-oh!

KENNY: Bot's burning up.
CHRIS: More smoke.

KENNY:
Too much power.

CHRIS:
Those batteries are smoking
inside Son of Whyachi.

Can it spin up again? Can it get
some distance from Lock-Jaw?

KENNY:
Now Lock-Jaw trying
to finish off the job here.

Trying to chew up
Son of Whyachi.

CHRIS:
Yeah, he's got that drum spinner
up to full speed,

but he can't get in there.

He's trying to get in
on Son of Whyachi.

KENNY:
Chris, this jut turned
into a shoving match.

There they go.

CHRIS:
Son of Whyachi trying
to take Lock-Jaw for a spin,

but that is not
its strength at all.

KENNY:
Really impressed at how
that shock-mounted plow held up

against that powerful horizontal
spinner Son of Whyachi has.

Donald Hudson tries
to follow Son of Whyachi,

isn't able to really get
the angle.

But more than anything else,
he's having trouble

with that front arm, that fork.
He can't get rid of it.

CHRIS:
Son of Whyachi doing a good job
changing tactics here.

Under a minute to go.
The k*ll saws will be active.

Perhaps that's Son of Whyachi's
best bet,

is to lure Lock-Jaw into
one of those k*ll saws

and have it do something
to Lock-Jaw's underbelly.

KENNY:
There's a nice hit
from Lock-Jaw.

CHRIS:
Well, there you go.

Does that do any damage
to Hudson's bot?

Oh, and a nice hit
there from Lock-Jaw.

Donald Hudson
racking up the points.

KENNY:
Well, you saw the fight
of Lock-Jaw versus Bronco.

You knew Lock-Jaw had
a very durable frame.

Got 20 seconds to try
to get a finish here.

CHRIS:
Once again, Son of Whyachi

has been without
its primary weapon

pretty much since
the two-minute mark.

He's relegated to push-bot duty,

and that's not good enough
against Lock-Jaw

as we enter the final few ticks
in this quarterfinal match.

Of course there's no prize
for second in this one.

Son of Whyachi tries
to get one final push,

trying to get Lock-Jaw
under those screws.

And that will do it.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]

[CROWD CHEERING]

Donald Hudson with
that plow in the back,

doing a number
on Son of Whyachi's main weapon.

The judges will take it all
into account.

Big decision coming up.

[♪♪♪]

Kenny, that addition of the plow
to the back of Lock-Jaw

did its job.
KENNY: Yeah, absolutely.

That protected Lock-Jaw
very, very well.

And for me, if we're
talking about strategy,

Lock-Jaw had
a brilliant strategy.

Jamming up that
primary weapon, whoo!

Then going in with
his drum spinner, but again,

that front arm
didn't allow Lock-Jaw

to really get a lot of great
hits with that drum spinner.

CHRIS:
And let's remember,
the judges take into account

it's the damage done
by the primary weapon,

which would be
the drum spinner on Lock-Jaw.

KENNY:
This is true,
so it's gonna be interesting.

The final 30 seconds, again,

it was basically
a shoving match out there.

Lock-Jaw, it was able to
get underneath a few times,

got some decent hits,
but not the way Donald Hudson

really wanted to finish
this one.

It's a close one.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Ladies and gentlemen,
we have a unanimous decision.

The winner is...

Lock-Jaw!

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
So Donald Hudson and Lock-Jaw
move past Son of Whyachi

to make it
into the quarterfinals.

Up next we'll see Minotaur
taking on Witch Doctor.

Kenny, let's start with Minotaur
led by Marco Meggiolaro.

They finished 3-1 on the year,

locked up the four seed
for the tournament,

but that isn't exactly enough
for Minotaur, is it?

KENNY:
No, it is not.

They came into this year with
one goal: win the Giant Nut.

And right out of the gate

they lost their first fight
to Tombstone,

and it's been an uphill climb
for them ever since.

But now that they're in the
tournament and Tombstone's out,

you gotta think
they're the bot to beat

on this side of the bracket.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
They're facing Andrea Suarez
and Witch Doctor,

who also struggled
at the onset of this year.

Dropped their first fight
to Yeti,

had to rebuild their entire bot,

but they managed to win out.

KENNY:
I was so impressed
with Andrea and her team

pulling off a mid-season rebuild

and getting Witch Doctor
into the tournament.

And they actually match up well
with Minotaur.

Witch Doctor has
the size advantage,

and that dual disc spinner can
dish out some serious damage.

However, those exposed wheels
could spell trouble.

Minotaur driver Daniel Freitas
loves him some rubber, Chris.

Minotaur, Witch Doctor...

Let's get it going!

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the red square,

if you mess with the bull,
you get the horns

and your robot will end up
ragged and torn.

So slap on your spurs,
hop on for a ride,

face this bot,
and you might die.

It's Minotaur!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
And there we see Minotaur,
such an accomplished team.

They've won competitions
all over the world,

but they're still in search
of their first Giant Nut.

KENNY:
And it looks like
they're coming out

with a brand-new drum spinner
for this one, Chris.

For Minotaur, it truly is
championship or bust.

[♪♪♪]

In the blue square,
this nasty fighter

would survive being burned
at the stake.

Now she comes here
to make your bots break.

She's ready to screw you
with voodoo.

It's Witch Doctor!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Andrea Suarez and her team

came into this year's
competition

with an entirely redesigned
Witch Doctor,

and after an up-and-down 2018,
she gets a tough draw,

taking on Minotaur
in the opening round.

But, hey, to be the best
you gotta beat the best.

[♪♪♪]

Our strategy's
to out-drive Daniel,

which everybody knows
is a difficult thing to do,

and we're just gonna go
weapon to weapon if we have to.

We actually have
our wedge on this,

our most offensive
configuration,

so the weapon sticks
out the furthest.

We're just hoping to get around
them and get the right hit.

How stoked are you guys
to be in the top 16?

Oh, it's absolutely incredible.

This is the highest level
of competition for our sport,

so this is the place to be.

Minotaur has been
revised completely.

He has a brand-new drum
with more teeth

to better have a better chance
of grabbing Witch Doctor.

It's do or die,
you go all the way.

You go for the knockout.

We're gonna be very aggressive,
spinning the drum very fast.

It's all or nothing.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
All right Kenny, here we go.

I'd expect we're about to see
some heavy-hitting action.

KENNY:
These are two
of the most powerful weapons

in this competition, Chris.

Each spins
up to 200 miles per hour.

I'd be surprised if we didn't
see a knockout here.

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

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

[BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Witch Doctor on the attack,
taking it right in the grill

from that drum spinner
of Minotaur.

KENNY:
You heard Andrea say
she was prepared

to go weapon on weapon
in this one.

Minotaur inviting just that,

and Witch Doctor may already
be paying a price

for that decision.

CHRIS:
That right front tire
looking a little cattywampus.

KENNY: Uh-oh!
CHRIS: Oh, no!

And now Witch Doctor
has big problems,

as that right wheel
has popped clean off!

KENNY:
Well, check it out, Chris,
Witch Doctor back on the move.

Losing that bent tire might've
actually helped Andrea there.

CHRIS:
Those low-slung metallic scoops

on the front of Minotaur
doing a great job

at getting underneath
Witch Doctor.

Oh, just going nose to nose,

and now going on the side
where that tire is vacated.

Trying to get to the inside--
KENNY: Oh, there goes another!

CHRIS:
Hey, we're having a sale
on tires.

Reminds me of that Bronco fight
last season.

The Brazilian took
all six tires that time.

KENNY:
Minotaur, Chris, loves
to chew on tires.

It's the main part
of their diet.

CHRIS:
Oh, no, is Minotaur
gonna chew it?

BOTH:
Oh, there goes another one!

KENNY:
Oh, my goodness!

CHRIS: And another!
KENNY: Wow!

CHRIS:
And Minotaur just backs away.
Oh!

They wanna push Witch Doctor
out of the box.

KENNY:
Excellent ability
to self-right

for Witch Doctor this year,

but that's not gonna help him.

This could be a knockout.

CHRIS:
Would be a knockout
unless Witch Doctor

can start flying
when it's on fire.

This thing's over.
KENNY: Oh, man!

Ten, nine...
KENNY: He's fanning the fire

right now, look at that. Oh!
CHRIS: The countdown is on.

Minotaur's
a team on a mission.

Get in their way if you dare.

...one, that's a knockout.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]

CHRIS:
What a performance.

Daniel Freitas driving Minotaur
into the quarterfinal.

[ALL CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

Kenny, talk about
setting the tone early.

KENNY:
Well, Minotaur went nose to nose
with Witch Doctor,

and from there Witch Doctor
immediately

was having some problems.

And then Minotaur just
takes out tire after tire,

literally picking them apart
piece by piece, Chris.

CHRIS:
Minotaur moving on
to the quarterfinal

after dismantling Witch Doctor.

[CROWD CHEERING]

So for Andrea Suarez
and her team,

it's better luck next year.

Minotaur moves on
to the quarterfinal,

and with that,
our matchups are set

as the 2018
World Championship continues.

Right now all eyes
are on the 16 seed, Bombshell,

taking on Donald Hudson
and Lock-Jaw.

We've already seen these two
fight this year

when they kicked off
their 2018 campaigns.

And Lock-Jaw K.O.-ed Bombshell
in quick fashion.

What's different
this time around, Kenny?

KENNY:
Well, for starters,
everything is different.

Both of these teams have had

a roller coaster of a season
since that fight.

Lock-Jaw had to win
three straight fights

in the Desperado tournament
just to make it here

after a rough start to the year.

And for Bombshell,
did we mention

they just beat Tombstone?

All bets are off for this fight.

Both Donald Hudson
and Mike Jeffries

have proven beyond all doubt

that they know how to win
when they have to,

and I'm expecting
a scrappy brawl here.

[♪♪♪]

Let's head inside the box.

[CROWD CHEERING]

FARUQ:
In the red square,

it just beat the unbeatable,
the mighty Tombstone.

Can it keep the streak going?

What a story to tell!
It's about to explode.

It's Bombshell!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
There's Michael Jeffries
and Bombshell.

And if every scar
tells a story, Kenny,

Bombshell's face is starting
to look like w*r and Peace.

It's been a short turnaround

since upsetting the
number one-seeded Tombstone,

but they've got the bot
up and running

and they're ready
for another w*r here.

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the blue square,
this bot's locked in the chase.

He took down Son of Whyachi
to get to this place.

Will this legend earn
fortune and fame?

Y'all know his name,
it's Lock-Jaw!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Donald Hudson and Lock-Jaw

now sit at an impressive 5-2

after a win over Son of Whyachi
in the round of 16.

He's fought more battles
than anyone so far this season,

and it's starting to look like

he's really got that
machine dialed in.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

So our first quarterfinal
matchup of the night

features two veterans.

They've both been here before,
but that doesn't mean

the pressure's any less,
does it, Kenny?

KENNY:
No, it doesn't, Chris.

These guys are just three wins
away from a Giant Nut.

If you don't have butterflies
in your stomach right now,

you're in the wrong sport.

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

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[♪♪♪]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

[BUZZER BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Both bots quick
out of the blocks

in this quarterfinal matchup.

Lock-Jaw's looking,
to get around back-- Oh!

And he flipped Bombshell
into the air! Flips him over!

KENNY:
Oh, and Bombshell's on fire.

CHRIS:
Are you kidding?!

KENNY:
He's smoking up here, Chris.

One shot,
and this could be over.

CHRIS:
Hopefully you didn't
run to the kitchen

and grab a quick snack.
[KENNY LAUGHS]

REFEREE: Ten...
CHRIS: And Bombshell's gonna

get counted out.

The countdown has
already started.

...five, four...

KENNY:
Donald Hudson
is a man on a mission.

...one, that's a knockout.

[BUZZER SOUNDS]
CHRIS: Unbelievable!


to end up in the semifinals.

[♪♪♪]

All right, Kenny, one punch
after a flip, break it down.

KENNY:
That's right, Chris.
I mean, sometimes all it takes

is one hit.
CHRIS: Wow.

KENNY:
And it's done, it's over with.

And it was just a perfect shot
by Lock-Jaw

with those forks
so low to the ground.

And again, it's almost like
he deserves this.

He started out 2018
with some bad luck.

Well, guess what? He's finishing
with some great luck here

against Bombshell.

Just a perfect shot,
able to lift.

And that's exactly what
he wanted to do.

He just did it in 36 seconds.

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
So Lock-Jaw becomes
the first team

to earn a spot in the semis,
meaning he's just one win away

from a championship bout.

We'll find out
who he's facing next

when Minotaur steps into the
ring with the U.K.'s Monsoon.

Kenny, Monsoon coming
in as the 12 seed.

Upsets SawBlaze in the round 16,

but now he's facing Minotaur,
led by Marco Meggiolaro

and the elite driving ability
of Daniel Freitas.

They charged through
Witch Doctor earlier,

and with Tombstone
now out of the tournament,

Minotaur just might be the
favorite to win the Giant Nut.

KENNY:
I think so.
Minotaur has been peaking

at exactly the right time,

but I think Monsoon
matches up well here.

Their 41-pound vertical spinner,

rotating at 244 miles per hour,

is one of the biggest
and fastest in the competition,

and they've got a significant
reach advantage in this one.

If Tom can stay squared up
to Minotaur,

he should be able
to use that reach advantage

to land those monster uppercuts

that we've come to expect
from Monsoon.

CHRIS:
It's our final fight
of the evening.

Get your popcorn ready.

Call your family into
the TV room, let's all watch.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[♪♪♪]

In the red square,
this bot took no bull.

Come at it hard,
you'll look like a fool.

The tips are sharp,
its speed is fast.

Get out of its way,
you might not last.

It's Minotaur!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Marco Meggiolaro and Minotaur,

the pride of Brazil.
What's the key here, Kenny?

KENNY:
Well, the key is standing
right next to Marco, Chris.

Daniel Freitas. With him
at the reins of Minotaur,

that bull is nearly unstoppable.

In the blue square, argh!

A storm's a-brewing,
so batten down the hatches.

This bot's forecast
is to destroy all its matches.

It's the stormin', deformin'...

I don't think it's Mormon...
Monsoon!

[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
Kenny, Tom Brewster and Monsoon,

one of the great stories
of this year.

KENNY:
Chris, every great fighter
hits a point

when they stop being a surprise

and start being
a true contender.

Tom Brewster and Monsoon
have hit that point.

He's not here by accident.
He's here because he earned it.

We're gonna be
very aggressive.

The plan's to spin up the weapon

and keep it pointed at them
most importantly.

We do not want them coming
around the sides or the back.

If we can keep it
weapon to weapon at all times,

we might be okay.

I can't really believe
I'm here, to be honest.

Vertical bot spinners,

they are against
small robots like Minotaur.

They can be very dangerous.

We're gonna try to go to
its weapon, try to break it.

Our driver's gonna have
to improvise there,

but it's a very hard robot,

and his bar has an advantage
over a drum.

You'll probably
have some air time.

Everybody in Brazil knows us,
and they're rooting for us.

They wanna see Minotaur
getting the Giant Nut.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROBOTIC VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[♪♪♪]

[ELECTRONIC BEEPING]

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

Spin up, hit them really hard.

[BUZZING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin!

Who's gonna deliver
the first shot?

KENNY:
Minotaur getting up to speed.
Here he comes.

CHRIS:
Nice head-on collision there.

KENNY: Oh!
CHRIS: It sure doesn't look

like Minotaur's holding back
with that drum spinner.

KENNY:
No, they're not, they are not.

They're going right
underneath Monsoon,

but that primary weapon
of Monsoon

still functioning very well--
Oh!

CHRIS:
Oh, Minotaur pops Monsoon,
now getting underneath.

Takes it into the rails
with a big shot.

The question is,
can Monsoon right itself?

KENNY:
This fight might be over.

I don't think Monsoon's
moving at all, Chris.

CHRIS:
Stuck in a precarious position
on the rail.

KENNY: Wow.
Drive! Come on! Come on!

CHRIS:
They're begging Daniel Freitas
and Minotaur

to get him off the rails
and continue the fight.

What's it gonna be?
Will they risk it all?

Minotaur shaking his head
like, "I don't think so, bro."

The Brazilian bunch would
rather let them die and advance.

--one, that's a knockout.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]

Yeah, yeah!

CHRIS:
So Minotaur,
the Brazilian bruiser,

makes quick work of Monsoon

and claims their spot
in the semifinals.

In the semifinal, yeah!

Yeah, winner!

[♪♪♪]

CHRIS:
So much for kind of easing
into the fight for Minotaur.

KENNY:
Yeah, if this is
hanging back and analyzing,

I mean, what is it gonna be
if he goes for a quick knockout?

That was ridiculous.

Minotaur just very accurate,
going right at Monsoon

and ripping up that weapon belt
after a flurry of hits, Chris.

CHRIS:
And let's remember,
Monsoon's tip speed

is over 240 miles an hour,

so that's no joke
of a weapon either.

KENNY:
Absolutely, and there's
that finishing shot

from Minotaur,
just getting underneath,

driving them right towards
the edge of the BattleBox,

getting the knockout.

And again,
there's more fight for Minotaur.

They don't wanna risk
injuring their bot here.

CHRIS:
Just devastating stuff.

Let's go down to Jessica
with our winner.

Marco, congratulations
on an outstanding win.

Thank you so much.

I knew it would be
a brutal fight.

They are very good robot,
a lot of kinetic energy there.

We knew we had to break
something for it to work.

JESSICA:
What was your strategy
going into this match?

We had to go weapon to weapon.

We thought that we could bend
the chassis of the opponent,

and we tried to break
his weapon this way.

We knew that it would be
very difficult

to get on his side,
to the wheels,

unless we flipped him over
and went to the back.

Well, you guys did it.
Any message back home to Brazil?

Uh, please root for us.
We want this Giant Nut.

We want it, we've been
searching for it for 15 years.

Awesome. Well, congratulations,
guys, on an excellent win.

You're moving on, good job.
[CROWD CHEERING]

CHRIS:
So another dominant performance
from Minotaur,

and, Kenny, it really looks like

they could go
all the way this year.

This Brazilian team has been
like a Brazilian orchestra.

They're building up
to a crescendo right now.

CHRIS:
We know they'll be taking on
Lock-Jaw in the semifinals.

Congratulations to both teams.

They're now only one win away

from competing
in the championship bout.

But we saw some others
eliminated along the way.

Monsoon upset
the number five seed, SawBlaze,

before falling to Minotaur.

Tombstone was knocked out

by the number 16 seed
in the opening round,

and with that has completely
altered the landscape

of the BattleBots 2018[/i]
World Championship Tournament.

We'll see how it all shakes out

on the other side of
the bracket next time.

We've also got
some heavy hitters there:

Bite Force, Bronco, Icewave,
just to name a few.

So for Faruq, Jessica Chobot,
my man Kenny Florian,

I'm Chris Rose. We'll see
you next time on BattleBots.

[♪♪♪]

[WHIRRING]