03x06 - It's a Flippin' Robot Party!

[bunniefuu]

[ELECTRIC RUMBLING]

COMPUTERIZED VOICE:
Robots activate.

[CROWD CHEERING]

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

I'm Chris Rose.

Each and every week,
the world's top combat robots

duke it out
in a contest of crush

to see who's in the hunt
to win the Giant Nut.

And speaking of crushing,
UFC star Kenny Florian

knows a thing or two
about packing a wallop.

We've got a stacked
fight card tonight.

See any fighters
you like out there, Kenny?

KENNY:
I seriously like them all.

We've got some rising stars,
some fan favorites,

and, of course,
some big-time legends.

Especially in that main event.

CHRIS:
Then let's start there,

where in 2016
runner-up Bombshell

faces off against Bronco,

the most powerful flipper
in the sport.

They're always looking
to put on a show.

Oh!
Oh!

Oh, my goodness!

This is the Bronco
we know so well.

CHRIS: That's going to be
a flipping blast.

We've also got a battle
between two Internationals,

when the Netherlands' Petunia

faces off against
the U.K.'s Monsoon.

FARUQ:
Monsoon!

CHRIS: Both of those teams
are looking to move to 2 and 0.

We've got a compelling
clash of styles

as the razor-toothed,
full-body spinner,

of Captain Shrederator

takes on the high-powered
flipper of Sub-Zero.

Fan favorite
Zoe Stevenson and Chomp

makes her 2018 debut.

KENNY:
And she's coming with

some serious new
tech on that thing.

CHRIS: Yeah, it's like
a self-driving car,

if the car also had
an autonomous 9-pound hammer

attached to its hood.

[CROWD CHEERS]

Tonight's opening
fight features two bots

looking to make their mark
in the 2018 competition.

Reality hailing from Holland,

with a vicious-looking
drum spinner.

They're led by 32-year-old
Tim Bouwens,

who has over 120 fights
under his belt.

But this marks the first time

he'll be competing
on American soil.

He'll be facing off against
Jamison Go and SawBlaze.

Faruq, show us who
we're working with tonight.

Get on in here, my man.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Ladies and gentlemen,

are you ready?

It's robot fighting time!

[CROWD CHEERING]

In the red square,

this bot will cut you
with hot steel

like you're a three-course meal.

It's time to make reservations

at T-G-die-Friday's.

It's SawBlaze!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: There's Jamison Go
with that diamond-tipped saw.

So impressive
in his first match.

I'm not sure how the bananas
a strategy for this one,

but I guess we'll
just have to find out.

FARUQ:
In the blue square,

this bot is going to hit you
with a Bohemian slapsody.

Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

Here on this fight night,

there's no escaping Reality!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: Joining us from
the Netherlands is Tim Bouwens.

He's fighting for the first time
in the heavyweight division.

What's he bringing to the table?

KENNY: Well, that thing's
got a 68-pound drum,

one of the heaviest
in the competition,

and it's exactly actually
got the weapon motor

packed right in there.

CHRIS:
Well, I guess that's one way

to protect your electronics.

SawBlaze has a very strong
circular saw,

so we've added a lot
of extra armor on the top.

It's our first fight

so we're going to hit him hard,
hit fast, drive fast.

I think we'll be fine,

but it's all about
getting the first hit.

My team's definitely
feeling pretty good.

We have momentum
after that first victory.

To get the win tonight,

we're going to take
their large weapon.

We're going to show them
that it won't work against us,

and then hit them
hard on their drum.

We're not afraid of any spinner,
and we also have KO capability.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER: Robots activate.

CHRIS: And there's
that green flame on SawBlaze.

What are you keeping
your eye on here, Kenny?

KENNY: Look for SawBlaze
to use that wide scoop

to try and bully
Reality around the box.

He wants to drop that saw,

cut into his opponent,
and flame their internals.

Reality's gonna have
to stick and move

and get at those exposed
wheels of SawBlaze.

ANNOUNCER: Red team, ready.

CHRIS: Two bots,
a single three-minute bout.

ANNOUNCER: Blue team, ready.

CHRIS: Victory will be declared
by a panel of judges

or via knockout.

As always, the ultimate goal:

to completely destroy
or disable your opponent.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: Let the battle begin.
Here comes SawBlaze.

Getting right in the grill
of Reality.

Try to take him.
Right at him at the rail.

He's right in front of us.
What's up, Rea--

Oh, wow!

CHRIS: Hey!

Now he's a fire-breathing
dragon.

Hey, hold on. Whoo!

Yeah, it's nice and toasty
over here.

Whoo! Come on.

KENNY: Get the marshmallows.
Get the chocolate.

CHRIS: But look at that,
that drum spinner's

still ready to work.

Reality trying to get
at those tires, Kenny.

KENNY: That's right, SawBlaze
wants to stay squared up here.

CHRIS: Oh, there's a shot.

KENNY: Look at that
driving by Jamison Go,

right back in position.

Uh-oh.
Oh, man!

CHRIS: Jamison Go just misses
taking Reality to the screws.

Now he's going to take
a bite out of him.

I feel like I'm in a scene from
The Texas Chainsaw m*ssacre.

KENNY: Well we're finding
out exactly why Jamison Go

was so confident.

CHRIS: Jamison Go
majored in engineering,

minored in welding,

He's got a big future this kid.

Oh!
Oh!

CHRIS: That drum spinner
on Reality,

he has got to get
to the right spot of SawBlaze,

but he can't get around him.

KENNY:
Well, every single time SawBlaze

is going right
underneath Reality.

Reality just can't get--
Oh, now he's getting underneath.

This could change the game.

If he's able to get
underneath SawBlaze,

he could start
to cause some damage.

He's just not able to get
underneath those Forks.

CHRIS: SawBlaze
scooping him up again.

And Reality almost gets
taken into the screws.

Now he's up on the screws.

More than halfway through
this opening round,

and Reality's
in some serious trouble.

Reality's got to get
himself off, and it does.

Oh, and delivers a nice shot.

KENNY:
Reality's starting to get
back into this fight, Chris.

You can see it
actually bent back

that middle fork on SawBlaze
with that last shot.

Can Reality keep it up?

CHRIS: SawBlaze has
controlled this fight,

Reality remaining aggressive.

There is just so much
power in SawBlaze.

He's just sending Reality
wherever he wants.

He takes him into the screws.
He takes him into the rails.

Has him near the pulverizer,
and here,

have a little Saw time.

Yeah!

Under a minute to go,

and now watch out
for those k*ll saws

that'll pop out of the floor.

But Reality is more
frightened of the blade

that's attacking from the top.

KENNY: Yeah, that's the most
powerful blade

in the competition.

CHRIS:
And now, he said he wanted

to cut through the drum spinner.

Let's see if he can do it.

Let's remember
that Reality's motor

is actually inside
of that drum spinner.

KENNY:
It could be vulnerable.

It looks like it's having
trouble spinning up.

CHRIS: Less than 30 seconds
to go in the round.

Reality must be thinking,
"Get me out of this nightmare."

But SawBlaze just keeps
coming back for more.

You can't escape this Reality.

Uh-oh, SawBlaze--

Oh! What a big spin-out!

KENNY:
What a hit by Reality.

Some valuable points
right there.

CHRIS: Ten seconds to go.

This one will go the distance.

Reality needs one more big shot.

They have a chance.

But SawBlaze has other ideas.

Jamison Go delivering
another powerful performance.

[BUZZER]

What an opening fight here
on BattleBots: Fight Night.

So this one will now
go to the three judges.

Special effect guru
Frank Ippolito,

gaming industry icon Naomi Kyle,

and former BattleBots
bad boy Derek Young.

They're judging on a five-point
scoring system.

One point each for strategy,
control and aggression,

and two points awarded
for damage.

Kenny, what are they
looking for here?

KENNY: Well, SawBlaze
controlled this fight

from the opening bell.

He was able to get underneath
Reality with that wide base.

And then he got
that blade involved early.

Sparks all over the battle box.

CHRIS: And then taking
Reality for a spin,

into the screws and the rails.

KENNY: So much power
so low to the ground.

CHRIS:
Time ran out on Reality.

Will SawBlaze head
to 2 and 0 on the season?

Let's find out.

The results
from the judges are in.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

The winner,
by unanimous decision, is...

SawBlaze!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: So an impressive
debut from Reality.

And for Jamison Go and SawBlaze,

we still don't know
what the banana was for,

but they move to 2 and 0.

I tell you what, out of any
bot builder here any driver,

this guy is the most confident

and most intense
out of anyone we spoken to.

CHRIS:
All right, coming up next,

a pair of European bots.

It's Petunia against Monsoon.

And later tonight,
our main event.

It's the debut of the most
powerful flipper

to ever enter the box: Bronco.

Squaring off against
the always dangerous Bombshell.

Another dream matchup coming
your way later tonight.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Up next, it's a feisty
flower against a raging storm.

Petunia taking on Monsoon.

So let's tell the story
of Thomas Brewster.

Twenty-three years old
from England,

he's the engineer of Monsoon.

After winning his first fight
here in the States,

the guy could
barely speak, Kenny.

KENNY: He grew up
watching BattleBots.

For him to come in here
and perform like he did,

the first time botting
is unbelievable.

CHRIS:
And now he is facing

another team
from the Netherlands,

Mischa De Graaf and Petunia.

This thing will bite at you
if you're not careful.

KENNY: Yeah, and they got
an upset win against Rotator.

I don't think a lot of people

thought Petunia
was the real deal,

but Mischa's proven that it is.

That thing's got


but its durability is going
to be put to the test.

Monsoon has a distinct
reach advantage in this one,

and should be able
to land its shots at will.

Both of these teams
are coming off surprising wins

to start the competition,

but only one of them
]can remain unbeaten after this.

You ready for this
internal affair?

Yeah, let's do this.
Let's get to it.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

In the red square,
it's a little bot of horrors.

Inflicting pain,

and you're about
to Suddenly Seymour.

Feed me.

It's Petunia.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
And there's Mischa De Graaf,

who makes a living
as a model maker,

building scale models
of homes for developers.

Hey, Mischa, what is this,
a home for ants?

KENNY: Are you quoting
Zoolander now, Chris?[/i]

CHRIS:
Couldn't help myself, Kenny.

In the blue square,

coming across the pond
like James Bond,

ready to send you
to double-O heaven

and leave you shaken,
not stirred.

It's Monsoon.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: Monsoon ready
to rain down the pain.

And it looks like they brought
some petunias for Petunia.

KENNY:
I think it's

A Hitchhiker's Guide
to the Galaxy reference.[/i]

CHRIS: Hey, look at us, Kenny.
A couple of movie nerds.

We're going to hold back
at the start,

wait until they approach us,

and when we're up to speed,
then we go in.

Because one thing
we've noticed

is that in their last fight,
when they accelerate,

they lift off the ground
just a little bit.

And that might be enough
to get under

and give them that uppercut.

Our strategy against Monsoon

is to grab them
as quickly as possible.

We had issues with the
hydraulics in our first fight.

We didn't go full pressure.
We fixed that.

If we grab them,
we absolutely crush them.

ANNOUNCER: Robots, activate.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: We saw Petunia's armor
hold up in its first fight.

Now we'll see
how it handles Monsoon's

single-toothed vertical bar

that gets up
to 244 miles an hour.

KENNY: Well, they defied
our expectations once.

Let's see if they can
do it again.

[AUDIENCE CHANTING "FIGHT"]

[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

[SHOUTING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin.

Monsoon, that spinner
up to 240 miles an hour

right out of the gate.

Oh! And hitting the beak
of Petunia.

KENNY:
Petunia had an early opportunity

for a hold there, Chris.

Oh! Monsoon rips off
the right wing of Petunia.

Early damage there.

KENNY: Monsoon's vertical
spinner so powerful.

Oh!

Uh-oh, Petunia.

Yeah!

CHRIS: The backside
is now trashed, Kenny.

KENNY:
Chris, there is hydraulic fluid

flowing all out
of Petunia right now.

CHRIS: We're going to need
a bot medic to fix that thing.

Oh!

KENNY:
Sent Petunia flying.

CHRIS:
I just got sprayed, Kenny.

And it's smoking too.

Doesn't Petunia know
this is a no-smoking box.

KENNY:
Oh, it's on fire.

It's legitimately on fire,
Chris, but not in a good way.

CHRIS: But look at this,
Monsoon's primary weapon

has stopped functioning, Kenny.

KENNY:
Well, this is big news, Chris.

Monsoon was looking
unstoppable just moments ago,

but suddenly the playing field
is leveled.

CHRIS:
But with that hydraulic fluid

pumping out of Petunia,
how long can it last?

KENNY:
Well, the fluid is what powers

that pinching device
off Petunia, Chris.

So the primary weapon is out,

but then again so is Monsoon's.

What a fascinating battle.

CHRIS: Right now it looks like
a pair of drunks

just stumbling around
each other in the alley,

but Petunia is now more
mobile than Monsoon.

Uh-oh, Petunia.
Uh-oh.

KENNY: Petunia,
that fire's getting worse.

CHRIS:
Maybe Petunias driving around

in order to try
to extinguish itself.

KENNY: Uh-oh,
and Monsoon isn't moving.

CHRIS: What's this?
Both bots are disabled, Kenny.

Keep moving. You gotta move.
MAN: I'm trying.

CHRIS: We're headed
for a double KO.

This is unbelievable!

KENNY: Looks like
Petunia's high-centered.

Look at that wheel.

And here comes the flames.

You got the show me
some kind of movement.

Show me you got
some kind of movement.

CHRIS: Petunia's on fire.

Monsoon is incapacitated.

What's going to happen, Kenny?

CHRIS: Oh, no!
KENNY: Oh!

CHRIS: Oh, Monsoon is moving.

Petunias going
to be counted out!

REFEREE:
Ten, nine.

CHRIS:
I don't believe it, Kenny.

Monsoon has come back
from the dead

to bury Petunia

in one of the strangest fights
that we have ever seen.

Knockout!
[BUZZER]

We brought the mayhem!

CHRIS: Thomas Brewster
and Monsoon improved to 2 and 0.

Mischa De Graaf
can't believe he's watching

his bot go up in smoke.

Well, Jessica Chobot,
she has the night off,

so Kenny's pulling double duty.

My man, take it away.

Tom, you did it again, man.
You're 2 and 0.

What was your strategy
going into this?

Well, I mean, looking at that
they had a very chunky wedge.

I mean, our last fight
with Red Devil,

it was about
half that thickness,

so we didn't really know if,
on a hit,

if it would break us
or break them.

And it broke them, so...

[LAUGHS]

And you had some
trouble at the end there.

What was the issue, you think?

I'm not even sure if it was
a bit of an uneven floor

or if I lost the left motor,

but we're going
to take it apart,

have a good look
at all the components,

and make sure we're good
for the next fight.

It was spectacular, man.
Congratulations.

Thank you very much. Thank you.
Yeah.

Monsoon!

CHRIS:
Rest of the field, take notice.

Thomas Brewster and Monsoon
and prove to a perfect 2-0

with that win, and are likely
to rocket up the rankings.

Coming up next, it's Captain
Shrederator versus Sub-Zero.

But remember, all roads lead
to tonight's main event.

Let's take a look
at what we have in store.

Oh!
Oh!

Last season, we had
the initial build of Bombshell,

and it performed way beyond
all of our expectations.

KENNY: Wow! That's what
we're talking about, Chris.

MAN 1: We were thinking one win,
two wins,

that'd be a fantastic turnout.

The fact that we made it
to the finals

was pretty mind-blowing.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Oh!

MAN 2: We got knocked out
of the competition

last season by Minotaur.

CHRIS:
Oh! The grinding!

MAN 2: Our goal is to not lose
the same way twice

as much as possible.

Every time you figure out
a new way not to lose,

you're one step closer
to winning.

KENNY:
This could get nasty.

Oh!

MAN 1:
We had to completely rebuild

after getting ripped apart
last season.

KENNY:
This is w*r, baby.

MAN 1:
But the new Bombshell is based
around our vertical spinner

from last year that we had
a lot of success with.

If you've seen
the last version of it,

we were at about 25 kilojoules
kinetic energy stored in it.

The season,
our peak is closer to 40.

That's the equivalent of being
hit by a car in a lot of cases.

KENNY:
Oh!

MAN 2:
Bronco's about 20 to 30 percent
more powerful,

in terms of its
flipping mechanism,

then it was last season.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Oh!

Everybody wants to see
robots launch and fly.

KENNY: He's sizing him up
for another one.

Oh!

It's pretty rad.
Yeah.

KENNY:
Oh! And that's it!

MAN 1: Last year,
we were less than an inch

from winning the Giant Nut.

So the whole team wants
to go that one step farther.

But I don't just want
to win the Giant Nut.

I want to make sure
we go out with a bang.

KENNY:
Oh! Right in the kisser!

We want to win fights,

and so we built a robot

that could damage
an armor-plated tank.

So if you can't
drop your robot off

of an overpass
into freeway traffic

and think it'll survive,
then you haven't built it right.

Thank you, thank you.

Just coming out of that fight,
I think we're feeling amazing.

I guess I was a little bit
surprised at how hard it hit.

How thick is your wedge?

You mean that thing in front?

MAN: That thing
with the hole in it, yeah.

The thing with the hole in it.
Very funny.

[BOTH LAUGH]

MAN: So because this is
a brand-new robot,

we don't really know how hard
it's gonna hit

until we go to a fight.

Is that where this bit came
from?

Oh, yes, look at this.

There is a piece of Petunia
has been fused, you see that?

We were missing that!

MAN:
Because we're such a new team,
a pretty unknown team,

I would of thought that people
would underestimate us.

But after those two
pretty colossal fights,

I would hope people think of us
as one of the big dogs, really.

We've got a bit off Red Devil
and a bit off of Petunia.

Now we need
a bit off Tombstone.

No, we do not.
Stop saying that.

Here we go.
A pair of desperate bots,

because they each lost their
first fight of the season.

We got Jerry Clarkin
and Sub-Zero

taking on Captain Shrederator's
Nick Nave.

KENNY:
This should be a fun one.

We've got a flipper versus
a full-body spinner.

But Jerry Clarkin's added
some extra armor for this one.

So it seems like he'll be taking
more of a defensive approach.

We'll see how it works out

when Captain Shrederator
gets spinning up to 1500 RPM.

Let's take you
inside the battle box.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

In the red square,

I hope you had
your Shredded Wheat,

because this next robot
can't be beat.

The stone-cold
serial k*ller,

Captain Shrederator.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
CHRIS: Kenny, this is

a total different-looking
Captain Shrederator

than the one that lost to
End Game earlier this season.

KENNY: They've traded out
a number of components.

Reliability was a huge issue
for them in their first fight,

and it looks like
they even replaced

the entire shell
on that thing.

Hopefully they can
turn it around here.

In the blue square...

ring-ring.

WOMAN:
Hello?

Is your refrigerator running?

WOMAN:
Yeah.

Then you'd better
go catch it.

Click. It's Sub-Zero!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: There's Jerry Clarkin.

Fortunately, he works
as an auto mechanic

outside of BattleBots.

Sub-Zero's undergone
a 60 percent rebuild

since it took a beating
from Huge in its first fight.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

We're going to set it up

where we actually drive it
in reverse.

My armor's really heavy
in the back,

and it's a flat plate.

What we're going to do
is just scoot across the arena

as fast as we can,
hit him before he spins up,

trying to keep him
below a certain RPM,

and then twist around
and then chuck him.

I'm as confident
as I can be after the last fight

because of how catastrophic
of a failure it was.

We had to swap out
speed controllers.

We had to swap out receivers.

Mess with the mixing on the
transmitter, that sort of thing.

We don't actually know
what was wrong with it,

but we fixed it, hopefully.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER: Robots, activate.

CHRIS: So, Kenny,
two teams are 0 and 1.

They've both undergone
massive rebuilds

and are looking to have
a better performance here

than in their last fights.

And if you'll notice,
Jerry Clarkin's

bringing in a drone
for his match.

That's Spitfire.

A drone that quite literally
spits fire.

Too much showboating.

[AUDIENCE CHANTING "FIGHT"]

CHRIS:
Let the bot battle begin.

Here comes Jerry Clarkin
and Sub-Zero

trying to fire up
before Shrederator

can get up to full speed.

KENNY:
Well, Sub-Zero had an early

opportunity to flip
Captain Shrederator.

He almost implemented
his plan perfectly.

Wow, that was close.

CHRIS: Oh, he's using that
budunkadunk, backing things up.

And there's that drone
Spitfire, taking flight.

Oh! And another hit
by Captain Shrederator.

But Sub-Zero keeps
coming back for more.

KENNY:
Oh! There's some sparks.

CHRIS:
Sub-Zero's primary weapon

is that flipper in front.

Oh. Speaking of flipping,

I don't think
that's what he meant.

Spitfire trying to get in
on the action as a fiery drone--

Oh, another big flip.

But Sub-Zero
gets back on its wheels.

Oh, my goodness.

KENNY: Uh-oh, Sub-Zero did
a great job of self-righting,

but you see that back piece.

That armor, that AR500 steals
about to get ripped off.

CHRIS: I'm going to need
more AR500 over here, stat.

[KENNY LAUGHING]

Oh, God, that things got
to be coming off soon, Kenny.

KENNY:
Yeah, and when it comes off--

CHRIS: Wow.
KENNY: Uh-oh.

Well, their shield is gone,

but Sub-Zero's
still standing, Chris.

CHRIS: Oh, no.

Now Shrederator
is working on the front.

Look at Sub Zero.
It's relentless.

It says, "Give me more."

KENNY: Insane impacts there
from Captain Shrederator.

Uh-oh, that's not good.

You don't want
to be Captain Shrederator

and ramming into the box.

It's not moving right now.

REFEREE:
Can you show me any movement?

You got to show me movement.
I'm trying.

CHRIS:
Uh-oh, Shrederator in trouble.

I'm gonna have to count you out
if you can't show me movement.

CHRIS:
Well, Captain Shrederator
in big trouble here, Kenny.

Sub-Zero took a lot of hits,
but he's still moving.

KENNY: Wow.

CHRIS: Oh, no!
Here comes the countdown.

And it's déjà vu for Nick Nave.

Sub-Zero had a plan, and even
though it wasn't pretty,

he got his first W
of the season.

Knockout!
[BUZZER]

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: One huge hit does in
Captain Shrederator.

And you can see
the brutal disappointment

in the face of Nick Nave.

He dominated this fight,
causing so much damage,

and then sometimes
it's just one shot

that can do in
a full-body spinner.

Kenny, Shrederator did exactly
what it wanted

for the first 90 seconds
of this fight.

KENNY:
Well, it did and it didn't.

Chris, you see, Sub-Zero's plan
was to attack from the back

and use those extra
reinforcements

to shake up Captain Shrederator.

Jerry Clarkin doubled down
on the hunch he had

that Captain Shrederator
wouldn't be able

to withstand
the multiple impacts.

He may have lost some armor,
and boy, it didn't look pretty.

But Sub-Zero stayed standing
and ultimately gets the W.

So Sub Zero moves
to 1 and 1 on the year.

Coming up, two returning
competitors face off

for their first match of 2018.

Warrior Dragon taking on the
hometown hero, L.A.'s own Chomp.

But first, tonight's rumble
features three bots

that we haven't seen yet
this year.

All have had
non-televised matches

that didn't go so well for them.

But now they've got a chance
to perform

under the bright lights.

We've got Valkyrie,
Bale Spear, and Predator.

Sounds kind of like rejected
members of The Avengers.

Let's start with Predator
and Craig Danby.

That thing's a got
a hydraulic-operated

crushing jaw with 14.5 tons
of pressure.

They'll be in the box
with Leanne Cushing's,

first-year design, Valkyrie,

with its 67-pound
horizontal disc.

And then there is Bale Spear,
led by Earl Pancoast III.

He sounds like BattleBots
royalty when, in fact,

he grew up on a pig farm
in New Jersey.

What's he bringing
to the table here?

KENNY:
Well, he's got the spear

that kind of punches out
and actually put a fist.

So I like that.
I'm cheering for him here.

Here we go.
Let's go to the rumble.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

In the red square,

she's riding into battle
on a blazing saddle.

Spin left, spin right.

She's about to take flight.

[HUMMING
"RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES"]

It's Valkyrie!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: And there's 28-year-old
Leanne Cushing.

She believes her disc spinner's
as powerful as any in the sport.

Plus, it's got a fun name:
Dr. Tooth.

KENNY:
You can't handle the tooth.

Chris?

In the blue square...

[IMITATING SCHWARZENEGGER]
...he's come back.

The Schwarzenegger of bots.

Watch your keister,

or the last words you'll hear
are "hasta la vista."

It's Predator.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
Craig Danby and Predator,

and let's forget about Faruq's
Arnold impression,

because, actually,
Craig's friends,

they like to refer to him
as the poor man's Tony Stark.

And the green square,

fresh off the farm,

here to bust your chops
like it's mowing down crops.

Rise and shine.

You're about
to c*ck-a-doodle-die.

It's Bale Spear!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
And there's our third bot

inside the box, Bale Spear.

These three bots are going to be
all up in each other's business.

I can't wait.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER: Robots, activate.

CHRIS: Will it be Valkyrie,

Bale Spear, or Predator?

Let's find out in the rumble.

[AUDIENCE CHANTING "FIGHT"]

CHRIS:
Let the bot rumble begin.

Bale Spear going right after
Valkyrie, and now rides it.

Yeehaw! Go get it!

Predator not doing
much of anything

except observing at this point.

That was quick.

KENNY [LAUGHING]:
Hell, Predator having problems.

CHRIS:
Oh, no, there goes the wheels!

KENNY:
Oh, Valkyrie just--

CHRIS: Oh, Dr. Tooth
just took out a second one.

Whoa!

KENNY:
Oh, destroying Bale Spear here.

Farmageddon, yeah!

CHRIS:
Bale Spear's down to two wheels,

but he looks like
he's just getting started.

Hey, is that fist
still attached?

KENNY:
It is. I believe it is.

CHRIS: Valkyrie with
an impressive showing,

now going after
those back wheels.

Yeah, Superman punch.
Come on, baby.

CHRIS: Predator hasn't moved
since the onset.

Oh!
Oh, wow.

CHRIS: Little bits and pieces,
Kenny. We'd better duck.

KENNY:
Now it's going for your head.

Oh, Valkyrie just destroying
Bale Spear,

but this is kind
of what he wanted.

He wanted a punch and die.

CHRIS:
That disc spinner on Valkyrie

hasn't slowed down a bit.

Get some!

CHRIS: I love Bale Spear.

The ferocity, saying,

"Bring it on. If I die,
I will go down swinging."

KENNY: Oh, man.
CHRIS: Or at least stumbling.

KENNY:
Is Predator moving?

No, still not moving.

CHRIS:
Yeah, Predator, it's nap time.

Shh. Predator's sleeping.

[KENNY LAUGHING]

KENNY:
Look at this, Bale Spear--

Oh, now it's down to one wheel.

Yeah! Get you some.

CHRIS & KENNY:
Oh!

CHRIS:
Now it's down to no wheels.

You guys got to show me
you got some kind of movement.

You got to show me
you can do something.

CHRIS:
Here comes the countdown.

Nine, eight, seven...

KENNY: I believe
it's officially over.

Valkyrie already
with that celebratory dance.

...two, one.

Knockout!
[BUZZER]

We bought the farm.

KENNY: Kudos to Leanne Cushing
and Valkyrie,

picking up its first win
of the season

in impressive style.

CHRIS:
Kenny, it sure looked like

Valkyrie made the right choice

moving to Dr. Tooth
and that spinning blade.

KENNY: Well, not only did
they make the right choice,

but they had their bot working.

And for Bale Spear,
I love his approach.

He basically just went
kamikaze-style

right at Valkyrie
and just tested that weapon.

CHRIS: One wheel gone,
then two wheels,

then three wheels,
then four wheels.

I got to give Bale Spear
some credit

for just trying to keep
it going inside the box.

KENNY: Valkyrie just
destroyed the competition here.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

This should be a good one,

as we welcome Chomp and Zoe
Stephenson back to the party.

And for Zoe, it's so important
for her to do well,

because she wants to draw
more young girls

into engineering
and bot building.

KENNY:
Well, that's right.

Not only is she bringing more
women more girls into the game,

but she's also taking
engineering to the next level.

This is probably
the most autonomous bot

we have ever seen in BattleBots.

Zoe's added a fully automated
self-righting system,

and a "keep your distance"
feature that she thinks

will help improve Chomp's
accuracy with that hammer.

She'll be taking on
Warrior Dragon,

It's got a flipper
and a spinner.

And, believe it or not,

it's actually the energy
generated by that spinner

that powers the flipper's
firing system.

Although it's a 15-year-old
design,

it's still a tough bot
to game-plan for.

Clint Ewert's
an experienced driver,

and he'd like nothing more

than to spoil
Chomp's welcoming party.

Let's go get to it.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

In the red square, Warriors,

come out and slay.

This disc-spinning baddy
will make you cry out for Daddy.

It's Warrior Dragon.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
And there we see Warrior Dragon,

so durable, so reliable.

The Ewert family has been
doing this for years.

And it looks like
they're bringing

they're mini-wedge bot, Meddler.

That'll be driven
by Clint's brother, Jake.

In the blue square,
when it eats Chinese food,

it uses Chomp sticks.

And you're about to be
General Plow Stricken.

It's Chomp.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
Welcome back, Zoe Stephenson.

She made it all the way
to the quarterfinals in 2016

before bowing out.

Chomp may look the same,

but Zoe made several
adjustments that she hopes

will take her bot
to the next level.

[AUDIENCE CHANTING]

We've changed
some stuff this year.

So instead of just having
some automatic steering help,

we have what we're calling
"keep your distance."

So Chomp will go up to another
bot and will sort of track.

So if they, you know, retreat,

we'll advance, and vice versa.

Our strategy for Chomp tonight

is to get into a distance
where we think the auto drive

will perform well,
and get the flamethrower on them

as much as possible.

I think driving
is one of my strengths.

It comes from years
of preparation.

You know, it really
doesn't matter

what type of robot I have.

I can usually control it

and use that
to control the opponent.

I think Chomp's biggest weakness
is its center of gravity.

That's where I've got
to control the matches,

get it on its side,
and then, hopefully,

chew at the bottom
with the ring spinner.

ANNOUNCER: Robots, activate.

CHRIS:
Well, Kenny, the stage is set

as these two teams
make their final preparations.

And for Zoe this year,

she's added yet another
wrinkle to her strategy.

That's Kaleem,
a volunteer from the audience

who Zoe's chosen to run the
pulverizer hammers for Chomp.

So, Kaleem, no pressure.

But if you don't get it done,

then no kid will ever get to
leave the audience ever again.

[AUDIENCE CHEERING]

And let the bot battle begin.

Little Meddler
trying to get under Chomp,

who's already spewing fire
and taking a shot.

KENNY: Perfect timing on
that flip from Warrior Dragon.

CHRIS: And look at Chomp
just gets right back over.

KENNY:
Yeah, and it can do that,

because the robot
itself recognizes

when it's not upright.

So it'll actually flip itself.

CHRIS:
Chomp's always innovating.

Oh, big swing and miss by Chomp.
Back on its side.

KENNY:
Nice hit, now Warrior Dragon

using that full-body spinner
on the backside.

CHRIS: Oh, and it also has
that flipper in the front.

Of course,
it's activated by a spring.

KENNY: Chomp really
struggling here, Chris.

Not sure that new
self-righting mechanism

is doing what
it's supposed to do.

Warrior Dragon
slams Chomp to the floor again.

CHRIS: Clint Ewert
is doing an incredible job

maneuvering around Chomp,

staying to its backside and
avoiding that primary weapon.

Chomp really hasn't delivered
one crushing blow

with that hammer.

It just keeps getting flipped
over and over and over again.

KENNY:
Warrior Dragon smoking here.
This is not a good sign.

CHRIS:
Yeah, that flipper's stuck
in an upright position, Kenny,

right in front of us now.

KENNY: Warrior Dragon
with a perfect opportunity

to flip Chomp onto the screws.

He just can't get the job done.

CHRIS: Now trying to use
the battle box to his advantage.

It's got Chomp
nearly up on the screws.

Let's see if he can
push it up there.

KENNY: That flipper is
definitely not operational now.

a big break for Zoe and Chomp.

CHRIS: And that mini-bot
just got underneath Chomp.

I think she might
be high-centered.

We're not moving.

REFEREE: You got to show
some movement, guys.

Try the hammer.

CHRIS:
Whoa!

Chomp gets itself going
by using that hammer.

KENNY: And this is kind of how
Chomp did well in 2016.

It compounds
with these comebacks.

CHRIS: If only she could
stay upright, Kenny.

I'm just sitting,
I'm not holding.

CHRIS: Under a minute to go
in the fight,

so the k*ll saws are active now.

Chomp has got to do something
with a flaming hammer.

It has to land at least
one shot to impress the judges.

KENNY:
Well, Chomp can't land the shot

if Warrior Dragon
stays underneath it.

CHRIS:
Great driving from Clint Ewert,

showing his experience.

KENNY: He's taking advantage

of how long it takes Chomp
to self-right.

Let's see if Zoe
can turn it around.

Taking it to the screws.

Taking a shot to the side.

Right in the ribs
with the k*ll saw.

Under 30 to go in the bout.

KENNY: Well, Warrior Dragon
putting on a clinic here, Chris,

exploiting all
of Chomp's weaknesses.

And Kaleem still hasn't
gotten a shot in.

Come on, Kenny,
you get out there.

Put your head under that hammer.

Now, with 10 seconds to go,

can Chomp make one last
impression with the judges?

Throw that hammer, Chomp.

Throw it, give us one hit.
Come on, Zoe.

[BUZZER]

Boy, a disappointing start
there for Chomp,

which maybe didn't land
even one solid shot all match.

It goes to the judges now.

Well, the opening hit
by Warrior Dragon

was just about the hit
of the match, Kenny.

KENNY: That's right, Chris.
Chomp landed on her side.

And for the next three minutes,
that's kind of where she stayed.

Obviously some major issues
with her righting technology.

Zoe will be really disappointed,

but let's not take anything
away from Warrior Dragon.

Great driving from Clint Ewert.

He didn't give Chomp an inch,

and made her pay
every step of the way.

CHRIS:
Let's get the judge's decision.

Down to Faruq.

We have a split decision.

Judge Derrick scored
the battle in favor

of Warrior Dragon.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Judge Naomi scored the battle

in favor of Chomp.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Judge Frank scored the battle

for the winner...

Warrior Dragon!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: Well, I didn't expect
a split decision,

but nonetheless,
Warrior Dragon moves to 1 and 0.

KENNY: And for Zoe Stephenson
and Chomp,

it's back to the drawing board.

Kenny, we are ready
for the main event.

We got Bronco
taking on Bombshell.

Let's start with Bronco, Kenny.

One of the great flippers
in the history of the sport,

and now one
of the favorites in 2018.

KENNY: For me it's not
one of the greatest flippers,

it's the best flipper
in the game, extremely powerful.

Again, their pneumatic
weapon system

is the crème de la crème.

And this year,
it's 30 percent more powerful.

They've added new armor
to protect those exposed wheels,

because, as we saw
in 2016 campaign,

that might just be Bronco's
only Achilles' heel.

CHRIS:
There's no more wheels left!

KENNY: And on the other side,
we've got Bombshell.

It's a fast bot with


It's also got a powerful weapon,

and that wedge system on the
front is built to absorb hits.

However, the question is,
can it handle being flipped?

We saw in their first
match that they struggled

to self-right when
their weapon goes down,

So keeping that spinner going
will be a major key out there.

Bombshell. Bronco.
Let's get to it.

Ladies and gentlemen...

time for tonight's main event.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: And we get
a good look at Bronco.

With that new
armor configuration

we've been told about.

What's the strategy there,
Kenny?

KENNY: Well, this is an idea
that Reason says

actually came to him in a dream.

They've had some trouble with
vertical spinners in the past,

and these ribs are meant

to keep their opponents
at a distance.

If you'll notice
they're ski-tip designed.

They should be able to absorb

and actually minimize
the force of hits

Bronco's taken out there.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

It was a disappointing start
to the 2018 season

for the southern all-stars.

What do they have to do tonight?

KENNY: I think
it's all got to come down

to their driving, Chris.

Bronco's flipper
just so powerful.

They'll want to get around
to its sides,

attack its wheels,
and, hopefully,

put Bronco's new armor
to the test.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

In the red square,
from San Francisco,

if it were a rock band,

it would be the Hateful Dead.

While you're trippin',
it's flippin'.

Bronco!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS: Xander and Reason
of Team Bronco grew up

in the same apartment complex
in Sausalito, California.

Flash-forward 40 years,

and now they have one
of the most notorious

combat robots in the world.

FARUQ:
In the blue square,

this bot looks like
a military plane,

but its powerful spinner
will drive you insane.

You'll end up in the dust

feeling concussed.

It's Bombshell.

CHRIS: And there's
Michael Jeffries with Bombshell.

He's been competing since 2006.

And in his free time,
he hosts various classes

and workshops on robot fighting.

Unfortunately,
I'm still on the wait list.

Season debut for Bronco.

Bombshell, a finalist in 2016,

looking to avoid
an 0 and 2 start.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER: Robots, activate.

CHRIS: Bronco and Bombshell
getting fired up.

Who you got in this one, Kenny?

KENNY: You know, it's hard
to pick against Bronco,

but listen,
Bombshell's the real deal.

A win for either
one of these teams

would mean a lot for their
ranking moving forward.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER: Blue team, ready.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[AUDIENCE CHANTING]

CHRIS:
Let the bot main event begin.

Both drivers circling around,
changing positions.

And now Bombshell on the attack,

trying to get to the side
of those tires.

KENNY: Nice defensive
driving there from Bronco.

We're seeing the speed
of Bombshell.

Oh!

CHRIS: And it's Bronco that
gets flipped in the air first.

KENNY: Outstanding aggression
from Bombshell early on.

Oh!

CHRIS: And Bronco takes
itself into the screws.

KENNY: So far,
those ribs are holding up.

Bombshell really
hasn't been able to get

a proper attack
to the side, though.

Doing a good job
of getting underneath there.

CHRIS: Both bots living
up to the hype so far, Kenny.

Neither backing down.

You feel like each
is just waiting

for their moment to pounce.

Now he's got to the side,
and he flipped him!

On him, on him.
Out of the ring.

CHRIS:
And Bombshell is on its head.

KENNY:
That's as perfect of a shot

as you're going to get.

CHRIS:
Bronco lining up Bombshell.

People in the first row
getting ready.

Bronco can smell blood.

Watch out!

Gonna get his self-righting
mechanism.

Bronco trying to get him
out of there.

And he does it!

KENNY: That shot up
about 8 feet in the air!

That is going to be it!

Ten, nine, eight...
CHRIS: Ladies and gentlemen,

it's been worth the wait.

Bronco is back,

and he is bigger, badder
and more dangerous than ever.

Knockout.
[BUZZER]

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
This crowd is up on its feet.

And why not?

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Bronco, the star of the evening!

Kenny, down to you!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

KENNY:
Xander. Congrats, man.

First, good to see you here,
man.

Unbelievable driving.

First, what were your thoughts
on this fight?

Oh, we knew it was going
to be a good fight.

It's a tough machine.

And they did a really good job
putting it together.

So it went pretty well
for us, yeah.

Was this almost
too quick for you?

No, we're happy
when they end with

the other robot
out of the arena.

That's pretty much our goal.

It was amazing.

Now, you shot that bot
probably, like,



Is that what you expect every
time you guys come here?

I mean,
that's what we hope for.

We've got Bronco turned up
a bit higher this season,

so we're getting
about 30 percent more power.

So hopefully, you know,
we'll keep doing that.

What do you guys
expect from the season?

It's going to be rough.
It's going to be rough for sure.

Whoever wins it's gonna
earn it, so, yeah.

You guys always
bring exciting fights.

Congratulations.

Thank you.
Awesome, well done.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

CHRIS:
Well, we told you at the start

that Bronco might have something
special in store for you.

Let's take one more look
at that incredible finish.

Oh, my goodness.

KENNY:
Unbelievable.

I mean, what a start
to 2018 for Bronco.

They set a bot higher
than I think I've seen

any bot ever be up there
in the battle box.

So Bronco improves
to 1 and 0.

Two teams tonight
improved to 2 and 0.

SawBlaze and Monsoon,
led by a pair of 20-somethings.

They'll both be bots
to be reckoned with.

KENNY: Absolutely,
and their dark horses

in this competition.

Once again, for Faruq
and Kenny Florian,

I'm Chris Rose.

We'll see you next
time on BattleBots.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]