BattleBots

So often inside the battle box, these matches are decided by the skills of the driver.

Will Bales with his bot hyper shock is one of the greatest drivers in the sport.

In fact, he won the Best Driver Award in 2016 and that gives him a huge advantage every time he enters the battle box.

So Chris, nothing will.

Wow, he really can drive anything.

Ooh, might have to ask for that award back.

Hey everybody, Ed is welcome to Battle Box Fight Night.

This is the show that takes rock'n'scock'n robots to its deadly conclusion.

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

Thanks Chris, I actually tried to enter this year's competition, but I couldn't make way.

Or get that flame thrower installed in time.

But the action inside the battle box is heating up regardless.

Tonight's main event features Lockjaw and Bronco two contenders with top category inside the box, driven by Masters of the sport.

It's going to be an all-out brawl, especially since Lockjaw is battling with its back against the wall.

After two tough fights already this season, tonight's match might be its most important one yet.

Yeah, let's take a look at Bronco, Alexander Rose, and Reason Bradley are looking hot after their first fight.

Sending bombshell nearly 15 feet in the air with that flipper.

They've upped their power for this year, and it's awesome watching action.

And check out the rest of this electric fight card.

We've got the devastating Dutch drum spinner, reality.

Ready to rip the beak off a duck.

And we've got Mr. Miami Vice himself.

Will Bales and Hypershock looking to sink his teeth into a 250 pound cheeseburger with a bacon-shaped horizontal spinner, battle royale with cheese.

Plus, which doctor looks to unleash their voodoo magic against the Jersey boy with the flaming hammer, Al Kindle, and Blacksmith?

After stumbling out of the gates this year, both of these teams are willing to tear the other apart to keep their tournament hopes alive.

But let's kick off the action tonight with what could be a dazzling display of kinetic energy.

Warrior Dragon with their combination full-body spinner and flipper, squaring up to Victor Soto and the deadly double-spinning blades of rotator.

Which one of these spinners will end up winner? We'll find out shortly. Fruit! Get on in here.

The world is yours, my man.

Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready? It's Booth of the Fiend Town!

The World's Best!

And the Red Square. Warrior, the magic dragon lived by the sea. And it fralloped in a fiery mist. In the land called, please help me.

It's Warrior Dragon!

Team Warrior Dragon is one and only after a win against Chomp. Looking pretty relaxed here. The lawn chairs, a deadly robot, and a drone. Just another weekend at the lake.

And the Blue Square. You say Rotado? I say Rotado. No matter how you say it, this bot will mash you up. It's Rotado!

Rotator is sitting at one and one on the year with a loss to Petunia, but a win in an un-televised match versus predator.

They've swapped up their discs for the blades you see there. That should allow for more surface area to strike Warrior Dragon at due damage.

The idea is going to be to stay aggressive and then hopefully just ram them hard enough so that either is blade or is motor weapons burn up over the course of the time.

So in the first minute it's going to be a lot of big hits I would assume, mostly from him. But hopefully the last two minutes I can take over and driving skill will come into play a little bit there.

They have a heavier weapon, so they would overpower our drivetrain and potentially back-traver motor. And that could fry our electronics pretty easily.

So we're going to spin in the opposite direction so that it's more of almost like a climbing cut. They do have a very tanky robot, so I don't think we'll be able to get to the inside, but we may be able to knock something loose.

So we're going to spin in the opposite direction.

We're going to spin in the opposite direction.

Jenny sounds like we're going to see a lot of hits in this one.

And I like how Rotator is changing the direction of their blades. That means they'll be rear-ending Warrior Dragon instead of taking a head-on collision.

So let's spin in the opposite direction.

Let's debot battle begin. Rotator already on its move and taking a shot.

And another as well. And another. Looks like that top plate is not competing on Rotator, Jenny.

Yeah, that is by design. Rotator only needs to spin that bottom blade to make contact.

Oh, and there's another big collision as the drone watches on.

Oh, another match is back for the shots.

Chris both bots executing their game plan so far. Rotator has that blade working and Warrior Dragon is happy to meet Force with Force.

Big sparks. Nice shot there by Warrior Dragon. And the drone trying to get in.

Well, that blade on Rotator working overtime, Chris.

Oh, there's a big hit there.

Yeah, both bots being aggressive, but Rotator is shaking a little now.

And now that back part of Warrior Dragon is not spinning, but check out the drone trying to get involved with that flame.

Now Rotator started that top plate, Jenny.

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

Look at this. It's going to get drone involved.

Oh, yeah. That drone can burn up.

Oh, oh, oh.

That drone channeling ignorance flying a little too close to the side.

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

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

This is some next level driving here from the York client and Warrior Dragon.

He's spinning Rotator up against the box here.

Rotator hasn't been able to go.

Oh, the Holmerizer.

What's up?

Oh, dang it fits. This is not a Rotator.

Nice use of the battle box there by Warrior Dragon.

So it's seen both bots, not 100% right now, Chris.

Warrior Dragon's losses primary weapon.

Now just relying on the driving skills of Clint Ewer, he's got Rotator pinned.

He can hold him there for a little while then he has to let him go when he does.

This is a brilliant strategy. He's taking precious time off the clock here,

not allowing Rotator to get any hits going.

He'll sauce now functional with under a minute to go.

Oh, Warrior Dragon's smoking right in front of us.

This is exactly what Team Ewer was afraid of.

Warrior Dragon burning up his motors here.

Well, he's moving just a little, but check out Rotator.

That primary weapon's back.

He's got a free shot on Warrior Dragon, if he can just move.

Are we heading for a double KO Kenny?

Neither bot has been stationary long enough, Chris.

Well, both bots are on the canvas trying anything to show there's no functional.

Can somebody make one final push?

Oh, watch out for the Kill Swabs Warrior Dragon.

Not a great place to lose power.

Oh, here comes Rotator.

Rotator, flipping toward Warrior Dragon.

Oh, big hit there, under 10 to go.

Too late for a countdown in what's been a tactical battle.

A real seesaw fair and look at Rotator, spinning like he's winning.

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

And here they are.

Derek Young, the former Battlebots bad boy from Mythbusters Grand Imahara

and our old friend from Battlebots 2015 season, Bobbick Fudauci.

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

How are they going to break this one down?

Well, as promised, both teams came out aggressive, resulting in some great action.

The way I see it, Warrior Dragon won the control battle, really pushing Rotator around the box

and pinning him very effectively.

But Rotator came on on top of the damage category, getting the better of Warrior Dragon with that bottom blade

and knocking out their primary weapon.

That's a powerful statement for the judges.

We have a split decision.

Judge Bobbick scored the battle for Rotator.

Judge Derek scored the battle for Warrior Dragon.

Judge Grant scored the battle for the winner.

Rotator!

Rule number one in Battlebox, Kenny.

If you want to make sure you win, don't let it go to the judges.

Well, for Victor and Rotator, it doesn't matter how you get it, a win is a win and they move to two and one.

Coming up next, the youngest driver in the field.

13-year-old Hannah Rucker makes her season debut as she leads duck into battle against reality.

And later tonight, it's our main event, two of the sports biggest legends.

Broco and Lockjaw, facing each other for the first time since 1999.

It's all happening tonight on Battlebox.

Welcome back to Battlebox.

Tonight, the hits keep on coming as reality attempts to lay the smackdown on Ducks.

Coming into this fight, Ducks is won and won with a win in a rumble against free shipping and Mecca rampage.

He'll be taking on Tim Bowing and reality from the Netherlands, who are Owen Won and looking for their first Battlebox win.

Reality's Ducks spinner weighs 68 pounds and as we saw against Soblay's, it packs a punch even in a loss.

And Ducks really only has that five pound beak on the front, but his shortbought with a powerful drivetrain gives him an advantage in a shoving match.

Also behind that beak is a 30 pound steel wedge.

He'll be looking to use that wedge to absorb its realities from keeping away from his wheels and get his beak under reality.

Let's go inside the Battlebox.

And the Red Square from Holland, if it were a beer, it would be a dinerkin.

You're about to be black out junk here to pour it on its reality.

There's reality and the all-star team of Ducks engineers that had a lot of success in lighter weight classes hoping to get their first heavyweight win here tonight.

And the Blue Square got a robot you need beaten. He'll take a quack at it. Under estimating this spot is just plain daffy.

Hal Rucker standing alongside his 13 year old daughter Hannah, Hal takes care of the driving while Hannah handles the weapons.

In order to get a win tonight, I think we have to control the fight because we don't have a big nasty weapon.

We're all about manipulation and control and being able to last and also just going for it and ramming into their weapon directly to try and break it.

He's very well-built or about built like a brick.

We tried to stack him against the wall, tried to feed him into the screws.

Rip off his wedge, rip off his wheels, we'll just beat the duck out of him.

Move on to the end.

There's a good look at that drum spinner on reality. That thing is no joke.

At Chris, but you heard how he's not intimidated. He wants to invite contact, break that drum spinner and capitalize.

Let the battle begin.

The reality is trying to get around back and duck. Instead, faces him head on.

A lot of energy in that drum spinner.

Oh, gives duck a shot right to the beak.

Great driving from reality.

And again.

But this is how strategy says, I'm going to hit my face into your fist as much as I can.

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

It's protecting Dow. Big hit there and another but duck taking the punishment.

How frustrating this must be for Tim Biles.

Oh, somethings came off of. Was that duck it was?

Yeah, reality is picking off those tires. That's what we were talking about Chris.

Oh, another huge hit. That back right wheel is gone.

Oh, and now duck.

Facing the screws but gets away. Good driving, how's the hooker?

The reality with another blow to duck. Both bots sticking to their plants.

But you have to say reality is ahead of the moment being the aggressor.

Reality doing a nice job going on the attack.

One for four in the fire.

The fire department nice shot there.

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

Wow.

Spashing into a reality almost flipping.

Duck is not backing down. Nice hit there for reality.

Able to get underneath the wedge.

Able to get a nice lift on duck. Oh, duck better protect that other tire.

I'm impressed that duck is.

Oh, reality is down.

Having a problem with the drive train.

Oh, oh.

Can you show me any kind of movement?

Oh.

90 seconds to go.

Tim Biles bot has got to show some sort of movement or it'll get counted out.

Dan.

Nice.

Can reality power back up?