It was a four-wheeled, box-shaped robot which, as with most Inertia Labs robots, was armed with a powerful pneumatic flipping arm which boasted almost three times the power of the team's Comedy CentralBattleBots superheavyweight champion Toro. Bronco was a crowd favorite in the first season, throwing robots such as Witch Doctor and Stinger: The Killer Bee around and even out of the BattleBox effortlessly. Bronco made it to the semi-finals, before being defeated by Ray Billings and Tombstone in spectacular fashion.
Bronco during World Championship II hero shots.
For World Championship II, two models of Bronco were built, with the then-latest build designed for handling powerful spinners. The redesigned Bronco was longer than the original incarnation and had six wheels instead of four. A number of alternative armor configurations were introduced by Inertia Labs to counter different weapon types, including an angled rear wedge for horizontal spinners and a pair of top-mounted guards to protect the main chassis from axe and hammer blows. Bronco beat Blacksmith, Chrome Fly, and Razorback before being picked apart by Team RioBotz and Minotaur in the quarter-finals.
Bronco during World Championship III hero shots.
Returning for World Championship III, Bronco once again went through some much-needed modifications. The chassis remained roughly the same shape, but the robot returned to four-wheel drive with a set of interchangeable armor configurations. One included wheel guards on the back wheels only, with another featuring a series of metal pieces on either side, named by Inertia Labs as 'pwangers'. The default pwanger setup was often used against opponents armed with vertical spinners. A third configuration - used to counter overhead weapons - also included additional top armor panels along with a set of pwangers, these being modified from the original World Championship I wheelguards.[1] Bronco's launcher this season was stated to be 30% more powerful than in its 2016 appearance. Most of the robot's logos - along with the accents on the flipper arm - changed from black to red, though the machine would maintain its plain metal finish. Despite the power in the weapon and interchangeable armor pieces, it fell in the quarter-finals again after its electrics to the wheels gave out in its bout against Whiplash.
Bronco during World Championship IV hero shots.
Bronco returned for the 2019 season largely unchanged, sporting new rubber wheels and wedgelets on the front of the machine. This proved to be Bronco and the team's worst season to date, as it lost every single fight and failed to make the post-season tournament with its 0-4 record.
Bronco's hero shot during BattleBots: Bounty Hunters.
In a podcast, Inertia Labs announced that Bronco was not returning for World Championship V, marking the first televised season that the team would not participate in. Bronco did, however, take part in BattleBots: Bounty Hunters. It was the bounty holder for the first two episodes of the discovery+ show where it lost to the bracket winner, ROTATOR. Originally, Team Inertia Labs announced during the spin-off that they would return for World Championship VI with a rebuilt version of their iconic flipper design, but this did not materialize and parts of Bronco were sold on eBay in late 2021.
In June 2023, it was revealed that Bronco would join the current fleet of robots starring in the live show, BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon.[2]Triton team member and live show crew member Sam Gallagher confirmed that Inertia Labs had donated their still-functional robots to BattleBots, still bearing damage from its previous regular season fights. As such, Bronco would not receive specially-designed ShowBots. Its return to action came during the June 21 show, where it fought OverKill and won by knockout. During the Sunday show that same week, it took on Chopper.
During an episode of the Skorpios Builder Blog in January 2024, team member Reason Bradley confirmed that the team have no intention on bringing Bronco back to BattleBots.[3]
Bronco being tested in the BattleBox in June 2023.
Bronco in Las Vegas after being acquired for BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon in 2023.
A hero shot of Bronco with its top armor equipped during World Championship III.
Bronco's anti-spinner 'pwangers'.
Bronco preparing to launch Gamma 9 into the dumpster.
Bronco in The Pits during World Championship II.
Bronco backstage during BattleBots in 2015.
An exploded CAD of Bronco, produced by Brad Sykes.[4]
Bronco's first ever BattleBots match came against Witch Doctor.
Bronco flips Witch Doctor.
The Inertia Labs flipper immediately got underneath the side of Witch Doctor, tossing it through the air. The vertical spinner landed inverted but reversed into the wall and managed to right itself against the BattleBox.
Bronco becomes stuck on top of Shaman.
Briefly caught under the spiked barrier, Bronco suddenly became vulnerable. Witch Doctor struck the back of Bronco, and Shaman fired its flamethrower. This hit freed Bronco and allowed it to drive away to the middle of the arena. There, Shaman drove towards the back end of Bronco and scorched its underside, high-centering the flipper until Bronco fired its weapon and escaped.
"The little bot is doing a great job against that powerhouse, Bronco."
— Kenny Florian heaps the praise on Witch Doctor's minibot
Witch Doctor is counted out.
Witch Doctor dealt two glancing hits to the side of Bronco, but was otherwise unable to capitalize on its opponent being stuck. Bronco recovered and wasted no time getting underneath Witch Doctor again, throwing it upside-down. This time, Bronco forced Witch Doctor into the screws where it was snagged and hauled onto the augers.
Bronco turned its attention to Shaman, but this proved irrelevant as the main robot was immobile and being counted out. Bronco won by knockout in under a minute and advanced to the Round of 16.
Bronco vs. Plan X
In the Round of 16, Bronco faced Plan X and its solid bar spinner. Prior to the fight, Lisa Winter doubted that Bronco would be able to flip it due to its large dimensions, while Bronco's Reason Bradley also expressed concerns about the power of Plan X's primary weapon.
Plan X is immediately thrown over.
Both robots initially darted around the BattleBox, eventually meeting in the center. Bronco took the opportunity to throw Plan X on top of the screws and actually succeeded, instantly stranding it upside-down as it was eventually pushed on top of the hazard.
Chris Rose: "What in the world is Plan X gonna do?! It's just getti- This could be it early!"
Kenny Florian: "Well, we have our answer! Bronco flipping Plan X right into the screws..."
— Chris and Kenny react as Plan X is immobilized
Plan X is counted out.
This attack also destroyed the casing for Plan X's 'brain', which detached and fell into the space behind the screws.
Plan X was promptly counted out and Bronco advanced to the quarter-finals.
Bronco quickly got underneath Stinger, flinging it back with its first flip of the fight. With its second, Bronco inadvertently threw itself onto the screws. It quickly drove across two pairs of augers before throwing itself upside-down and eventually self-righting.
Bronco flips Stinger.
Stinger began to activate its flamethrower and got its forks underneath the side of Bronco, but could not take advantage as the killsaws cut into its underside. Stinger then got its central fork stuck in one of the slots, allowing Bronco to attack and land a flip on Matt Maxham's robot.
Stinger is thrown out of the arena.
After positioning itself, Bronco drive Stinger back and tossed it into the air. With its next flip, it managed to throw Stinger over the barrier and out of the arena. This win put Bronco through to the semi-finals.
Bronco vs. Tombstone
Bronco with its elongated flipper.
Here, Bronco took on the No.1 seed Tombstone. Inertia Labs decided to extend the length of Bronco's flipper, in hopes that it would be long enough to flip Tombstone before it struck.
The first hit between both robots.
In the beginning of the match, Tombstone got its blade up to speed as Bronco moved to the corner of the BattleBox. Both robots slowly moved toward each other, and Bronco struck first, flipping Tombstone onto its back. Tombstone then got a hit on Bronco, which caused it to miss its next flip.
Both robots fly away on impact.
Bronco tried to get underneath the left side of the flipped Tombstone, but it missed and took another hit from Tombstone's spinning blade. This hit damaged the left side of Bronco enough to cripple that side, so it could only move in circles.
"The damage is really starting the pile up on Bronco..."
— Kenny Florian as Tombstone causes further damage
Tombstone strikes Bronco's wheels.
Tombstone then tore the right-side wheel guard away from Bronco, who retaliated by popping Tombstone into the air. Bronco managed to flip Tombstone one more time, but the collision between the two robots ended up knocking Bronco onto its back. After seven attempts, Bronco managed to flip itself back onto its wheels, but it took a massive hit from Tombstone, which ripped the front right wheel off of Bronco. Tombstone delivered one more hit to Bronco, immobilizing it completely. While Bronco tried to get moving again by firing its flipper, it was unsuccessful and it was counted out.
Tombstone continues to attack.
As Bronco was being counted out, Tombstone started spinning its blade and Bronco flipped itself back onto its feet. Tombstone gave Bronco one more hit and sent Bronco flying to the corner of the BattleBox.
Tombstone's self-destructive final hit.
This hit also sent Tombstone bouncing across the arena and its batteries came loose from the exchange.
World Championship II[]
Bronco vs. Blacksmith
Bronco's first match in World Championship II was against Blacksmith. For this battle, Inertia Labs removed Bronco's wheelguards from the previous season and fixed them to its top plates in order to absorb blows from its opponent's hammer.
Blacksmith attacks Bronco, but is immediately flipped.
Both robots were slow to start as they sized one another up, but it was Bronco who hunted Al Kindle's robot down, trying to flip but narrowly missing. Blacksmith retaliated with a near miss of its own before Bronco drove its flipper underneath the back corner of Blacksmith's frame and tossed it into the air.
Bronco throws Blacksmith again.
Blacksmith landed upright but was quickly thrown around again. A third flip in quick succession saw the flaming hammerbot land awkwardly on the screws before using its weapon to become free.
"Bronco just tossing Blacksmith around like a ragdoll!"
— Chris Rose after Bronco's series of flips
Bronco flips Blacksmith.
Bronco continued to hunt Blacksmith down as Al Kindle's robot looked to find space, but its weapon was struggling to ignite. Despite this, Blacksmith was able to meet Bronco head-on and capitalize on a missed flip by striking Bronco and following this up with a pulverizer shot. The unfazed Bronco immediately responded by overturning Blacksmith again and its hammer head fell off in self-righting.
Blacksmith continued to swing its now-broken weapon at Bronco, causing minimal damage but showing aggression as the fight wore on. Not to be outdone, Bronco again got underneath Blacksmith's front plow and launched it in the corner. The pulverizer landed a shot to the top of Blacksmith, though it continued to run in a strong showing of reliability.
"Bronco's just throwing everything at Blacksmith. What's it gonna take to knock this bot out?"
— Kenny Florian praises Blacksmith's durability
Bronco's knockout flip.
Now past the 1:30 mark, the fight had moved to the center of the arena and Bronco used its momentum to launch Blacksmith into the Lexan of the BattleBox, landing on the housing for the screws before trying to use its weapon shaft to slide back onto the steel floor. However, Blacksmith was now stuck on the arena and Bronco retreated in anticipation of a count.
Bronco celebrates its win.
In celebration, Bronco flipped Blacksmith's broken hammerhead into the roof of the BattleBox as Blacksmith was counted out, eliminating it as Bronco continued on.
Bronco vs. Chrome Fly
As the No.2 seed, Bronco drew No.31 seed Chrome Fly in the Round of 32.
Chrome Fly destroys itself, with help from Bronco.
Chrome Fly got its weapons up to speed as Bronco reversed into it, not wanting to take any early risks. One of its own blades then tore into Chrome Fly's top armor, exposing its wiring and leaving the robot immobile. The Inertia Labs machine backed into Chrome Fly again, causing one of its bars to fly away and the other to stop functioning. Bronco spun around to lead with its primary weapon, getting underneath Chrome Fly.
"Take 'em out."
— Alexander Rose of Bronco instructs Reason Bradley to flip
Bronco's final flip.
Bronco launched Chrome Fly, causing its opponent to twist through the air. A second flip saw Chrome Fly land upright, but sat atop the arena wall. Inertia Labs opted to leave its opponent stranded on the railing as Bronco turned its attention towards their drone.
"Oh my goodness... get outta here!"
— Kenny Florian as Chrome Fly is immobilized
Chrome Fly immobilized on the railing.
Chrome Fly's drone lay helplessly on the BattleBox floor, but Bronco was unable to land a flip on its considerably smaller target, instead shovelling it and debris from Chrome Fly around the arena as a count began on George Matus' machine.
Bronco won by knockout with just a minute gone and continued on in the tournament.
Bronco vs. Razorback
Bronco advanced to the Round of 16, where it faced the No.15 seed Razorback.
Bronco led with its rear and negated Zack Bieber's early attacks. It kept its plow pointed at Razorback, as the drum spinner looked to get to its exposed wheels. The second seed then got underneath and drove Razorback across the arena as its spinner made contact with the floor.
Razorback rides up Bronco's wedge and is flipped.
Bronco slid its plow underneath again, causing Razorback to deflect against the arena wall and onto its flipper arm. The Inertia Labs bot fired its weapon, using it like a front-hinged flipper as it threw Razorback into the screws. A mistimed charge saw Razorback drive into the hazard again before attacking and then driving over Bronco.
Bronco's final flip.
As it tried to chew at the plow again, Bronco delivered an uppercut to Razorback which saw it overturned once more. This attack also appeared to disable its primary weapon. The pair separated and as they collided one final time, Razorback was sent twisting through the air. Bronco followed this up with a punch which saw Razorback land on its side.
Razorback is counted out.
Unable to self-right from this position, Razorback was counted out and Bronco advanced.
Bronco vs. Minotaur
This win put Bronco to the quarter-finals. Awaiting Inertia Labs was the No.7 seed from Team RioBotz, Minotaur.
Bronco takes damage to the underside from Minotaur.
Unlike in its previous two fights against spinners, Bronco began the match with its flipper facing its opponent as it got underneath Minotaur, but could only manage a tame flip which did not overturn its opponent. Minotaur's response was to get Bronco's side and chew at the middle-left wheel before driving it around. With minimal damage inflicted, Bronco landed a second flip on its opponent - this time overturning Minotaur - as Kenny Florian expressed surprise at the former Giant Nut winner's plan to be aggressive and meet the Brazilian drum spinner head-on. Bronco got underneath again but could only muster a weak flip; its primary weapon was lacking in power. Minotaur used its weapon to gyro back over before battering its drum against the right-side wedge of Bronco and buckling he front wheel on that side.
Bronco loses two wheels in quick succession.
Minotaur remained aggressive as Bronco showed its other flank to the Team RioBotz machine, allowing Minotaur to capitalize and tear away its left-rear tire. This was quickly followed by the entire wheel immediately in front of it, leaving Bronco with just a single wheel on that left side.
"Minotaur's popped a wheel off... OH and another! Bronco's down to four wheels. He's lost two like my ol' Chevy in Ohio!"
— Chris Rose
Minotaur inflicts further damage to Bronco.
Bronco dealt a defensive flip to Minotaur as it attempted to continue its assault, landing upright and curling up the blade of Bronco's flipper before grinding against its underbelly. Now past the 1:30 mark, Minotaur rammed from the side, driving Bronco over the killsaws and tearing the hub away having already stripped Bronco of its tire moments prior. A third wheel was torn off soon after - this time on Bronco's right-hand side - and a fourth came away from its hub to leave the Inertia Labs machine with no left-side wheels now. By this point, Bronco's right wedge had also seen its front plate ripped away as the other was still attached, but buckled and bent. A wounded Bronco now had to use its flipper to aid in its mobility, but was vulnerable as Minotaur attacked its rear plow before taking it to the pulverizer.
"Watch out Bronco because I think Minotaur wants to open up a tire store! That's FIVE!"
— Chris Rose as Minotaur tears a fifth wheel from Bronco
Minotaur's assault continues.
Bronco loses its sixth and final wheel.
Minotaur's drum continued to pick Bronco apart, removing a fifth wheel. It then carried the No.2 seed to the middle of the arena, where it suffered a final attack which cost Bronco its one remaining wheel as it lay dormant in the opposite corner.
"THERE'S NO MORE WHEELS LEFT! THIS IS IT!"
— Chris Rose as Bronco loses its last wheel
Members of Team RioBotz pumped their fists into the air while referee John Remar began his count, eliminating one of the tournament favorites as Minotaur moved on at its expense. Post-fight, the team diagnosed an issue with an air valve which formed part of their flipper mechanism.
World Championship III[]
Bronco vs. Bombshell
Bronco pops Bombshell into the air.
Bronco disposes of Bombshell.
Bronco's first match in World Championship III was against Bombshell, where it entered the BattleBox in its 'pwanger' configuration to ward off blows from Chaos Corps' vertical spinner. The match started out evenly as Bronco was having trouble overcoming Bombshell's ground clearance, allowing Bombshell to land some hits. Eventually, Bombshell hit Bronco and nearly flipped it over. Bronco retaliated by flipping Bombshell over and into the corner where Bombshell could not move. Not satisfied with this, Bronco launched it twice more, with the second flip launching it out of the arena for an instant knockout win.
Bronco vs. Lock-Jaw
Bronco tosses Lock-Jaw into the air.
Bronco's next match up was a rematch from the 1999 Long BeachBattleBots event, as Inertia Labs faced off against Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw. Once again, it ran in its anti-spinner 'pwanger' configuration, offering added protection against the weapon of Hutson's machine. The match began rather evenly as both robots were unable to make a decisive move against their opponent. Bronco took a hit from Lock-Jaw, but remained upright and mostly undamaged. However, Bronco took advantage of Lock-Jaw's sudden driving issues by tossing it, losing its front flipper plate in the process. Lock-Jaw landed upside-down, but still in the arena, so the match continued. Both bots were seemingly having drive issues, but Bronco persisted and threw Lock-Jaw again, this time even higher than before. However, Lock-Jaw still remained in the arena and struggled to drive against the screws. Bronco pushed Lock-Jaw up on the screws, but Lock-Jaw got off and escaped. The rest of the match was mostly neither robot making a move against the other. Time ran out and the judges awarded Bronco a 3-0 unanimous decision.
Bronco vs. DUCK!
Bronco sends DUCK! skyward.
Bronco flicks DUCK! out of the arena.
Bronco's third match of the 2018 season put it up against DUCK!. In the absence of spinners, Inertia Labs entered their machine in its regular armor configuration with rear wheelguards. When the match began, Bronco struggled to get underneath DUCK! and only ended up tossing itself. Bronco tried again and again, only succeeded in throwing itself into the air, losing a piece of itself from the screws in the process. DUCK! continued to circle around and finally Bronco managed to toss it into the air, but it was too far from the arena wall to throw it out. After some more maneuvering, Bronco missed another flip and ended up on its back where it quickly self-righted. Bronco missed one last time before getting underneath and throwing DUCK! onto the screws in front of the judges where it was able to throw it over the arena barrier for an instant KO.
Bronco vs. SawBlaze
Bronco's armor setup to face SawBlaze.
SawBlaze is flipped by Bronco early on.
SawBlaze's tires become damaged from repeated Bronco attacks.
SawBlaze traps Bronco near the Lexan wall.
Bronco's next opponent was SawBlaze. For this match, Bronco added its top armor to its 'pwanger' configuration for additional defense against SawBlaze's saw. The match was off to an even start for Bronco as both robots were a bit tentative to come at one another. Bronco made the first move by tossing SawBlaze through the air and SawBlaze landed in such a way that its saw arm was not tucked in. Bronco threw it again and took sparks from SawBlaze's arm in return. SawBlaze tried to retaliate, but it was nearly thrown into the screws. Bronco missed a flip on SawBlaze before moving back into the center of the arena. Eventually, Bronco got another flip in that threw SawBlaze into the arena Lexan, causing some damage to that layer of Lexan. Bronco then found itself being shoved around, but used its flipper to escape. Both robots then got stuck together for several seconds before Bronco was able to get free. As the match began to wind down, Bronco and SawBlaze got stuck together once more and Bronco got one more flip in before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Bronco.
Bronco vs. WAR Hawk
WAR Hawk lands a shot on Bronco.
Bronco gets WAR Hawk stuck in the screws.
Up next for Bronco was the No.15 seed, WAR Hawk, again switching back to the anti-spinner 'pwanger' configuration. When the match began, both robots were cautious to approach for several seconds until Bronco turned to the side and took a hit from WAR Hawk. Bronco continued to fight and after lots of maneuvering, tossed WAR Hawk onto its back. WAR Hawk used the arena to self-right and Bronco took another hit from it. Bronco then got WAR Hawk on to the screws, which ground away at WAR Hawk until they got free. However, by this point, WAR Hawk had no mobility left and while WAR Hawk was being counted out, Bronco went after one of the minibots and threw it into the air.
Bronco vs. Whiplash
Whiplash pins Bronco against the wall.
With WAR Hawk eliminated, Bronco won by knockout to advance to the quarter-finals where it faced No.10 seed, Whiplash. Once again, Bronco went with its anti-spinner 'pwanger' configuration, but this proved to be a mistake. When the match got underway, Bronco faced pressure from Whiplash as it was being pushed around the arena and up against the arena barrier, where it was lifted up and thrown onto its back. Bronco was able to self-right, but Whiplash was right there waiting for them and Bronco was shoved around again. Bronco tried to free itself, but it was unsuccessful before Whiplash let it go. Bronco finally threw Whiplash over, but Whiplash quickly self-righted and was back on the attack. Bronco was attacked once more up against the arena barrier but when it was released, smoke began to pour out. Bronco tried to use its flipper to delay the count out, but it did not work and they were eliminated from the tournament.
World Championship IV[]
Bronco vs. Bite Force
Bronco's flipper is destroyed by Bite Force.
Bronco finally gives in to Bite Force's onslaught.
Bronco started off the 2019 season with a match against two-time champion, Bite Force. For this fight, Bronco went with its anti-spinner 'pwangers' and two front forks to hopefully protect itself against Bite Force's attacks. The match began fairly evenly as Bronco and Bite Force were rather cautious. Bite Force struck first and Bronco was late in firing its flipper and lost the tip of its flipper as a result. Bronco pressed on and looked for an opening but Bite Force kept on them and began shoving them around. Bronco persisted and lost one of its anti-spinner pwangers as a result. Bronco was then shoved into the arena barrier before getting briefly stuck on the arena floor. Bronco continued to fight and lost a tire before smoke began to pour out. This didn't seem to affect Bronco much as they fought a little longer before they stopped moving near the arena barrier. Bronco was counted out with 12 seconds left in the match, giving Bite Force the win by KO.
Bronco vs. Free Shipping
Bronco's flipper breaks.
Bronco is torched by Free Shipping, its broken flipper having snapped off completely.
Bronco's next opponent was Gary Gin and Free Shipping. This was the team's first encounter with the Inertia Labs machine, but was aired after the re:MARS all:STARS encounter. Following their brawl with Bite Force, the tip of Bronco's flipper was reinforced. The match began pretty evenly with both robots unwilling to make the first mistake However, Bronco missed with its flipper twice, the latter causing its own flipper arm to buckle inwards in a shape similar to that of Toro, ironically, rendering it useless. After another collision with Free Shipping, Bronco was shoved into the screws by Free Shipping and lost the use of its flipper completely as the damaged section broke off. Bronco tried its best to outmaneuver Free Shipping, but time ran out. The judges gave Free Shipping its first win of the 2019 season by way of a unanimous decision.
Bronco vs. HUGE
Bronco successfully launches HUGE.
0-2 Bronco now had to take on the returning HUGE. To protect from overhead attacks, Bronco was fitted with top armor and sported a curved piece of metal at the top of the flipper dubbed the 'Unicorn Horn' to allow the flipper to reach HUGE's frame.
A dead bronco is saved by the bell.
HUGE smacks against Bronco.
Bronco quickly took damage from HUGE's weapon, causing part of the top armor to detach at one end. Bronco then got under HUGE and was able to push it around a bit before losing the rest of that section of top armor. Bronco then got in a flip on HUGE, but HUGE's design prevented it from suffering any damage. Bronco continued to fight, but was taking the worst of the impacts, having done a full barrel-roll by HUGE's spinning bar. In the final seconds, Bronco ground to a halt right in front of the judges and took a few final hits from HUGE. The judges awarded HUGE a unanimous 3-0 decision, pretty much eradicating any hopes for Bronco's Top 16 journey.
Bronco vs. Hydra
Bronco lands on its back.
Bronco launches itself into the air after getting flipped upside-down.
Bronco wedged on the sidewall.
Still winless, Bronco was now facing newcomer Hydra from Team Whyachi. In response, Bronco was armed with a smaller set of 'pwangers' and the flipping arm from The Matador which also had a filed-down tip. As the match got underway, Bronco was immediately thrown into the air but landed upright. Bronco then took another flip that also left it upright. By the third flip, Bronco was flipped over but quick to get back over. Bronco took yet another flip but still seemed to be unfazed by the impacts. After a final flip, Bronco was up on its side with its flipper wrapped around the shorter Lexan wall. With no way to get down, Bronco was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO.
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019)[]
Bronco vs. Free Shipping
Bronco was one of ten robots which fought at re:MARS all:STARS in 2019, a unique livestreamed event hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada prior to the premiere of World Championship IV, but filmed three months later. In its first and only battle, it took on Gary Gin and Free Shipping, and featured curved metal additions to its front in order to keep its opponent's wedges at bay.
Free Shipping gets underneath Bronco.
Bronco was quick to gain an advantage as Free Shipping's wedges were caught on the BattleBox floor. This allowed it to get to the left side of Free Shipping and throw it, but Gary Gin's machine landed on its wheels. Bronco then misfired, with the power of its flip great enough to throw itself over. It quickly self-righted, but landed on top of Free Shipping, which drove it around while trying to ignite its flamethrower. Bronco used its weapon to escape, landing inverted for a second time before righting itself next to the screws.
Free Shipping fires its flamethrower.
With its flamethrower now in play, Gary Gin's machine jostled for position, charging down the front of Bronco before leaving itself open to another flip. Free Shipping landed upside-down on this occasion and used its lifting arm to recover. An oncoming Bronco drove over the wedge of Free Shipping, which shot a burst of flame across the arena in response.
Free Shipping is thrown around.
Bronco retaliated with more aggression, however, delivering two powerful flips in quick succession before lining its opponent up and launching it into the corner. The landing proved enough to damage the housing for Free Shipping's flamethrower weapon, which was still functional despite the barrage of attacks from Bronco. The pair met head-on, locking horns as both robots were overturned. Bronco was quickest to self-right, while Free Shipping used its exposed wheels to drive away and tip back upright with help from its opponent.
Bronco hurls Free Shipping into the corner.
Free Shipping is caught in the screws courtesy of Bronco.
Its lifter raised, Free Shipping led with its hinged wedges but was caught out by Bronco, which arm slid underneath and launched Free Shipping into the screws. Free Shipping was unable to escape, and was counted out as Bronco took the win by knockout.
Bronco vs. Witch Doctor
Bronco was selected by the crowd to compete against Witch Doctor in the event's final. This was coincidentally a rematch from the 2015 season, which Bronco previously won. Inertia Labs kept the side-mounted 'pwangers' for this battle.
Bronco's early driving mistake is punished.
As both bots met in the middle of the arena, Bronco oversteered and offered its side to Witch Doctor. This resulted in Witch Doctor ripping the right-front tire clean off almost immediately. Bronco was still able to turn to face Witch Doctor after this, keen to keep its front pointed at its opponent. However, a mistimed flip caused the Inertia Labs machine to leap high into the air, throwing itself over and landing inverted. It quickly flipped again and righted itself, but not without taking a shot from Witch Doctor's dual-disk spinner.
Witch Doctor's assault on Bronco.
Once upright, the injured Bronco was slow to react and left its other flank exposed. Witch Doctor closed in, tearing off both left-side pwangers and an entire wheel in a single attack. A brutal follow-up saw Bronco spin violently into the wall and buckled the leading edge of its flipper. Bronco had little to offer at this stage, opting to reverse into Witch Doctor and charge at it plow-first. This proved unsuccessful as the nimble Witch Doctor quickly maneuvered to Bronco's side again, striking the plow before removing its rear-left tire. Bronco was left unable to move after it was discarded near the screws.
One final Witch Doctor charge confirmed Bronco was no longer moving, and referee John Remar began his count. As such, Bronco finished runner-up at the 2019 re:MARS all:STARS event.
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters[]
Bronco vs. ROTATOR
ROTATOR takes on Bronco.
As a legendary bot, Bronco's only match was against bracket winner ROTATOR. The battle was was off to a very poor start for Inertia Labs as the bolt on the top corner of their weapon sheared when they fired the weapon, disabling it for the remainder of the fight. This left Bronco with only its back end to defend with and it was able to minimize the damage it took from its opponent. However, Bronco soon had its left side wheel guard torn open and eventually lost it completely but was unable to truly take advantage of ROTATOR's predicament on the screws from the attack. With ROTATOR back, Bronco had little else to do but take the punishment but managed to get ROTATOR hung up with the pulverizer as time ran out. The judges awarded ROTATOR the victory and a piece of $25,000.
This would prove to be Bronco's final televised appearance in BattleBots, as Team Inertia Labs donated their still functional robots to BattleBots for the Destruct-A-Thon live shows.
BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon[]
Bronco vs. OverKill (Exhibition)
Following its acquisition by BattleBots, Bronco fought one more time under the control of Inertia Labs - during the June 21, 2023 BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon show. In an exhibition battle, Bronco took on a modernized version of Christian Carlberg'sOverKill built especially for the live shows. For its final appearance under the Inertia Labs banner, the legendary flipper bot was driven by Reason Bradley.
"It's pretty much the original Bronco, not a whole lot of modifications into him. It's got the strongest rams that we have, everything's turned up as much as you can turn it up, so hopefully it puts on a good show."
— Reason Bradley introduces the robot to the Destructathon audience
When the battle began, both bots moved away from the starting squares. Although Bronco rammed and pushed OverKill several times, it struggled to line up a flip on the slippery thwackbot due to traction issues and OverKill's unusual shape. After nearly thirty seconds of jockeying for position, Bronco finally delivered a flip, launching its opponent nearly eight feet in the air. OverKill struggled to recover, unable to escape before Bronco delivered another flip which sent the ShowBot tumbling onto the Upper Deck. Bronco moved into the short corner to block OverKill's escape, but the thwackbot instead chose to drive over the screws to freedom.
"Bronco, so much power, HE gets up in the air!"
— Bil Dwyer expresses amazement at Bronco's missed attack
Bronco's next attempt to launch OverKill resulted in the flipper bot flinging itself into the air, but it easily recovered and landed a shot that sent the thwackbot tumbling through the air. OverKill attempted to attack with its swinging blade, but Bronco flipped it on its face in retaliation. The two danced for a few seconds with neither getting the upper hand, but eventually Bronco flipped OverKill again, causing it to land on its blade.
Easily controlling the pace of the battle, Bronco boxed its opponent in near the driver's box, flipping it twice more. As the match entered its final minute, Bronco flipped OverKill on its side against the rails, beaching the ShowBot hhand preventing it from escaping. As referee Sean Bryan began to count out OverKill, Bronco lined itself up and flipped OverKill up and over the sideline barrier, winning its final career fight by ringout at 2:44.
Bil: "It was a little hard for you to get under OverKill, it seemed like."
Reason: "Yeah, yeah, definitely. They have the little ramps in there, so we could run a wedge in there, but you run the risk of getting caught up in the floor so we opted to not do that. So it takes a little more time to get underneath him, but we eventually got there."
— Bil and Reason discuss Bronco's difficulties lining up flips after the match
Results[]
BRONCO
World Championship I
World Championship Tournament #4 Seed, Semi-Finals
* Bronco has fought numerous times against Chopper at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon, but was not operated by Inertia Labs in these fights and are omitted from Bronco's overall win/loss record as a result.
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"Its got more bucks than Mark Zuckerberg. If you're placing bets, let 'em ride on BRONCO!"
"At this rodeo, no one lasts more than eight seconds. Get ready to get flipped. It's BRONCO!"
"To bring this bot down, you need a bigger posse than Justin Bieber. Call in the cavalry! Here comes BRONCO!"
"Hickory, Dickory, Dock! You're about to get clocked! Here to bring the end of times. It's BRONCO!"
"Saddle up for the wild horse of pneumatic force. Go flipping crazy for BRONCO!"
"If it were a constellation, it would be called The Big Flipper. You're gonna see stars! It's BRONCO!"
"This bot goes bareback, unsaddled but never rattled. It's BRONCO!"
"From northern California, where they only know two things: steers and gears, it's time for a showdown at the KO Corral. It's BRONCO!"
"From San Francisco, if it were a rock band, it would be The Hateful Dead. While you're trippin', it's flippin', BRONCO!"
"This bot is so scary, it could be on Danger Things and send you flipping upside-down, they're about to turn it up to 11. It's BRONCO!"
"Once, doce, trece, catorce, you don't want none of this horsey. Say hasta luego, it's BRONCO!"
"They're the masters of the flipping universe. Their pistons pack a punch. They make other bots lose their lunch. It's the kings of fling, BRONCO!"
"It's the rodeo king, you're the rodeo clown and we all know how this'll go down. Here to cause some bleeding, the always stampeding. It's BRONCO!"
"Last round, it sent the Hawk flying into the screws. Stand in its way and you're the next to bruise. Meet the heavyweight horse, BRONCO!"
"It's from the city by the bay, the land of Rice-A-Roni. Get ready to meet this not-so nice-oppony. You're about to get San Francisco Beat. Ding ding, it's BRONCO!"
"It's the bucking bronc from the San Francisco bay. Think you can last all of eight seconds? Folks be like neeighhh! It's BRONCO!"
"Brace yourself, you're about to get bucker-punched. This bot's the win, your bot's the fail. If it's the alpha, you're the airmail. It's the original pony wreaks-press, it's BRONCO!"
"When it flips and kicks, you'll be through. This is one tough buckaroo. It has no flaws, it breaks laws, and it shouts out yee-haws! This is one horse box, BRONCO!"
"This bot is an aggressive destruction machine, impressing opponents since they stepped on the scene. Just the sight of it is enough to strike fear. Then it launches you straight into the atmosphere. It doesn't give a flying flip about you because that's exactly what it came here to do. Give it up for BRONCO!"
Merchandise[]
Any appearances by Bronco in merchandise are listed below:
Bronco was one of three BattleBots robots to appear in a Pizza Hut commercial in 2015, alongside Stinger and Lock-Jaw.
The flipping arm on the original Bronco was actually a spare from the team's heavyweight, The Matador.
Bronco was the first competitor to throw another robot out of the arena during a televised BattleBots competition,[Note 1] doing so against Stinger in World Championship I. In World Championship III, Bronco got a second out of the arena flip against Bombshell, making it the first robot in BattleBots history to have achieved this twice.
Bronco only used its normal configuration once in the entirety of World Championship III.
Bronco was the only robot in World Championship III to have all four of its undercard matches as Main Events.
It was also the only robot to be featured in a Main Event two episodes in a row, when it fought HUGE and Hydra in Episodes 12 and 13 of World Championship IV respectively, losing both.
Bronco featured in the cold open for Episode 14 of the 2018 season, where it was shown using its flipper to toss Gamma 9 into a dumpster.
In World Championship III, Bronco was the only seeded bot to not feature a spinning weapon.
Bronco's battle history on the BattleBots website lists its match against Minotaur twice.
Bronco was the first robot in BattleBots history to follow up a 4-0 season with an 0-4 season.
![An exploded CAD of Bronco, produced by Brad Sykes.[4]](/wiki/File:Bronco_CAD_Exploded.jpg "Bronco CAD Exploded.jpg (134 KB)")
