Hello, and welcome to the round of 16. Next week we’ll crown a new champion!

Spoiler: Ribbot (28) vs. Black Dragon (Dragon – 21)
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Ribbot had a tough season, only winning one match. But they won that one handily and also put on a solid performance in the round of 32. Dragon is the toughest bot out there (only KO’d once in 26 matches). These two fought previously. Dragon won despite being on fire for more than 2 minutes. This is as much a grudge match as a playoff match. I had this match as Ribbot vs. Ripperoni, and Ripperoni winning, so I can’t get a win here regardless.

Both bots come out slowly to build up weapon speed. They meet in the middle. There’s some sparks but no real collision. They separate, and Ribbot loses the first low ground battle as Dragon gets under them and pushes them back into the corner. However, Ribbot quickly counters, pushing Dragon into the side of the box and knocking them inverted. They then land a solid hit that knocks Dragon 6-7 feet into the air. Dragon bounces to the ground and Ribbot lands another hit that knocks Dragon back 5-6 feet… and rights them. Dragon quickly launches a counterattack that knocks Ribbot back a bit, but Ribbot pivots and hits Dragon from the side, pushing them back and grinding away at side armor. They push Dragon into the screws of the upper deck. Can they get them up? Not quite. They bang into Dragon several times (the last time knocking Dragon into the air) but can’t quite get them onto the deck. Ribbot lands another soft hit and this time Dragon counters, knocking Ribbot back a few feet. But Dragon is clearly hurt as it appears to be crab walking. They both push each other around the box, landing soft taps…until Ribbot lands a harder one that knocks Dragon back and inverted again. It’s not the hardest hit Dragon has taken this fight…but their tires aren’t moving. Ribbot backs off and after a LONG pause (17 seconds!) Dragon is counted out!

Props to Dragon. Their weapon worked the entire fight. But Ribbot was just too aggressive, landing the bigger hits and never letting up the pressure. They’ve really turned this season around. Dragon has now been KO’d for the second time in 27 fights, and Ribbot advances to the round of 8. I’m 0-1 (and was going to be regardless of the winner).



Spoiler: Lockjaw (14) vs. Witch Doctor (Witch – 3)
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Both bots KO’d their opponents in the previous round. Lockjaw took a lot of cosmetic damage but was mostly OK. Witch LOOKED OK coming out of the match, but their weapon motors took a lot of damage. We’ll have to see if that matters. My money is on Witch, as Lockjaw gets damaged too easily. Lockjaw will be running their drone Spitfire. Kenny has the over/under for a knockout at 90 seconds and is going with the under.

Both bots come out slowly (Lockjaw forks first). As they near the center Witch pivots to the right, goes backward, and is now on the other side of Lockjaw. It’s a nice move and sets up a weapon to weapon hit that doesn’t do much. However, Witch’s second hit takes advantage of those nice exposed tires on Lockjaw as it shreds one. Witch begins pushing Lockjaw around, then lands a hit that knocks Lockjaw 3-4 feet into the air… and takes out Spitfire! Yep, Lockjaw goes flying into their own drone which is now down and out! Witch continues slamming into Lockjaw, and after one hit you see Lockjaw’s weapon belt dangling from the side. There goes the spinner! Lockjaw has landed inverted beneath a pulverizer. It isn’t moving, but Witch launches one more hit and we get a great corner camera view of Lockjaw rising into the air. They land upright but appear immobile. Witch backs off and lets Lockjaw be counted out.

Can’t say I’m surprised about this one. Lockjaw has had way too many issues with their tires. They are too exposed and looking back they’ve lost at least one EVERY fight this season. Witch is showing why they’ve been a contender every year as they advance to the round of 8. And yes, the fight was well under 90 seconds. I’m 1-1.



Spoiler: Malice (17) vs. Minotaur (1)
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Admittedly I thought this fight would be Switchback vs. Minotaur. But Team Malice got some help from Ray Billings (Tombstone), the King of Kinetic Energy). It may have made the difference last fight. And to make things more interesting they’ve also gotten the assistance of Paul Ventimiglia (Bite Force) arguably the all-time champion of Battlebots (the modern version anyway). My money is still on Minotaur, but this could make things interesting. Malice has decided they are going weapon to weapon to break Minotaur’s drum.

Both bots come out slowly, then meet in the middle. It’s a solid hit as both bots go flying across the box. But Minotaur goes flying further and lands inverted. Malice then lands two more hits and Minotaur…looks like the ball in a pinball machine. It’s bouncing off rails and the side of the box! A fourth softer hit and Minotaur is up against the screws of the deck. Malice trie to close the deal but they connect weapon to weapon and this time Malice goes flying back. Minotaur is inverted but begins their gyroscopic action to right. Malice closes…and just as they get near Minotaur rights and lands a massive shot that sends malice flying across the box. Minotaur quickly begins pushing Malice around the box and gets Malice up against the deck screws. They’re helped by the fact that Malice has lost their weapon. As we reach the one minute mark Minotaur continues pushing Malice around, but Minotaur is too strong. They push Malice around as time expires.

First, hats off to Malice. They went the distance against Minotaur, which is hard for anyone to do, and for the first 20-30 seconds they dominated the fight. However, weapon reliability became a factor (and there’s a huge chunk missing from it). This should be unanimous for Minotaur…and it is. They advance, but Malice can leave with head held high. I’m 2-1.



Spoiler: Copperhead (10) vs. End Game (7)
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End Game is clearly the favorite here. Past champions and they do a lot of damage. But I have a good feeling about Copperhead this season and went with them. 3-1, and all 3 victories were knockouts (I consider Triton a knockout given what happened).

Both bots initially come out slowly, but Copperhead then rushes…and is inverted by End Game’s forks. Not a great start. They close again and End Game lands a solid hit that knocks Copperhead 3-4 feet into the air…but they land right side up. Copperhead goes weapon to weapon AGAIN and is knocked back across the box and are inverted again. This may be a long night as we watch Copperhead charge in yet again, and yet again go flying across the box (although they do land correctly). It looks like this is all End Game… except End Game’s weapon isn’t moving! Did it break on that hit or did they just shut it down for a bit? Copperhead charges in again and this time knocks some of End Game’s wedges and one fork away. Copperhead stays aggressive, grinding at the front of End Game and knocking away the small wedges. The front of End Game is completely exposed now. Copperhead gets under End Game and drives them into the corner, then pushing them to the other side of the box. They land another big hit that sends armor flying and takes out one of the lights! You can see End Game’s weapon trying to spin up, but they can’t get it going. Copperhead hits End Game again and knocks them inverted, then pushes them into the side of the deck. Somehow End Game’s righter is still working as they correct, and they charge Copperhead, trying to break the drum. They seem a bit stronger than End Game, but Copperhead pulls away and lands another hit that sends End Game flying. They land one final hit … and End Game is standing on their front end! Self-righter can’t help here, they are totally immobile…and time expires before the countdown.

10 more seconds and this would officially be a KO. As it is this fight reminds me of the Malice Minotaur fight. For the first 20-30 seconds it was all End Game. But then the tide turned, and Copperhead showed it was more durable. This should be unanimous for Copperhead…and it is. Interesting fact about Copperhead: Their weapon never stopped working this season. They asked End Game what went wrong? “We fought a drum”. Copperhead advances to the round of 8 (I called this one RIGHT!). I’m 3-1.


Spoiler: Monsoon (24) vs. Sawblaze (8)
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I had this fight as Sawblaze vs. Cobalt, but I’m OK as long as Sawblaze wins. This is a grudge match since Monsoon defeated Sawblaze in the playoffs back in Season 3. Sawblaze is definitely more maneuverable and has a better driver, while Monsoon is capable of the one hit kill. Should be fun. Sawblaze has out on some plastic top wedges that should help keep Monsoon from getting on top of them.

Both bots come out quickly. It’s easy to forget that Monsoon has one of the fastest spin-up times of any spinner out there. They dodge each other, then Sawblaze gets on the side of Monsoon and begins pushing them around. They land a blow with the hammersaw, but Monsoon pivots and lands a shot that sends Sawblaze flying! Sawblaze regroups and begins pushing Monsoon around. Their fork configuration is keeping Monsoon from riding up and landing a shot. They push Monsoon against the deck and land a shot, but Monsoon twists and lands a counter shot. We then go back to pushing. Monsoon breaks free…and gets stuck in a kill saw slot! Sawblaze lands 3 hammersaw shots, the third of which knocks Monsoon loose! Sawblaze chases and gets Monsoon hung up in a corner for a few seconds. Then takes them across the box and under a pulverizer, which lands a huge shot. Monsoon’s weapon isn’t working? Apparently not. Monsoon charges Sawblaze… and is knocked on their top. After a 10 second pause* the countdown begins. Monsoon is out!

Turns out that pulverizer hit was friendly fire. Team Monsoon controlled that one, but mistimed the hit and took out their own weapon. Sawblaze was dominating before, but this was icing on the cake. Sawblaze advances and I’m 4-1.

*I’ve been paying closer attention this episode and there are some substantially different pauses before the countdown starts (and the 17 sec and 10 sec pauses were both by the same ref). Not sure why the difference, but it could be relevant.



Spoiler: Whiplash (20) vs. Hydra (4)
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Whiplash is a better driver, especially since Hydra usually has to wait for opponents to come at them. As with all flippers this comes down to low ground. If Whiplash wins then Hydra is toast. If Hydra wins Whiplash is earning frequent flyer miles. My money’s on Hydra. But the last time these two fought Hydra lost, so it certainly isn’t a done deal.

Both bots come out slowly, and you can see Hydra hangs up on the floor just a bit. They close and Hydra misses a flip. Commentators say Whiplash should have rushed immediately after that flip, but they didn’t. Whiplash closes and Hydra misses another flip. This time Whiplash closes…and gets flipped 5-6 feet into the air. So yes, you want to attack when the flipper is up, but you have to be fast enough to get in before the flipper comes back down. Whiplash closes and this time manages to lift Hydra a bit but can’t capitalize. Hydra misses a flip, then catches Whiplash charging in and flips them back a few feet. They didn’t land hard, but they do seem to have some mobility issues. Their weapon also appears jammed…. Wow! Apparently a piece of back armor came loose and was jamming weapon mobility. Whiplash managed to rotate the arm enough to use their own weapon to knock the armor loose. Nice! Whiplash then lands a shot to the top of Hydra by reversing their arm, but Hydra counters with another flip (4). Whiplash lands upside down…and isn’t moving! Hydra backs off as they are counted out.

Honestly, this fight makes me reconsider just how good a driver Mattie is. He’s supposed to be one of the best, but he consistently mistimed his attacks. This also brings up durability questions as none of the flips seemed like they should be killers. Hydra advances (no surprise) and I’m 5-1.



Spoiler: Madcatter (Cat 22) vs. Huge (6)
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As noted in the after-show last week, Cat probably hits harder than Huge, but only if it can latch on to something solid. To help with this Cat has added the “HugePoon”. It’s basically 2 metal forks coming off the top of Cat in order to try and jam Huge’s wheels. Of course, since Huge basically attacks from the top anyway, it’s something else for them to hit.

Both bots come out and meet in the middle. Huge sends up some sparks from Cat, but Cat scores first blood by landing a shot that knocks Huge several feet back and opening a gash in one of their wheels. Huge counters with a shot that appears to knock the spout for Cat’s flamethrower off. They then land a second hit that inverts Cat. Cat self-rights but has taken damage. Cat charges back in and knocks a small piece off of one of Huge’s wheels that takes out a light! But Cat’s weapon isn’t working? It certainly seems off. Cat charges in (trying to break Huge’s weapon?) and takes another shot that sends armor flying. Cat charges in again and this time the “HugePoon” is toast as it goes flying off. Cat has no working weapons but Huge’s weapon may be damaged as well? As we hit the 60 second mark It keeps starting and stopping. Cat and Huge continue circling. They are each trying to push the other, but neither can get a solid grab. This is where we stand as time expires… and as we reach zero Huge’s weapon spins back up, showing that they shut it off to keep it from being broken.

Especially since the weapon was still working I think this should be Huge. They took some wheel damage but Cat lost all their weapons as well as some armor. It goes to the judges…and a unanimous for Huge! This is as far as they’ve ever gone before. Say what you want about Martin but he’s an extremely gracious loser. Catter had a solid season and I suspect will be in the mix next season. Team Huge is in tears with happiness. This was a bot that they were considering scrapping after last year. Now they are 6-0 and going to the round of 8. I’m 6-1!



Spoiler: Hypershock 918) vs. Riptide (2)
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This is certainly the most anticipated fight of the night. Riptide has been an agent of destruction, having a perfect season. OTOH, Hypershock is the Clown Prince of Chaos. They note that Riptide has yet to take a really solid hit, so they want to try and land one to see what happens. Personally, I’d like to see Hypershock win, but that’s not where my money is. OTOH, the builders have it 62%/38% Hypershock. During the activate stage Riptide tries mind games, charging Hypershock and stopping inches away.

The bots both come out and then… huh? Hypershock makes a mistake. Don’t know what they were trying to do, but they end up sideways. Riptide capitalizes, knocking Hypershock back and inverted, and apparently damaging a tire. Hypershock is in the corner when Riptide charges in and….

Well, remember how Jake Ewart wanted his bot Hydra to be the first bot to knock a bot to the ceiling? He won’t be! Hypershock goes flying up, missing the lights and hitting the actual ceiling! That’s 20 feet! I’d say Riptide has the record for the BIGGEST hit in the current incarnation of Battlebots. Hypershock lands inverted. They have two damaged wheels but are still mobile! Riptide chases them around the box, landing one hit that rights Hypershock, then a second that removes a wheel. Hypershock tries to counter and push Riptide, but the loss of a wheel limits traction. Riptide is able to pivot and slam into Hypershock’s side…and now both front wheels are gone. Riptide rams Hypershock into a wall and knocks them on their side, then knocks them on their back end in the corner, hanging off the rails. Can Hypershock get off?!? Well, considering we see a chain coming out the back end and Hypershock’s weapon is still working, I’m gonna say no…. And I’m wrong! Hypershock still lives! They pull off the corner and you can see that the whole left side is ripped open. Riptide quickly attacks that side, grinding away, then backs off. We can see that the loose chain from earlier is now wrapped around an axle. Hypershock is immobile and counted out.

I don’t know how this fight would have turned out without the mistake at the beginning. But it WAS made, and Riptide made the most of it. Hypershock never had a chance to get going, and their only consolation is that they were able to drive away after the biggest hit we’ve ever seen. Riptide advances to the round of 8 and I’m 7-1. Will is also gracious in his loss. “You can’t make any mistakes. I made a mistake and he took advantage of it. He won he deserves it”. There’s a surprising number of boos from the crowd for Riptide. Not the majority but definitely noticeable. It’s noted that Hypershock’s weapon was spinning down while Riptide’s was spinning up, so that was maximum possible force for that hit.



Spoiler: Road to the Giant Nut
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It’s noted that the four top seeds all advanced (Witch Doctor, Riptide, Hydra, and Minotaur). There’s talk about Copperhead being a crazy upset. I’ll disagree a bit. The underdog run, but to me it wasn’t a huge upset. I’d have put it at 60/40 myself. They bring Team End Game out for a bottopsy. End Game has a 5 gallon bucket filled with pieces from their bot. The spinner is missing a chunk. They note that the stuff on the inside was just fine and still working, but the outside was trashed. They’ve now lost two brackets to a drum spinner, so they are going to reevaluate to see how to deal with them. We get to see the internals and all the motors still function. They then bring out Will and Hypershock. He’s able to carry his missing pieces in his hands. There’s a piece of side armor that is now bent in the opposite direction from how it was on the robot. There’s discussion that the lower weight classes are where a lot of the innovation is coming from.

Kenny updated his odds. They are:
Minotaur +250
Riptide +300
Witch Doctor +550
Hydra +650
Huge +700
Sawblaze +900
Copperhead +1500
Ribbot +1600

They bring out Ethan and Jake (Riptide and Hydra). Note that these two can only meet in the finals. There’s a weapon size comparison. Riptide shows their 55 pound egg beater. Hydra brings out their 5 pound flipping tongue. Jake is happy to be on the other side of the bracket. Riptide points out that their weapon diameter is smaller than most drum spinners, but it is incredibly wide which means it is much easier to land a hit. Jake isn’t worried about fighting Ribbot, but Ethan does express minute concern about Copperhead’s toughness. Backstage Bob gets a standing ovation as he helps haul Riptide’s weapon away.



Well, next week is it. Seven matches and we’ll know who the newest giant nut winner is. I’ll list the bots in the first four matches but will spoiler the names for the last 3. See you then!