03x20 - Championship Night

[bunniefuu]

FARUQ:
Tonight, the hunt for a 2018

BattleBots World Champion

reaches its dramatic
conclusion.

Four teams have survived
the brutal march to the finish,

and each bears the scars
to prove it.

KENNY: Oh, there's parts flying
everywhere, Chris!

FARUQ: The Brazilian bull.

CHRIS:
Minotaur with that huge hit!

[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

FARUQ:
The former champ.

CHRIS:
Oh! Bite Force!

REFEREE:
That's a knockout!

FARUQ:
The young phenom.

CHRIS: Whiplash is doing
the impossible.

FARUQ:
And the hardened veteran.

CHRIS:
Wow, Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw.

REFEREE:
That's a knockout!

FARUQ: All are within reach
of the title.

But only one can hoist
the sport's greatest prize.

History will be written...

right now.

ROBOT VOICE:
Robots, activate.

[CROWD CHEERS]

Hey, everybody,
and welcome to BattleBots

Championship fight night.

After months
of unbelievable battles,

total carnage, jaw-dropping
comebacks, heartbreaking upsets,

and a near constant concern
for my own personal safety,

tonight one robot
will reign supreme

and be crowned the 2018
BattleBots champion.[/i]

[CROWD CHEERS]

I'm Chris Rose,
and joining me

is a guy who is a walking
threat to everyone out there.

From the UFC world,
Kenny Florian.

You want to talk scary?

This entire season
was scary good.

And the 2018 tournament
has been no different.

We've seen some crazy upsets.

The number one
and two seeds have fallen,

Tombstone and Bronco.

I don't know about you, Chris,

but my bracket is busted.

CHRIS: Mine too, Kenny,
but never mind that,

because now we're down to four.

Tonight's event will
feature both the semifinals

and finals of our
championship tournament.

And by the end of the night,
one team will walk away

with the mother of all trophies,
the Giant Nut.

So let's take a look
at the matchups,

starting with
the former champion,

Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force

taking on the lowest
remaining seed in the field,

the Cinderella story, Whiplash.

Bite Force, a perfect 6 and 0,
the last five by knockout.

But Whiplash is no slouch.

Five and one on the year,
four knockouts to their name.

And I think it's safe to say
they're starting to believe

they can actually
win this thing.

We'll also see the team
from Brazil, Minotaur,

taking on the ninth seed,
Lock-Jaw.

Lock-Jaw and Donald Hutson,
with a 6 and 2 record,

five wins by knockout.

But what really stands out here

is the number of fights overall.

That's eight, two more
than any other semifinalist.

The former champ has been
perfect in his last five fights,

but now he faces
his biggest test yet,

and that's Minotaur,
led by Marco Meggiolaro

and world-renowned driver
Daniel Freitas.

They've won championships
all across the globe,

and tonight they expect
to be walking away

with their first Giant Nut.

KENNY:
I don't know about you,

but to me, any one of these bots
really could win it all.

CHRIS:
Will it be the former champ,

an all-star teenager,

the raging bull from Brazil,

or the grizzled veteran?

There's only one way
to find out.

Are you folks ready?

[CROWD CHEERS]

All right,
let's crown ourselves

a 2018 World Champion.

Faruq, take it away.

[♪♪]

Ladies and gentlemen,
are you ready?

[CROWD CHEERS]

It's robot-fighting time.

[CROWD CHEERS]

[♪♪]

CHRIS:
Kenny, the bull from Brazil.

Their lone loss in the regular
season opener to Tombstone.

Ever since then, they've been
getting better and better.

KENNY: Yeah, and that's
a very scary thought.

With every fight
they are learning, improving,

evolving that bot.

They have so much experience.

They know exactly what weapon
to use, what drum spinner,

what driving style to use
against each and every opponent.

It's an amazing team
right there.

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS: Kenny, Donald Hutson
and Lock-Jaw.

They are such
a tightly knit crew.

They're revving
on all engines, right?

KENNY: Absolutely,
and the theme for 2018

for Team Lock-Jaw
can be summed up

in three words:
never give up.

After a 1 and 2 start,

they entered
the Desperado tournament,

got three straight wins
and earned themselves

an automatic bid
into the top 16.

Now they're only one win away
from the championship final.

In the red square,
this Brazilian bull

will smack you
right in the face,

leave you limping away,
head down in disgrace.

Its mission is simple:
go in for the k*ll

and bring the Giant Nut
back to Brazil.

It's Minotaur!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Marco Meggiolaro and Minotaur.

They were knocked out
of the semifinals

the last time they were here.

It's kind of like
drinking some OJ

after you brushed your teeth.

Leaves a bad taste
in your mouth,

if you know what I mean.

FARUQ:
In the blue square,

it'll lock you down
and won't let go,

then take you out
with one deadly blow,

it's tough, it's mean,
it's without a flaw.

Give it up for the one,
the only, Lock-Jaw!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw.

Proud owner of six Giant Nuts,

but he hasn't added a new one
to a shelf since 2002.

Jessica Chobot
caught up with our builders

before entering this match.

So let's hear from them
on their strategy

heading into this big-time bout.

Any concerns going
into this match?

We are very much afraid
that Lock-Jaw can get a spin

on the wall and throw us out
of the battle box

in the dead zone,
because the driver, Donald,

is very good.

So Minotaur's small.

His wheels are internal.
They are not exposed.

So it's easy for him
to get stuck in the arena.

Battle box is the biggest enemy
of ours.

Last season,
we lost in the semifinals.

We want to end up this jinx.

Well, you know,
Minotaur's driver, Daniel,

is an excellent driver.

I know that their obvious idea
is to try to go for the tires.

You know, they probably think
that they can

get the jaws pretty quickly.

I think it's just
gonna be a driving w*r.

ROBOT VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS: It's Minotaur
and Lock-Jaw facing off

in the first semifinal of our


World Championship.

ROBOT VOICE:
Red team, ready.

Blue team, ready.

CHRIS: The Brazilians
expect to advance

to their first BattleBots final.[/i]

Can the veteran,
Donald Hutson, stop them here?

[BUZZER]

Let the bot battle begin.

Lock-Jaw trying to win the game
of position off the bat,

but gets thrown up in the air
a little bit by Minotaur.

KENNY: Minotaur going straight
for those wheels, Chris.

Lock-Jaw has to stay
squared up here.

Lock-Jaw using those forks,
but they are not active.

Minotaur able to get
underneath Lock-Jaw.

CHRIS: And he had him
near the screws momentarily,

but Donald Hutson drives away.

He is one of the best drivers
this sport's ever seen.

KENNY:
We're seeing some bot parts

already all over the box.

CHRIS:
Nice jab there from Minotaur.

The Brazilians,
they came to play.

Already showing they can
get underneath Lock-Jaw.

Oh, there it is again.

Donald Hutson,
he has got to prevent that.

KENNY: Daniel Freitas all over
Donald Hutson right now.

CHRIS: And it looks like
Donald's bot,

a little c*ck, Kenny.

KENNY:
Oh!

Well, those tires are starting
to get chewed up by Minotaur.

That is the main part
of the Minotaur diet,

and he's chewing them up.

CHRIS:
Oh!

Those forks on Lock-Jaw
have been ineffective,

as Minotaur continues to win
the battle for low ground.

Almost a minute in now.

And now Lock-Jaw inverted,

and that back tire's
taking a beating.

KENNY:
And so have the forks.

Those forks are getting
beat up pretty badly.

Minotaur just suffocating
Lock-Jaw here.

Nonstop pressure.

CHRIS: Minotaur trying
to chew on those tires,

and does a nice job
of upending Lock-Jaw.

Lock-Jaw's not moving
right now, Kenny.

KENNY: Just too many hits
to the underbelly by Minotaur,

and this is gonna be a knockout
in the semifinal.

CHRIS: You can hear Minotaur
revving up its jet engine.

It looks like the legend,
Donald Hutson,

all he can do is listen
to the countdown.

REFEREE: ...seven, six...
CHRIS: Minotaur,

the Brazilian bull,
just moments away from a spot

in its first
BattleBots final.[/i]

...one, that's a knockout!

CHRIS: Daniel Freitas
has driven Minotaur

and Team Brazil
into its first BattleBots final.[/i]

We are in the final!

Yeah!

CHRIS:
The Brazilians overjoyed,

and Donald Hutson looking on
thinking what could have been.

Marco, Daniel, come on in.

Oh, you guys, your first final.
Congratulations.

Thank you so much.
It's a dream come true.

We gotta win this now.

Great match.
What was your strategy going in?

Our strategy was to focus
on one of the forks,

not go to both,

otherwise he would get
our V belts.

So we are focusing one fork,
then we hit the other,

and then try
to get underneath him.

Very, very aggressive driving.

Was that part
of the whole thing?

That was a part,

because Donald's
a very good driver.

You need to be
aggressive to win.

If you let him do his thing,

he's going to throw
out of the battle box.

Well, you guys just beat
a legend with Donald.

You've gotta be
proud about that.

Oh, I'm very proud.

I watched Donald driving
before we were a team,

so it was a great honor
to fight him today.

Well, congratulations
on an excellent match

and a great win.
Thank you.

See you guys in the finals.

CHRIS: So it is Minotaur
moving on to our


Championship final.

They'll be taking on the winner
of Bite Force versus Whiplash.

It's a three-versus-ten matchup,

but, Kenny, I don't think
you can call anyone an underdog

at this point of the tournament.

KENNY:
And especially Whiplash,

who's torn through Yeti,
and of course Bronco,

the number two seed
in the tournament

on their path to get here.

Jeff Vazquez
told us start the year

that he thought Whiplash
could do something special.

And now at this point
that bot's proven

to be durable, consistent,

and its articulating vertical
disc is one of the most

versatile weapons
in the entire competition.

Jeff's son, the young driver
Mattie Vasquez,

has shown time and again
that he's not scared

of hanging with the big dogs.

CHRIS:
And tonight, he's facing off

against another big dog
in Bite Force.

And this may well
be the strongest

we've ever seen him perform,

which is a little scary

considering he won
the championship in 2015.

KENNY: That's right, Chris.

He's the only undefeated bot
remaining in the field,

and it's only taken him
an average time of 64 seconds

to knock out
his last five opponents.

For Paul Ventimiglia and
Bite Force, it's all business.

Get in, get the win,
and move on.

You anxious to see who's gonna
face Minotaur in the final?

Really anxious,
really nervous, yeah.

Let's get to it.

[CROWD CHEERS]

Bite Force has already gotten
its hands on one Giant Nut,

and now Paul Ventimiglia,
oh, he's so close to another.

KENNY: And he's been
absolutely perfect.

Six and 0,
five wins by knockout.

He has shown no mercy at all

when he steps inside
the battle box.

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Bite Force taking on Whiplash,

and I can't imagine what's
going on in the brain of Pops,

Jeff Vasquez, right now.

He must be so proud.

KENNY: Oh, he's very proud.

He's a little nervous.

He's very excited.

And then the contrast. his son,

Matt Vasquez,
very calm and composed.

And I think
that's what has allowed him

to drive as well
as he has in 2018.

FARUQ:
In the red square,

chewing up bots
in murderous routes,

its last two fights
have been complete knockouts.

It shows no remorse.

It's Bite Force!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
There we get a good look

at Paul Ventimiglia
and his team.

They've left a path
of destroyed bots

in their wake
throughout the competition.


the year of the dog,

but Paul's making a good case
for Bite Force.

In the blue square,
it's done the impossible,

bucked the Bronco
and slayed a Yeti,

with a 19-year-old driver
who's proven he's ready.

The Vasquez family
is in the big show at last.

Ladies and gentlemen,

it's Whiplash!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS: And there we see
the Vasquez family.

Such a great story,
such an impressive year.

Whiplash shocked
the number two seed, Bronco,

in its last fight,
winning by knockout.

And now they're looking
to take down another

undefeated opponent
in Bite Force.

Got your top secret weapon here
all practiced and raring to go?

Yeah, I mean,
the robot's pretty much

the same as the other fights.

Just going to have
to drive well,

and flip him over
and keep him flipped over.

That's pretty much it.

Did you guys expect
to make it this far?

Absolutely not.

I mean, we had a sneaking
suspicion we could,

but once we started
winning matches,

we just got stronger and more
momentum and more confidence.

So it's really been
a great event for us.

The Vasquez family have built
great robots for decades.

They're really seasoned.

The robot's looking really good,
it's very versatile.

Very robust. It's hard
to get a knock out on them.

So it's all gonna be
about driving and luck.

We have the forky wedges,

because they don't have
a big horizontal spinner.

That's our better,
aggressive technique.

That's what we used
against Bombshell

and against ROTATOR
for the knockouts.

[CROWD CHEERS]

ROBOT VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
Whiplash, Bite Force

in a semifinal matchup
for the ages.

ROBOT VOICE:
Red team, ready.

Blue team, ready.

AUDIENCE:
Fight, fight, fight.

CHRIS:
A berth in the final at stake.

[BUZZER]

Let the bot battle began.

Oh, big smash right off the bat.

Bite Force getting underneath
Whiplash at will here.

Throws him into the corner.

Matt Vasquez escapes and needs
to catch a breath here.

KENNY:
Oh, Bite Force definitely

has the low ground, Chris.

Oh! Uh-oh, huge flip there
by Bite Force.

CHRIS: And it looks
like Whiplash may have

taken some damage
on the right side there.

KENNY: Look how sturdy
Bite Force is,

dictating this match so far,

just smothering Whiplash.

CHRIS:
Whiplash having trouble getting

its primary weapons
spinning up to speed, Kenny.

KENNY: Yeah, look at that
front right wheel.

Oh, it is gone. And it's gone.

This could be the beginning
of the end for Whiplash.

CHRIS:
Uh-oh, Whiplash fixes itself,

but it's already taken on
serious damage

in the first 45 seconds.

Look at this,
right in front of us.

Oh, a pulverizer drops down.

There goes a second wheel.

And now Bite Force
taking Whiplash

for a ride around the box.

KENNY: Bite Force
really giving Whiplash

a dose of its own medicine
in this one, Chris.

Taking away its mobility
from the very start.

CHRIS:
Oh, my God! Wow!

Matt Vasquez doing his best
to get into survival mode,

but he's without two tires
and basically a third.

Kenny, does that look like

enough controlled movement
to you?

KENNY:
That's borderline, Chris.

Whiplash just sort
of crab-walking.

There may be a countdown coming.

...nine...
CHRIS: And there it is.

It's going to be Bite Force
and Minotaur.

in a dream final, folks.

Whiplash's Cinderella run
is over.

...one, that is a knockout.

[BUZZER]
Awesome.

CHRIS: And Paul Ventimiglia
heading to the final

for the second time
in three seasons.

Awesome job.

CHRIS:
Kenny, what happened here?

KENNY:
Well, what jumped out to me

about this fight
was that Bite Force

did to Whiplash
what Whiplash has done

to its opponents all year long.

Paul Ventimiglia
got around to the side,

got that initial hit,
kept Whiplash off-balance

through really the whole fight.

Never allowed Whiplash
to get any momentum.

Amazing stuff from Bite Force.

CHRIS:
Well, we all saw this year

that Matt Vasquez
is a world-class driver,

but he was outclassed here.

I think we'll all
look back at 2018

as the year that Whiplash
arrived on the scene.

But the young Jedi
still has some lessons to learn,

and it's gonna Bite Force
taking on Minotaur

in our World Championship final.

[CROWD CHEERS]

JESSICA:
Paul, come on over.

Excellent match, you don't even
look like you broke a sweat.

Well, we've been sweating,
working hard

for the past few
months each night.

So the moments where the matches
were one of the most

relaxing moments
of the whole tournament.

My pit crew makes the robot
work, so I can relax.

Were you worried at all
in regard to Matt's driving?

Because it seemed like
you just when in there

and just did not let up.

Of course,
the Vasquez family's

been building great
robots for decades.

Been driving for a really long
time, really reliable robots.

So of course we're concerned.

In this case, though,
we were able to get

that one couple of lucky hits
at the beginning.

It messes up the front of their
robot the rest of the match.

The rest of the match is easier.

Well, congratulations.
Thanks very much.

Thank you.

[CROWD CHEERS]

Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force,
always so prepared.

They never veer off track.

And he throws us
all off track as well,

because he's so quiet
in his interviews.

And, you know, we'll see what
happens, we're working hard.

And the other guy's
a better driver than me.

He builds you up and then
he literally tears you down.

CHRIS: All right,
so we've got Bite Force

taking on Minotaur in the final.

But first, they'll be rushing
around back in the pit,

gearing up for the fight
of their lives.

And while they do, we've got
a special treat for the crowd.

What would championship
night be without Tombstone?

We all thought
Ray Billings would be

gunning for a title tonight,

but after bowing out
in the opening round,

the former defending champ
will perform

in a very special exhibition
match coming up next.

I want to do a quick test.

When I say this word,

I want to see
everybody's reaction.

Tombstone!

[CROWD CHEERS]

It's amazing.

We've got the 2016 champ,
Tombstone,

taking on Aaron Hill and Tantrum

in a special exhibition match.

So first off,
let me ask you, Kenny,

any advice for Tantrum tonight?

Jeez, you know, he's pretty new
to the battle box scene.

But it's all about building up
your profile in this sport,

and this fight could do
just that for him.

Taking on Tombstone
on championship night,

he'll definitely get
some exposure here.

I don't know if he's necessarily
ready for Tombstone.

I would just say,
hope that your bot is durable

and can take some nasty hits.

Let me try this out
one more time.

Tombstone!

[CROWD CHEERS]

It's great.
KENNY: It works.

Gonna make this my ringer
on my cell phone.

Let's take you
inside the box.

FARUQ:
In the red square,

when the reaper
comes knocking at your door,

it comes bearing a blade
which spins galore.

When you ask for whom
the death tolls,

it's this bot
crushing more souls.

Its Tombstone!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Ray Billings with Tombstone,

the now former defending champ.

He was knocked out
in the opening round

of this year's tournament.

Went back into the pits
and said,

"Hey, who wants to fight me?"

Aaron Hill
was the only volunteer.

In the blue square,

get ready to get slapped
around until you cry.

[IN HIGH-PITCHED VOICE]
I'm so...

[CRIES]

...scared!

[IN NORMAL VOICE]
It's Tantrum!

[ALL CHEER]

CHRIS:
And there we get a good look
at Aaron Hill with Tantrum,

the young mechanical engineer
from Mountain View, California.

He might be a little
outgunned here,

but also he's a little
outgunned here.

I'm gonna see how long
I can last.

So it's going to be immediately
across the box to him.

Go for the hit and hope
I can come back for another.

A lot of the armor
was designed with Ray in mind.

We'll see how it holds up.

A lot of the other robots
not quite 100 percent right now.

But the armor's all there.

Honestly, the only thing
I wanna do

is I wanna pull off
one of those fists

that's attached to it.

They said if I pull one off
I get to keep it,

so it's going to go home
and on my trophy shelf.

Are you gonna mount it
and hang it up on the wall?

It's going on the shelf
right between

the Giant Nut
and the Giant Bolt.

So that's where it's going.

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Well, you heard the man, Kenny.

Ray Billings wants
a fist for his mantle.

[BUZZER]

Let the bot battle begin.

Tombstone firing up that weapon.

I might hide for cover,
I'm gonna be honest.

Those fists
are gonna be flying soon.

KENNY:
Well, it looks like Tantrum's

having second thoughts too,
Chris.

CHRIS:
Uh-oh! Oh, there goes one.

Well, that's gone faster than
a toupee in a tornado, Kenny.

As Tombstone lines up
the next one.

KENNY:
If Ray wants a fist, he gets it.

CHRIS: He sure does.

I mean, for Ray to take
a double fist today, Kenny,

it's a little consolation
for bowing out early.

KENNY: I'm sure he would have
preferred the Giant Nut, Chris.

But he'll take a double fist.

Oh!

Holy Toledo.

KENNY: It just stuck.
It's stuck into the box.

It just stuck into the box.

Are you kidding me?

CHRIS: That is unbelievable!

KENNY: The fist is stuck
into the box!

CHRIS: That is scary!

Oh, my goodness.

CHRIS: That is unbelievable.

But in the meantime, Tantrum
it is somehow still standing.

Oh, a little flip there.

No!

KENNY:
Put an end to this madness.

Nine, eight...
CHRIS: Here comes the countdown.

We've seen a lot
of the BattleBots

over the years, Kenny,

but a flying fist inserted
right by my head

definitely takes the cake.

That is a knockout!
[BUZZER]

KENNY:
What? Are you kidding me?

CHRIS:
That is unbelievable.

KENNY:
That is nuts!

I think it should
stay there forever.

[LAUGHS]

CHRIS:
That is freaking unbelievable.

Hold on, smile.

[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK]

All right, Kenny.

We knew what Tombstone's
strategy was.

He took care
of the first fist there,

and it took him a while
to get the other one,

but it's the most
indelible image

maybe we have seen
in BattleBots history.[/i]

KENNY:
Oh! I mean, listen,

that thing, it was gone in,
like, .0001 seconds.

Look at this hit.
Boom, there it goes.

Where did it go?

It got stuck,
right next to us, by the way.

CHRIS:
Here lies the fist of Tantrum,

dismembered by the greatest,
most evil bot ever, Tombstone.

JESSICA: You said you wanted
to get their fist.

So here you go.

Well, I want this one,
but I want the one

that's stuck in the wall.

That's the one I want.

I guarantee you
we will be peeling that off

of the battle box
and handing it over to you.

This is so cool.

It was a great way
to end the season.

That was a great match.

JESSICA:
Tombstone, everybody.

Good job.

[JESSICA LAUGHS]

Kenny, Tombstone could use
its blade

a million times
after this one

and never make that
happen again.

KENNY: It's crazy
how that happened, wow.

CHRIS:
All right, coming up

it's the moment
we've all been waiting for.

Minotaur vying for their
first BattleBots title,[/i]

taking on the undefeated
Bite Force.

That's our
World Championship final.

Let's take a closer look.

FARUQ: Olé, olé, olé, olé.

CHRIS: The bull from Brazil,

considered by many
to be the most

destructive bot on earth.

KENNY: Oh! Huge hit there.

CHRIS:
But there's one prize missing

from it's trophy case.

I want to win the Nut so badly.

I've been waiting
for 15 years for that.

FARUQ: He's a former champ

ready to reclaim his crown.

CHRIS: The 2015 champ.

Undefeated in this
year's competition.

MAN: Bite Force, we try to have
the perfect blend

of offense and defense.

CHRIS: Uh-oh. Oh!

But I also like
to cause destruction.

CHRIS: Oh!

Both bots dominated
the field all year,

a combined 13 and 1 record.

Oh, my God!

Ten knockouts between them.

Oh! It sure doesn't
look like Minotaur

is holding back
for that drum spinner, Kenny.

KENNY: Big sparks.

Yeah!
Yeah, Minotaur!

CHRIS: Tonight they meet
under the brightest of lights,

with the ultimate prize
on the line.

Three minutes
will decide their fate.

MAN: We've had seven matches
already, one more to go.

Everything we've been working
for is to win the Giant Nut.

CHRIS:
A champion will be crowned.

There's just one fight away
between me and the Giant Nut.

CHRIS: There can only be one.

MARCO:
Losing's not an option.

CHRIS: Our finals are set,
and our two competitors

are back in the pits
preparing for battle.

Any other armor
changes we wanna make?

CHRIS: So while we await
the biggest fight of the year,

how about a countdown?

Here's the top 10
moments from 2018.

Number 10.

In our three team play-in,

Brutus, w*r Hawk, and End Game

faced off for a highly
coveted 15 seed.

And that's when things got
a little ugly for Brutus.

There's the first
bit of contact.

Oh! w*r goes flying!

KENNY: Oh! A huge hit!

CHRIS: Are you kidding me?

Brutus just got upended
by End Game.

And it might be game over
for Brutus.

Welcome to L.A., here's your
complementary face lift.

Number nine.

Valkyrie stepped into the box
with Red Devil.

And then things
got a little weird.

Oh!

Big-time destruction there.

KENNY: Yeah, and the effects
are already

starting to really be evident
there on the tread.

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

Whoa, that tread is on its own.

It's got a life of its own.

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

Somebody take that amputated
tread and pack it on ice.

I don't even know
what's going on

with that little devil
in the corner.

It's pretty cute, though.

It's alive, it's alive!

Number eight.

An old favorite.

Jack Tweedy and Vanquish
stepped into the Box

hoping to make a meal
out of Mark Devitz and Icewave.

KENNY: Look out,
Mark's throttling it up.

He's gonna try
to finish him right here.

CHRIS:
But the joke was on Vanquish,

when it quickly became
Icewave's dessert.

Oh, my God!
He split it like an Oreo!

KENNY:
Oh, man, that's hard to watch.

CHRIS:
Hey, who's got the milk?

Number seven.

Tom Brewster's Monsoon knocked
Petunia into next week.

Oh!

KENNY: Sent Petunia flying.

CHRIS:
I just got sprayed, Kenny.

And it's smoking too.

KENNY:
And here comes the flame.

CHRIS:
Petunia's on fire.

Monsoon is incapacitated.

Hey, Misha,
stop, drop, and roll.

Number six.

Son of Whyachi and End Game
played a little game of chicken

and both forgot to flinch.

Whoa!

Holy smokes, what just happened?

KENNY:
Kiwi down, I repeat, kiwi down.

CHRIS: We've seen Sal
do that before,

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

That's a knockout.

CHRIS:
Number five.

In a clash between
Free Shipping and w*r Hawk,

another shot from w*r Hawk.

Gary Gin reminded us yet again

that win or lose,
there are gonna be fireworks

when he steps into the box.

Oh!
KENNY: Huge hit by w*r Hawk.

w*r Hawk doing some remodeling
on Free Shipping.

Yeah, that fork isn't supposed
to be working like that.

Oh, now he's going to use it
like a whip.

CHRIS: Oh, nice.
KENNY: Oh!

We had fire, we had carnage,
we had Gary Gin.

Bartender, another round
of gin for me and my boys.

No, you've had enough.

Number four.

Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force

squared off against Hyper Shock,

who was all fun and games.

KENNY:
Whoa! Huge hit right there.

CHRIS:
Oh, I spoke too soon, Kenny.

Can Hyper Shock self-right?

Let's see if Bite Force--

He does! Oh, my God!

We got guts spilled
all over the battle box.

One hit was all it took.
Are you kidding me?

CHRIS: No he's not, Kenny.

Paul Ventimiglia
doesn't make jokes.

He's a very serious man.

Number three.

Tombstone and Minotaur kicked
off the year ready to dance.

Oh! We got a collision already!

And I guess you could say
they cut up a rug.

KENNY: There's that amazing--
What a hit!

It sent Tombstone
across the battle box.

And he took a chunk
of the floor with him.

These hits are just devastating.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Oh!

KENNY:
Oh, my goodness!

Sorry about your floor.

CHRIS: That's why we can't have
nice things.

Number two.

Rumor on the street
was that the wheels

on Jonathan Schultz'
HUGE were indestructible.

KENNY:
Oh, there goes a piece.

That thing can cut.

CHRIS:
A rumor that Mark Devitz

and Icewave quickly put to bed.

Oh!

KENNY: This is not
what he planned for.

CHRIS: Okay, we're finding out
something about HUGE

in the first 25 seconds
of this fight.

KENNY:
I think that's gonna be it.

CHRIS:
Unbelievable, Bring it on.

Oh!

It's cut in two!

KENNY:
This fight is over.

CHRIS:
Good night, sweet prince.

And coming in
at number one is Bronco.

Oh! That's a big flip.

In every one of its fights...

Oh, no!

Oh!

Holy bucking Bronco, Batman!

Bronco.

Oh! There you go.

Bronco.

Oh, he had him
and he flipped him.

Bronco. Bronco. Bronco.

We've gotta get him
out of the arena!

KENNY:
Are you kidding me?

CHRIS:
He flipped bots higher...

That thing went a dozen feet
in the air.

...than anyone else
in the competition.

So that wraps up
our top 10 moments from 2018.

Only have to do this
one more time.

[LAUGHS]

IT feels great
to be back in the finals.

It's really relieving.

We've won BattleBots
before multiple times.

It's just that right now,

we all focus on this match
and this opponent.

The past doesn't matter.

The strategy against
Minotaur in the finals

is pretty much
the same as always.

It's all-out aggression
until they're knocked out.

Are the drums okay?

But we need
to sharpen this more.

MAN: We've been through
some crazy opponents,

some very brutal opponents.

But this probably gonna
be the most brutal one,

because Bite Force has
a robot that works very well.

Very powerful weapon.

I think it's good
to go.

We're gonna have to be
very brutal, violent,

in order to win
and to knock him out.

Let's go.

[MAN SHOUTING
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

We are now mere moments away

from the bout
we've all been waiting for.

The number four seed, Minotaur,

taking on the three seed,
Bite Force,

in the BattleBots
World Championship final.

[CROWD CHEERS]

All right, Kenny,
let's start with the 2015 winner

of the Giant Nut,
Paul Ventimiglia.

Dare I say if he wins tonight,

this could jump-start
a dynasty in BattleBots.

KENNY: Yeah, absolutely.

Again, for this guy to get
two Giant Nuts

within a three-year period
would be unbelievable.

Paul Ventimiglia and his
whole team have been on fire.

CHRIS: In the meantime,
Marco Meggiolaro

and Minotaur are trying
to bring the Giant Nut

to Brazil
for the first time ever.

Daniel Freitas, one of the best
drivers in the business.

What's the big question
with that squad tonight?

KENNY:
You know, for them,

I'm sure they're feeling
the pressure

because they're not only
representing Team Minotaur,

they're representing
a whole country.

They're like gods over there.

So they're expecting
a lot from that team.

They were close in 2016,
but they think

this is their year
to take the title.

CHRIS: Then let's take a look
at the matchup.

And man, talk about
a couple of monsters, Kenny.

KENNY:
No question about it, Chris.

These are two of the most

vicious weapons
in the competition,

but at the same time they're
two very different weapons.

Minotaur's 70-pound
drum outweighs

Bite Force's bar spinner
by a significant margin.

But Bite Force does have
the reach advantage here.

For Minotaur, they'll need
to go weapon to weapon,

fight for inside position,

and hopefully grind Bite Force
into the ground.

And for Bite Force,
it's gonna be

all about those well-timed hits.

We've seen the difference
in their fighting styles

even just tonight.

Bite Force knocking out
Whiplash in the semis

with a flurry of precise
uppercutting blows,

while Minotaur
just wore Lock-Jaw down

until it finally had enough.

So yeah, a bit of a clash
of styles here in the final,

and obviously
two very effective styles

that have led them to this
championship showdown.

CHRIS:
Well, this is it.

One of these teams
is about to etch their names

in the history books.

So many legends before them.

Such a storied sport.

The ultimate trophy
in robot combat is up for grabs,

and there's only one thing
left to do.

Let's crown a champ. Faruq.

Ladies and gentlemen,

it's now time for the BattleBots



[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Entering the box,

the four seed from Brazil,
Minotaur.

Knockouts in the top 16
over Witch Doctor,

Monsoon and Lock-Jaw.

KENNY:
And throughout the year,
we've seen them tinker

with the tip speed
on that drum spinner.

Holding back in certain matches,

maybe conserving
the bot just a bit.

But there's only one fight
left here, Chris.

A championship title
is up for grabs.

And I've got a feeling we'll
see Minotaur go full bore here.

CHRIS: Here comes
the three seed, Bite Force.

Knocking off HUGE
in the round of 16.

Then ROTATOR in the quarters

before disposing
of Whiplash in the semis.

KENNY: Well, Paul Ventimiglia
and Team Bite Force,

they've always been cool,
calculated, calm.

In 2018 you can add viciousness
to that team,

because every time they compete,

they have destroyed
each and every bot.

In the red square,

it's the Michael Jordan of bots.

It's all about winning.

Now trying to earn
its first title.

It never stops spinning.

It's Minotaur!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS:
Marco Meggiolaro and Minotaur

are competing in his first
BattleBots Championship final.[/i]

Daniel Freitas,
the man behind the wheel.

They have had
a great year so far.

But it'll all be for naught
if they can't win the Giant Nut.

In the blue square,

it's gone undefeated,

not a single mistake.

A path of destruction
it left in its wake.

It already has a Giant Nut.

Now it's going for two.

Just one bot left
for it rip through.

Make some noise for...

Bite Force!

[CROWD CHEERS]

CHRIS: Paul Ventimiglia
and Bite Force,

an undefeated 2018 so far.

A second finals appearance
in only three seasons.

Win or lose, this is already
one of the most

dominant teams
in BattleBots history.[/i]

Feeling pretty good,

because I got
a really good team.

The team has been
working on the robot.

Everything's tightened down.

Minotaur has a ton of power.

So the goal is out of the arena

or breaking parts off them,
or knocking them out.

We want to break
the weapon motor.

We want to break the wheels,

because we know it is very
well armored, Bite Force.

So we want to go to the
strategic points to disable it.

We gotta win this one.

It's gonna be one of the--
Probably the toughest fight

that we've faced with Minotaur.

We are gonna go for the KO.

I think this fight
will not go to the judges.

It dead either way.

ROBOT VOICE:
Robots, activate.

CHRIS: More than 100 fights
during the 2018 season,

and it all boils down to this.

Two bots,
a single three-minute bout.

A champion will be crowned.

ROBOT VOICE:
Red team, ready.

Blue team, ready.

[AUDIENCE CHANTING "FIGHT"]

CHRIS:
It is time to crown a champion

in the 2018 edition
of BattleBots.

[BUZZER]

Let the bot championship begin.

Oh!

Again, again!

CHRIS:
Huge hit! Oh!

Big shots by both teams.

Who's gonna claim
that low ground?

Again, again, again, again.

CHRIS:
Oh!

Vicious shot by Bite Force

delivered to the side
of Minotaur.

Minotaur's scrambling.

Oh!

KENNY: That was
weapon on weapon, Chris.

CHRIS: Both weapons striking.

You can hear that drum
on Minotaur firing up.

KENNY:
Oh! Huge hit!

CHRIS: Here's Minotaur right
back underneath Bite Force,

taking it for a ride.

Are you kidding me?

Back-and-forth action here
in this final match, Kenny.

KENNY: Both teams have been
able to get some low ground,

but Bite Force so sturdy.

Been able to withstand
the shots from Minotaur.

But right now, Minotaur's
primary weapon is shut down.

CHRIS: That is a huge,
huge disadvantage

because it's all about damage
created by the primary weapon.

And now Bite Force's weapon
seems to be having some trouble.

Oh, the pulverizer
just misses Minotaur.

KENNY: Well, it's gonna come
down to durability right now,

because both primary weapons
are shut down.

Minotaur trying
to push Bite Force back.

CHRIS: Trying to get
Bite Force into the screws.

Can he do it?

Minotaur has what it takes
to win a shoving match.

KENNY: Uh-oh, he's got his
primary weapon working again.

CHRIS:
Bite Force with the rope-a-dope.

That weapon is alive
and up to speed.

Oh!

A monster shot by Bite Force

on that exposed
side of Minotaur.

KENNY:
Unbelievable, Paul Ventimiglia

with the confidence
to conserve weapon power there.

He knew what he was doing
the whole time.

CHRIS: Bite Force
now trying to bully Minotaur

and throw him into the screws.

KENNY:
Pieces of Minotaur everywhere,

and he might be
knocked out, Chris.

Wow!

CHRIS: Is there any
movement on Minotaur?

Five seconds
and you're the champion.

CHRIS: The team from Brazil
looks on hopelessly.

The countdown has started.
Nine, eight...

CHRIS: Paul Ventimiglia
now seconds away.

Bite Force will be crowned
a champion.

for the second time
in three seasons.

REFEREE:
...one!

That's a knockout!
[BUZZER]

CHRIS: Bite Force
is your winner in 2018.

My God.

CHRIS:
Kenny, break it down for us.

KENNY: What can you say?

Bite Force ends its season
exactly the way it started,

and that's unbeaten.

Eight matches, eight wins.
Absolute perfection.

And this final performance
put that bot's abilities

on full display.

Back-and-forth action
to begin the match.

Some of the biggest hits
we have seen.

Minotaur pushed Bite Force
to the brink,

but eventually that drum spinner
gave out.

And from there it was all
Bite Force, our 2018 champion.

The best combat robot
in the world.

A well-deserved
return to the top

for Paul Ventimiglia
and his team.

[CROWD CHEERS]

Let's hear it
for your 2018 champion,

Paul Ventimiglia
and Team Bite Force.

[CROWD CHEERS]

I hope you've been lifting
your weights in the off-season,

because it is time right now
to bring in

the co-creator
of BattleBots, Trey Roski,[/i]

who's got a little
hardware to hand out.

Let's lift that on up.

Lift that over your head.

One more time, let's hear it
for your 2018 champion,

Paul Ventimiglia
and Team Bite Force.

[CROWD CHEERS]

[♪♪]