Not to be confused with the American robot of the same name which competed at the Las Vegas 1999 event.
"Minotaur is the heaviest robot of Team RioBotz and the first Brazilian BattleBot. It represents all the experience gathered along since 2003, to fulfill our original dream of competing at BattleBots."
Based around the team's highly successful Touro Maximus, a robot which previously won the STEM Tech Olympiad in 2014 and placed 1st and 3rd in RoboGames 2015 and 2016, Minotaur features a highly destructive drum spinner, weighing between 60 and 70lbs depending on the robot's configuration. The drum could originally spin at up to 12,000rpm, and is powered by two Scorpion outrunner motors.[2]
"Minotaur's the deadliest drum spinner in the world. It has a 70lb drum that spins at 12,000rpm. When Minotaur charges into the opponent, it throws it into the air, and it breaks it to many pieces."
— Marco Meggiolaro during World Championship II
However, this was later reduced to 11,000rpm to comply with the 250mph tip speed limit imposed in later seasons. Minotaur's chassis was made from CNC-machined from an 8" block of 6061-T6 aluminum, with a mix of steel and titanium making up the armor. Team RioBotz could also fit wedges or smaller wedgelets, sometimes referred to as 'scoops', underneath or either side of the drum to help force opponents into their primary weapon.
Minotaur driver Daniel Freitas has been part of the team since their debut season, and has driven drum spinner robots of various weight classes since 2007, earning him the respect of fans and fellow competitors as the number one driver in BattleBots. Despite the team's vast experience and success with the Touro series of robots, Minotaur was a completely new build made in 2016 specifically for World Championship II. Minotaur did very well in in its debut season, scoring back to back knockouts against Photon Storm and Blacksmith before decapitating the experienced Warhead in the Round of 16. It then systematically removed Bronco's wheels in the quarter-finals, but fell short of the finals after Bombshell bested it in the final four.
Minotaur during World Championship III hero shots.
For World Championship III, Minotaur kept the drum spinning at 11,000rpm, but sported a few visual changes. The LED lights which doubled up as eyes were gone, and the robot now had a bronze colored drum. Minotaur impressed again, qualifying for the tournament bracket after going 3-1 in the Fight Card rounds, with its only loss coming from then-defending champion Tombstone. Team RioBotz went one better than in World Championship II, losing out to former Giant Nut winner Bite Force in the Championship final and finishing runner-up as a result. The team later found out that the plates of 6061-T6 aluminium they've been using since the previous season came from a suboptimal supplier, resulting in a more brittle chassis.[3]
Minotaur during World Championship IV hero shots.
Minotaur returned for World Championship IV, gaining an edgier profile and larger diameter drive wheels.[4] Its drum had also been reworked to include larger teeth for improved bite. As a trade-off for its redesigned primary weapon, its pulley ratio had been altered to remain under the tip speed limit. As such, Minotaur's drum now spun at 9,000rpm. Minotaur struggled in its opening battles, losing its first two matches to Whiplash and Gigabyte. After entering the Desperado Tournament, Minotaur had a sudden swing of fortune, winning against Lucky and End Game, but lost out to Black Dragon in the final. It managed to make the Top 16 by defeating Shatter! and Cobalt, then beating Hydra in the Round of 16. However, Minotaur lost to DeathRoll in the quarter-finals and was eliminated from the competition.
Team RioBotz's Daniel Freitas announced that Minotaur would not compete in World Championship V due to travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Minotaur during World Championship VI hero shots.
After a year away, Minotaur returned for World Championship VI. However, Team RioBotz captain Marco Meggiolaro would not be attending due to conflicting schedules. Captaincy was handed over to teammate Carlos Junior while Daniel Freitas returned as Minotaur's driver, despite suffering personal tragedy in the off-season, losing both his mother and grandmother to COVID-19 in a short space of time. The robot now had more options to help feed opponents into its 220mph primary weapon, including longer hinged forks. Aesthetically, the top and rear armor now sported new sponsor logos and the drum itself also featured the logo of AGVs, one of the team's main sponsors for 2021. The team began their fourth BattleBots year with a rough loss to SawBlaze in the first televised fight of the 2021 season, before chalking up an emotional first win of the season against rookie team Dragon Slayer. Entering the bracket, Minotaur defeated Bloodsport before managing to dethrone End Game in the Top 16, guaranteeing a brand new Giant Nut winner. However, Minotaur was eliminated at the hands of eventual runner-up Witch Doctor in one of the show's most controversial battles.
Minotaur during World Championship VII hero shots.
On September 22, 2022, Team RioBotz posted a shipping crate labeled 'Minotaur' with the caption "see you soon @BattleBots", also inferring their inclusion into World Championship VII.[6] This was later backed up by the team on Instagram.[7] They were subsequently confirmed to compete by BattleBots themselves, with Minotaur receiving the sixth seed in the Pre-Season Power Rankings. Though its drum now spun at 220mph (8000rpm), the weapon itself was heavier. Minotaur picked up where it left off in the previous season by winning its first three qualifying battles, including one over the reigning champion, Tantrum. Minotaur defeated Witch Doctor in a rematch from the previous season to earn the No.1 seed in the Top 32, but fell in the final eight to eventual champion SawBlaze.
In direct response to their Top 8 loss, Team RioBotz announced their intent to apply for World Championship VIII in a Reddit AMA, stating they would be bolstering Minotaur's top, bottom and rear armor to better combat hammer saws.[8] However, their application is yet to be officially confirmed. At BattleBots Proving Ground, Minotaur fought Claw Viper twice on April 11-12, 2024, as well as Lucky and Traves T. on April 13-14 respectively. It picked up three wins and earned the inaugural Giant Washer for being the most destructive robot during All Star Week.
Minotaur on display during BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon ahead of its fights.
Minotaur in the blue square during World Championship VI.
Rear view of Minotaur with its new Perficient sponsor logo.
Minotaur ahead of the 2018 season.
Minotaur with its VEX Robotics and HEXBUG toys.
Side view of Minotaur during World Championship II.
In March 2021, Minotaur and Team RioBotz featured on the Brazilian talk show The Noite com Danilo Gentili.[9]
Minotaur on The Noite com Danilo Gentili.
Team RioBotz show off Minotaur.
Robot History[]
World Championship II[]
Minotaur vs. Photon Storm
Minotaur's BattleBots debut was against Team Storm and their entry, Photon Storm. For this battle, Team RioBotz equipped Minotaur with a thin strip of metal to feed the British bot into the path of its weapon.
As the fight commenced, Minotaur rode up the front of Photon Storm momentarily before turning to power up its drum spinner. It then maneuvered to the right side of Photon Storm, tearing away its decorative feather-like armor.
Photon Storm crushes into Minotaur's wheel well.
Photon Storm remained close to Minotaur as it turned away, capitalizing on Daniel Freitas exposing the Brazilian bot's vulnerable back end. Photon Storm sunk its crushing arm into the right-side wheel well of Minotaur, which could not escape.
"Get out of there!"
— Minotaur captain Marco Meggiolaro instructs Daniel Freitas to escape Photon Storm
The final hit between Photon Storm and Minotaur's spinning drum.
Due to the pinning rules, Photon Storm was forced to release Minotaur. The Team RioBotz machine quickly fled before slamming into the side of Photon Storm again, buffeting against its armor. Ed Hoppitt's crusher had a chance to grab Minotaur again, but it was too slow to crush and the drum spinner escaped.
Photon Storm is counted out.
As the fight moved to the center of the arena, Minotaur dealt an almighty blow to Photon Storm's front which popped it into the air and caused sparks to fly. An exuberant Team RioBotz celebrated as this hit caused terminal damage to Photon Storm, damaging its battery, both drive motors and the hydraulic line powering its primary weapon, which now lay limp in a closed position.
The referees acknowledged Photon Storm was no longer mobile so counted it out, giving Minotaur the win by knockout.
Minotaur vs. Blacksmith
Minotaur advanced to the Round of 32 with its No.7 seeding, where it faced the No.26 seed, Blacksmith. The team equipped Minotaur with two small feeder wedges to guide Blacksmith into the path of its primary weapon.
Blacksmith begins on the front foot.
Minotaur held back as Blacksmith gingerly approached, allowing the Brazilian bot to get its drum spinner up to speed. Blacksmith had to evade the charging bull as it looked to land an early hit on Blacksmith, whose flaming hammer had ignited. Al Kindle's robot misfired its hammer but was able to drive to the side of Minotaur, pushing it into the red starting square as Daniel Freitas looked for an opening. It was Blacksmith which landed the next attacks, however, as it drove Minotaur back into the spiked rails, narrowly avoiding the pulverizer, and then into the screws.
Minotaur pops Blacksmith into the air.
Minotaur then landed its first attack of the fight, chipping away at the edge of Blacksmith's front plow. This was followed up by a strike to its front, launching Blacksmith into the air and peeling away from the leading edge of its wedge. Blacksmith misfired its hammer several more times, allowing Minotaur to grind down Blacksmith's front and flip it over.
Blacksmith's plow is ripped off.
Though Blacksmith recovered, it was on the defensive again as Minotaur pushed it back. The 12,000rpm drum spinner continued to attack from Blacksmith's front, which allowed Al Kindle's team to land a blow to the top of the Brazilian bot. As it flailed its hammer in search of a second hit, however, this allowed Minotaur to attack its opponent's underside and overturn it for a second time. Blacksmith self-righted but was now in the corner, so Minotaur continued its assault on its front. This resulted in the defensive plow being torn away completely.
"Blacksmith's had its face ripped off - are you KIDDING me?!"
— Chris Rose
Minotaur causes further damage.
Now at the halfway mark, Blacksmith landed several hammer shots in succession before finding itself driven back into the screws by Minotaur. As it hit the flat top of the Team RioBotz heavyweight several more times, the very next attack from Minotaur tore away its front armor protecting the weapon mechanism. With the front of Blacksmith completely unprotected, Minotaur was relentless as overturned Al Kindle's robot again before striking its sides and deforming Blacksmith's chassis.
Blacksmith loses its hammer head.
Minotaur popped Blacksmith into the air, then bullied it into the screws behind the blue starting square. As Blacksmith attempted to mount a counter-attack, its hammer head broke off, leaving just its shaft to swing helplessly.
"Minotaur just pulverizing Blacksmith now!"
— Kenny Florian as Minotaur seeks a knockout
The final attack on Blacksmith.
Smoke began to emit from the helpless Blacksmith, but it kept on driving. Minotaur drove to its front and sparks flew as it grazed against Blacksmith's exposed frame, pushing its opponent back all the while. Blacksmith erupted into flame as the extent of its damage became apparent.
The remains of Blacksmith.
A knockout was called and Minotaur advanced to the Top 16.
Minotaur vs. Warhead
Next up for Minotaur in the tournament was No.23 seed, Warhead.
Warhead immediately circled as Minotaur hung back - its flamethrower threatening to scorch the Brazilian bot. Unfazed, Minotaur charged at the front of Warhead, colliding weapon-to-weapon in an attack which saw both robots be flung across the arena. The pair recovered, with Minotaur fastest to attack again and grind against its opponent's underbelly.
Warhead loses its weapon.
Soon after, Minotaur dealt a devastating uppercut to Warhead which cost the British bot its primary weapon; its dome launching high into the air and ricocheting across the BattleBox.
"OHH! WOAH! WARHEAD HAS BEEN DECAPITATED!"
— Chris Rose as Warhead's disk flies away
Minotaur chases down Warhead.
As the disk rested in the middle of the arena, Minotaur's assault on Warhead continued. The Team RioBotz machine honed in on the sides now exposed and accessible as a result of Warhead's weapon being removed. Warhead was driven into the screws and lost one of its side armor panels - its right wheel now visible.
A beaten Warhead is counted out.
The wounded Warhead raised its wings, igniting its flamethrower again, but Minotaur driver Daniel Freitas honed in, driving Warhead back into the corner as it suffered a blow from the pulverizer. Rocking back and forth as it escaped, a burst of flame came from Warhead's wing, but too high to attack its opponent. The drum of Minotaur forcefully removed Warhead's other side panel, toppling it over and leaving it in the corner.
A count began against Warhead, Minotaur took the win by knockout and qualified for the quarter-finals.
Minotaur vs. Bronco
Now in the final eight, Minotaur faced the No.2 seed, Inertia Labs and Bronco. Minotaur sported a thin wedge strip underneath its drum for this battle, last seen in its win over Photon Storm earlier in the season.
Bronco takes damage to the underside from Minotaur.
Early on, Minotaur's ground clearance was breached by Bronco, but the Inertia Labs robot could only manage a tame flip which did not overturn the Brazilian bull. 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.
Minotaur vs. Bombshell
In the semi-finals, Minotaur met the surprise package of the competition to date, No.19 seed Bombshell.
Minotaur peels Bombshell's side armor away.
As the match began, Bombshell was quicker out of the gate, but it was Minotaur who landed the first blows. The Brazilian machine immediately began attacking Bombshell's wedge, probing for weaknesses while Mike Jeffries did his best to stay squared up. The two robots backed away from one another, and Bombshell began pursuing Minotaur as the smaller robot fled to get its weapon up to speed. The Swiss Army Bot found itself repeatedly pushed on the defensive by its more agile opponent, frequently forced to retreat and reposition as it tried to avoid Minotaur's deadly drum. However, it was unable to avoid a solid shot on its side, causing the armor protecting its wheels to bend backwards.
"It's not gonna be good enough for Bombshell to just use that wedge to keep his opponent at bay. He's gotta get some offense with that vertical disk spinner."
— Chris Rose notes Bombshell's hesitance in the early stages of the fight
Both semi-finalists go weapon-to-weapon.
Bombshell continued to try to keep pointed at its nimbler foe, but Minotaur repeatedly took advantage of the Georgian robot's powerful gyro in order to outmaneuver it. A few more shots to the side ripped Bombshell's protective armor off completely, sending the side plate into the lights above. Minotaur backed away, giving Bombshell space to square up, and the two exchanged several solid shots with their powerful vertical spinners. The modular machine simply weathered the storm, taking several jabs and riding over the killsaws as it tried to keep up with Minotaur's aggressive attacks.
Bombshell overturns Minotaur.
The fight soon turned in Bombshell's favor, however, as it met the Brazilian robot head to head once again. This time, Mike Jeffries was able to deflect Minotaur's shots with his wedge, hitting back with his spinning disk in return. Minotaur attempted to reposition, but Bombshell delivered a solid shot which it quickly followed up with a powerful blow that flipped Minotaur over and sent it careening across the arena. The Team RioBotz machine was suddenly struggling to drive on one side as a result of this collision and Bombshell pounced, capitalizing on the sudden shift in momentum by attacking Minotaur from the rear.
"What a hit by Bombshell! Minotaur's in trouble!"
— Kenny Florian, shocked by the sudden swing in the match's action
Daniel Freitas expertly evades Bombshell.
Sensing opportunity, Mike Jeffries pursued the wounded Minotaur into the corner, forcing it under the pulverizer as it attempted to gyro-dance away. Although the Brazilian bull only had function in one wheel, it continued attempting to fight, leading Bombshell to attack its side once again. While the drum spinner danced and dodged as best it could, the Swiss Army Bot chased it across the arena, seeking to finish it off. After a few more hits, Minotaur managed to finally turn itself back over, but this proved to be a mistake: in one of the earlier exchanges Bombshell had bent a piece of Minotaur's bottom plate, high centering the bull once it was oriented correctly again.
Bombshell looks on as Minotaur struggles to move.
Although the Brazilians were able to inch their robot forward a couple of times, Bombshell quickly put an end to this with a few more light attacks. Though heavily damaged, unable to spin their weapon and with limited mobility, Chaos Corps cheered in celebration as the heavily-favored Minotaur was counted out, eliminating the seventh seed from the competition.
Marco Meggiolaro presented with the Most Destructive Robot Award.
Minotaur's first match of the 2018 Fight Night rounds was a Main Event against Tombstone. In this battle, Minotaur got its weapon up to speed but started taking repeated hits from its opponent. Minotaur continued to attack and after being flipped, righted itself using its drum's gyroscopic forces and resumed the battle. Damage to Minotaur was racking up as Minotaur could no longer get its drum up to top speed thanks to the initial impact with Tombstone, which sheared bolts holding the chassis together. Additionally, this prevented Minotaur from righting itself using the drum's gyroscopic forces. After the repeated impacts, Minotaur's drum eventually stopped working, leaving it with little other choice than to use its own body to attack. These attacks also affected Tombstone's frame, causing it to warp, leaving Tombstone's bar to pull up pieces of the floor due to the bar now spinning at an angle. Unfortunately, Minotaur eventually found itself high-centered on one of these damaged areas of the arena floor where it couldn't move. Minotaur got its drum spinning again and desperately tried to maneuver itself free, but to no avail. As a result, Tombstone was given the win by knockout and Minotaur began its Fight Night campaign with a 0-1 record.
Minotaur vs. Hypothermia
Minotaur grinds against the underside of Hypothermia.
Minotaur's next opponent was veteran Fuzzy Mauldin and Hypothermia. For this match, Minotaur opted for a slower drum speed in order to lessen the gyroscopic forces of the drum and added its new feeder wedge in hopes of preventing Hypothermia from getting any control of the fight. When the match began, the fight was surprisingly even as while Minotaur landed the first hit, it did little damage, only managing to bend the front wedge of Hypothermia up a bit. Minotaur continued to attack, each time flipping Hypothermia over but Hypothermia wasn't giving up and right itself each time it was flipped. Eventually, Minotaur tore off the bottom plate of Hypothermia and tore into one of the double wheels Hypothermia had opted to use for the fight. Smoke began pouring out of Hypothermia but the match went to a judges' decision, which Minotaur won unanimously to go 1-1.
Minotaur vs. Blacksmith
Minotaur gets under a swinging Blacksmith.
Minotaur bounces away from Blacksmith on impact.
Up next for Minotaur was a rematch with Blacksmith. In response, Minotaur's team opted to spin the drum up to only 60% in hopes of having the lower ground clearance when it came to head-on impacts. This proved to be effective as they were able to stay on the arena floor as the match got underway, Minotaur took shots from Blacksmith's hammer but they weren't doing much damage so Minotaur pressed on. Minotaur managed to get underneath Blacksmith and shove it against the arena barrier, causing sparks along the way. Blacksmith then had one of its front forks stuck in the killsaw slot, so Minotaur dished out another hit. It then took Blacksmith to the screws, continuing to show aggression. Blacksmith fought back with its hammer but still was not able to cause any major damage in the closing stages. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Minotaur to put Team RioBotz to a positive 2-1 record.
Minotaur vs. SubZero
Minotaur dismantles SubZero.
Minotaur was next against SubZero as part of a last ditch effort to hopefully make the Top 16. The match was off to a good start for Minotaur as SubZero had miss-timed their flip and allowed Minotaur to move in underneath. Minotaur continued to stay aggressive and took advantage of another miss-timed flip from its opponent. Since SubZero was still moving around, Minotaur caused more damage, bending up the front of SubZero's flipper and pushing in part of the side armor. Minotaur threw SubZero onto its back before helping it back up. Minotaur's drum then spun down briefly before it was back up to speed and resuming its rampage. Minotaur got underneath its opponent and pushed it towards the arena barrier but SubZero escaped. Minotaur threw SubZero over once more and it was unable to self-right, so was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO.
Minotaur vs. Witch Doctor
Minotaur and Witch Doctor go head to head.
With a 3-1 overall record, Minotaur did enough to make the Top 16 as the No.4 seed, where it faced No.13 seed, Witch Doctor. For this fight, Minotaur added a new drum with more teeth in hopes of getting in more hits on its opponent. When the match began, Minotaur was the aggressor, causing sparks on Witch Doctor but causing drive issues for Witch Doctor. When they collided again, Minotaur managed to take off the wheel that was giving Witch Doctor trouble, allowing it to continue. Minotaur continued its attacks and took off the other front wheel. Witch Doctor was still mobile so Minotaur took its rampage to the arena barrier where Witch Doctor lost one of its rear tires. Minotaur made one final attack and removed the last tire, then flipped Witch Doctor over. Witch Doctor self-righted and caught fire but had no way to move around the arena and was counted out, allowing Minotaur to advance to the quarter-finals.
Minotaur vs. Monsoon
Minotaur attacks Monsoon in the opening seconds.
Now in the final eight, Minotaur faced the No.12 seed, Monsoon. Both robots came at each other and Minotaur seemed to struggle to do much to Monsoon despite having their weapon at full power. Still, Minotaur managed to get underneath Monsoon and shove it across the arena. Monsoon recovered and tried to deliver some hits but Minotaur was staying aggressive and managed to take off Monsoon's weapon belt. Finally, Minotaur got Monsoon up on its side where its drive wheels were off the ground and took it to the arena barrier where it couldn't move. By this point, Minotaur had only one belt driving the weapon and to avoid further damage, Minotaur opted not to free Monsoon and Monsoon was counted out, allowing Minotaur to advance to the semi-finals once more.
Minotaur vs. Lock-Jaw
Minotaur grinds the underside of Lock-Jaw.
Minotaur watches on as Lock-Jaw's run comes to an end.
In the final four for a second successive season, the Brazilian bot faced the No.9 seed, Lock-Jaw. Minotaur went into the fight largely unchanged from its fight with Monsoon and was intending to attack the wheels and go for the knockout. When the match began, things were pretty even as both robots hit but not much damage was caused. However, Minotaur was on the attack and started to get the better of the collisions, getting underneath Lock-Jaw and shoving Donald Hutson's bot around. Minotaur continued to attack, throwing it into the air and causing minor damage to the wheels before flipping its opponent over completely. Lock-Jaw still boldly pressed on but after two final hits, it was no longer moving and was counted out. As such, Minotaur advanced to the Championship final.
Minotaur vs. Bite Force
Bite Force watches on as Minotaur is counted out.
The only robot standing between Minotaur and their first Giant Nut now was Paul Ventimiglia and Bite Force. When the match began, Minotaur seemed to have the edge, as both robots took hits and Bite Force had lost one of its front wedgelets. Minotaur continued its assault but started to be on the receiving end of more of its opponent's hits, one of which cost Minotaur its left-side rail. Even so, Minotaur had enough power to continue the hits, throwing Bite Force into the air once again. Both robots were now seemingly without a working weapon and it became a pushing match, with Minotaur seeming to have the slight edge on power. However, Bite Force's weapon began to spin up again, and the Brazilian bot's damage was proving less cosmetic as the fight wore on. The right-side rail now also had a visible crack down the middle, and Minotaur was struggling to move. Minotaur stopped not long after and the count started, giving the win and the Championship title to Bite Force.
World Championship IV[]
Minotaur vs. Whiplash
Whiplash gets to the side of Minotaur.
Minotaur kicked off its 2019 season with a fight against the Vasquez family and Whiplash. When the match began, Minotaur had trouble getting its weapon up to speed, both from its own issues and from Whiplash's countermeasures. Minotaur tried to run away and get its weapon going, but Whiplash wasn't letting them get far. Minotaur tried to go weapon-to-weapon and Whiplash did lose use of their lifter. However, Whiplash continued to have control using its spinning weapon so Minotaur was still struggling. Both robots took a shot from the killsaws before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Whiplash.
Minotaur vs. Gigabyte
Sparks fly as Minotaur's drum meets the shell of Gigabyte.
Next for Minotaur in was the veteran shell spinner, Gigabyte. For this battle, Minotaur went with a new silver drum which the team anticipated would perform better than in previous fights as it featured only two teeth. However, as the match got underway, it became apparent that Minotaur's weapon was struggling to maintain speed, as Gigabyte managed to damage the support poles that held up Minotaur's drum, causing it to dig on the ground. Unfortunately, with their weapon not doing what it was meant to do, Minotaur struggled to get a big hit on Gigabyte and generally ended up riding up Gigabyte's shell. Minotaur eventually managed to get in a hit which took out Gigabyte's weapon, but as both robots went the distance, the judges awarded Gigabyte a unanimous 3-0 decision. This also marked Minotaur's second consecutive loss in the season.
Minotaur vs. Lucky
Minotaur lands a perfectly timed shot to Lucky.
Minotaur entered the Desperado Tournament with a shock 0-2 record in the main season. Despite this, its pedigree handed the Brazilian team the No.1 seed, and they faced No.8 seed Lucky. The team had previously spent long hours grinding down the teeth so that the drum could get to the speed of previous seasons. As a result, they went with the lighter three-toothed drum and when the match began, Minotaur got its weapon up to speed and tore off Lucky's rear right wheel. Lucky tried to retaliate, but Minotaur stayed on the aggressive, causing sparks and shoving them around the arena. Smoke came out of Minotaur every now and then as its belts weren't gripping tightly, but this did not deter Team RioBotz. Minotaur then took advantage of Lucky's drive issues by throwing them upside down near the arena barrier. Lucky self-righted by Minotaur got in the way to deliver another hit. Lucky was no longer able to move and was counted out, giving Minotaur a first win since the previous season's semi-final, advancing to the next round of the Desperado Tournament.
Minotaur vs. End Game
End Game is chewed up by the screws.
Next for Minotaur in the Desperado Tournament was Jack Barker and No.4 seed, End Game. In response, the team went with Minotaur's heavier drum. As the match began, Minotaur first drew only sparks, but eventually ripped off one of End Game's front wedgelets. Minotaur continued to maneuver, getting back over, throwing End Game into the wall and ripping off the other three wedgelets of End Game. Minotaur then pushed End Game on top of the screws when it righted itself. End Game remained on the screws for a few seconds, but was released soon after. Minotaur began a winding path towards End Game and got a hit on their side, but that pushed the New Zealand spinner straight into the drum, flipping Minotaur over. Minotaur took a bit to right itself and then proceeded to throw End Game under the pulverizer. Eventually, End Game stopped moving, was counted out, and Minotaur won by KO.
Minotaur vs. Black Dragon
The first hit between the two robots.
In the finals, Minotaur took on fellow Brazilian and No.3 seed, Black Dragon for the Giant Bolt trophy and automatic qualification to the Round of 16. For this match, Minotaur added front wedgelets and went back to the drum used in the first match to hopefully win the battle for low ground clearance. The match started off with both robots meeting weapon-to-weapon, sending lots of sparks flying. Minotaur continued to attack, but after taking off one of Black Dragon's front wedgelets, they began to face pressure from their opponent. Minotaur struggled to get away from Black Dragon, but still delivered hits when possible. Soon, Minotaur was up against the arena barrier, causing sparks to fly. Minotaur powered down its weapon and escaped, but was then shoved onto the screws, which eventually released it. By this point, Black Dragon was having weapon problems, but Minotaur was still having trouble getting an advantage as they were hit hard into the arena barrier before time ran out. The judges awarded Black Dragon a unanimous 3-0 decision, the Giant Bolt trophy and a guaranteed place in the Round of 16.
Minotaur vs. Shatter!
Minotaur's attack tears away Shatter!'s armor.
Sparks fly as Minotaur clips the edge of Shatter!.
Fresh off a loss in the Desperado Tournament, Minotaur was now against newcomer Shatter!, and returned to its three toothed drum and regular wedgelets. As the match began, Minotaur wasn't able to cause much damage, sending only sparks and one piece of Shatter's armor flying. Minotaur took a big hit from Shatter's hammer before getting in underneath, pushing the Brooklyn bot back while breaking one of its two hammer chains. From that point, Minotaur took light hits from Shatter's weapon that got weaker and slower. Eventually, Minotaur got under them and shoved them into the arena barrier, grinding into the front wedge a bit and causing a huge shower of sparks on two occasions. Minotaur continued to attack, but still couldn't get underneath Shatter! again until they got a lucky break and threw Shatter! onto its back. Shatter! was unable to self-right due to its slip discs burning up and was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO.
Minotaur vs. Cobalt
Minotaur gets kicked upwards by Cobalt.
After such a rough start, Minotaur was well on the road to redemption, but had to face Dave Moulds and Cobalt. In response, Minotaur was back to its more traditional look with its front feeder wedges and three-toothed drum. Early on, Minotaur ripped off Cobalt's wedge and brought down pieces of the lights from the ceiling. Minotaur continued to attack but struggled to gain much of a bite on Cobalt's chassis, causing only sparks. Minotaur was then flipped over and managed to right itself using its drum's gyroscopic forces. Both robots traded attacks before Minotaur threw Cobalt high into the air and nearly out of the arena but now had no working weapon. Luckily, Minotaur still had lots of pushing power so it used that to the best of its ability until time ran out. The judges awarded Minotaur the unanimous 3-0 decision.
Minotaur vs. Hydra
Minotaur delivers the killing blow to Hydra.
Entering the Top 16, Minotaur was placed against Team Whyachi and Hydra. Minotaur had worked hard to get its feeder wedges as sharp as possible to win the ground clearance battle. When the match began, that's what they did as they immediately tore off a piece of Hydra's flipper. Minotaur then started to go around to the sides and ripped off Hydra's silver side skirt pieces. Minotaur continued to control the fight until Jake Ewert's machine was no longer moving. Hydra was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO and a place in the quarter-finals.
Minotaur vs. DeathRoll
Deathroll and Minotaur go weapon to weapon.
Minotaur is out for the count.
In the quarter-finals, Minotaur faced off with DeathRoll from Australia. Both bots started out pretty evenly but Minotaur seemed to have the advantage, throwing DeathRoll through the air a few times. Minotaur was then flipped and took another hit from DeathRoll in return. As the match wore on, Minotaur's weapon stopped working as it had lost a belt on impact. Minotaur was now left with its pushing power, but DeathRoll's weapon was still working at top speed. Minotaur tried to continue fighting, but found itself inverted and high-centered on the lip for the arena barrier. Minotaur was unable to move and was counted out, giving DeathRoll the win by KO and a spot in the semi-finals.
World Championship VI[]
Minotaur vs. SawBlaze
SawBlaze slices into one of Minotaur's LiPo batteries.
SawBlaze drags Minotaur onto the Upper Deck as the new hazard is used for the first time.
Minotaur is sent to the screws in the closing moments of the fight.
Minotaur catches fire after SawBlaze attacks.
After a season away from BattleBots, Minotaur made its return in World Championship VI and their first fight was against SawBlaze. The fight began with Minotaur popping SawBlaze up as it tried to charge, flipping it immediately. SawBlaze was able to right itself, but had to tank several smaller hits from Minotaur's drum spinner. The tides then turned as Minotaur was slammed into the arena barrier and overturned.Stuck on the front forks of SawBlaze, Jamison Go landed a few big hits on Minotaur's vulnerable underside. The second hit sliced through the baseplate and ruptured a lithium polymer battery, causing Minotaur to burst into flames. Keen to maintain their control of the fight, SawBlaze kept their disk lodged deep inside Minotaur and drove them over to the screws protruding from the Upper Deck. Minotaur rode up the screws, followed by SawBlaze, and the hazard saw its first use. Not knowing what to do with Minotaur, SawBlaze drove off the platform and Minotaur was freed. This only allowed Jamison Go to spin the disk up once again as it landed several more shots to the underside of the Brazilian bot, whose own weapon was still spinning, but was nowhere near as effective as that of SawBlaze. Desperate not to take further damage to its thinnest armor, Minotaur retreated to the corner of the BattleBox to right itself through gyroscopic forces from the drum spinning. SawBlaze attempted to drive Minotaur back to the Upper Deck and swing its weapon down, but the chain driving it snapped on impact. Minotaur's drum was no longer spinning either, so SawBlaze spent the remainder of the fight trying to KO its opponent, taking it to the pulverizer and several sets of screws. The fight went the distance despite their best efforts, and SawBlaze won by unanimous judges' decision.
Minotaur vs. Dragon Slayer
Minotaur and Dragon Slayer meet eye-to-eye.
Dragon Slayer escapes from the screws as Minotaur repositions.
Minotaur slays Dragon Slayer.
Minotaur's second fight was against newcomer Jordan Neal and Dragon Slayer, fresh off a win over veteran DUCK! in the previous episode. Surprisingly, the rookie team were quickest out of their starting square as Minotaur dodged their opponent. The two exchanged several weapon-on-weapon hits, which proved to be too much for the disk of Dragon Slayer, as it was no longer spinning after this. Minotaur then landed an uppercut to its opponent, flipping it over and pushing it to the screws of the Upper Deck. Dragon Slayer was able to right itself, but was now without an active weapon. Despite this, it was still able to get underneath the Brazilian bot and push it around, but Minotaur quickly regained control of the fight and shoved Dragon Slayer under the pulverizer. Minotaur used its drum spinner to overturn Dragon Slayer again, who seemed to be struggling for drive, and then delivered a shot which fired it against the barrier. Team Riobotz gestured to Dragon Slayer to ask whether they were knocked out, and Minotaur held off as a result, as a count began on the rookie team. Dragon Slayer were deemed immobile, and Minotaur hauled itself back to 1-1 for the season.
Minotaur vs. Deep Six
Minotaur and Deep Six collide in the BattleBox.
Minotaur rounded out its Fight Night battles against Team Overboard and their giant bar spinner Deep Six. As the fight began, Minotaur approached as Deep Six remained within its starting square and positioned itself. Both weapons were up to speed and as the two made contact, Deep Six backed into the arena barrier and launched itself high into the air. It landed upside-down and was able to demonstrate its functional self-righting to get back onto its wheels, but not before Minotaur landed some glancing hits. The Brazilian bot dealt another shot to the front of Deep Six, who fell backwards across the paddle nearest the judges. Minotaur watched on as Deep Six's weapon was jammed behind the rails and despite calls for it to hit Deep Six again, Minotaur honed in on the rear stabilizers and cut one away completely. Deep Six was counted out, and Minotaur finished Fight Night with a 2-1 record.
Minotaur vs. Bloodsport
Minotaur shoves Bloodsport in the corner.
Minotaur pins Bloodsport late on.
Team RioBotz broke into the Top 32 with the No.16 seed, and Minotaur faced Justin Marple and No.17 seed Bloodsport in the first knockout round. Both robots immediately spun up as they evaded each other in the opening seconds. Minotaur then landed a shot on Bloodsport which popped it into the air. Upon landing, it became apparent that Bloodsport's weapon had buckled upward on one side and a piece had come off as it drove away. Despite being unbalanced, Bloodsport spun up again but shook as it did so and was stopped as soon as it hit Minotaur. This happened several times over with Bloodsport unable to cause damage to the frame of the 2018 season runner up. Bloodsport finally got its weapon back up to a high speed and made contact with Minotaur, but again came off worse and was shoved into the Upper Deck. They escaped, but Minotaur attacked from the front and ripped away its single wedgelet. The Brazilian bot remained aggressive as it smothered its opponent, pressing it against the arena barrier. As time wore on, Bloodsport suffered several pulverizer hits but survived as the fight went to the judges. Minotaur took the win by unanimous decision, eliminating Bloodsport from the competition.
Minotaur vs. End Game
Minotaur and End Game enter a stalemate.
Minotaur grinds the underside of End Game late on.
Damage to Minotaur coming out of its win over End Game.
Next up for Minotaur was the defending champion and No.1 seed, End Game, in a rematch from the Desperado Tournament during the 2019 season. Early on in the fight, both robots exchanged small hits as they went weapon-to-weapon. However, it was Minotaur who dealt the first big impact, sending End Game twisting and landing on its disc. End Game was able to right itself, but lost one of its long forks in the process. In response, End Game smothered Minotaur as it rammed the Brazilian bot against the screws of the Upper Deck before releasing. Both weapons got up to speed again as End Game spun into the killsaws and became stuck momentarily, though freed itself shortly after. End Game turned straight into the drum of Minotaur, who knocked the reigning champions back before End Game landed a big hit of its own, popping Minotaur up into the air. End Game dealt another glancing blow which unbalanced its opponent and flipped it upside down. Minotaur attempted to use gyroscopic forces from its spinning drum to self-right as it had done many times in the past, but ended up being chased by End Game as it drove on one wheel. Minotaur did finally right itself in the short corner and escaped before End Game could capitalize. The drum of Minotaur then bested End Game's forks again and threw it over, but End Game bounced back onto its wheels. However, it had lost both longer forks now and one of the innermost forks had bent upwards. Both robots engaged in a pushing match before Minotaur's drum made contact with the front of End Game, and sparks flew as it grinded against their frame before throwing the champs against the Upper Deck. End Game gave chase but found itself pinned beneath the pulverizer controlled by Team RioBotz. End Game escaped and landed a glancing shot to Minotaur before the Brazilian team returned the favor in the closing seconds. Minotaur chewed the underside of End Game as time ran out, and the judges awarded the win in their favor, dethroning the 2020 champions and allowing Minotaur to progress to the Top 8.
Minotaur vs. Witch Doctor
Minotaur equipped with its forks.
Having guaranteed a new Giant Nut winner for the 2021 season, Minotaur's next opponent was fellow former runner-up and No. 24 seed Witch Doctor in a rematch from the 2018 season.
Witch Doctor sends Minotaur onto the Upper Deck.
For this fight, Minotaur was fitted with twin AR450 steel forks to try and feed Witch Doctor into its drum. Both robots spun up as they exited their starting squares and Minotaur delivered the first hit of the fight to Witch Doctor's side, costing it some of its sketal armor. Witch Doctor responded by going weapon to weapon, throwing Minotaur onto its back. After a second hit from the Gellatlys' bot, Minotaur was right-side up again.
Minotaur loses a wheel as it clambers off the Upper Deck.
After buffeting one another, Minotaur then flung its opponent high into the air and it landed weapon-first into the floor and upside down. Witch Doctor bounced onto its wheels again but was thrown into the short corner after some aggressive driving from Daniel Freitas. Minotaur pinned it against the wall for several seconds, but its drum was not spinning to cause any real damage. Witch Doctor then chased Minotaur down again, but the Brazilian bot spun to face it and threw Witch Doctor again, costing it the left-side of their front plow. Undeterred by the damage, Mike Gellatly played matador for a moment before a blow from Minotaur overturned his bot once more.
The fight is halted.
Witch Doctor self-righted quickly, but the gyroscopic forced of Minotaur's drum caused it to swerve onto the screws of the Upper Deck and eventually on top of the BattleBox hazard with help from its opponent. Minotaur was quick to react, but was only moving in arcs and its drum was no longer spinning. It eventually slid off the side of the Upper Deck, Minotaur's left-side wheel had suffered major damage and fell out of the robot. However, Witch Doctor had deflected off Minotaur and bit into the Upper Deck, where it was no longer able to escape. Both robots were incapacitated and the fight was temporarily halted.
Witch Doctor jammed into the side of the Upper Deck.
"It's a joke... it's a joke!"
— Daniel Freitas reacts to the referees' decision to call for time out
The crew unstick Witch Doctor.
This came much to the frustration of Team RioBotz, who had powered their drum up again and appeared ready to arc into Witch Doctor and attack their exposed rear wheels. Referee John Remar officially called for an unstick on Witch Doctor, and Trey Roski entered the BattleBox as it was deemed safe to do so. Roski successfully unstuck Witch Doctor and the fight resumed from there both robots left off.
Mike Gellatly immediately backed Witch Doctor away from the Upper Deck and into the center of the BattleBox to spin up and check on Minotaur's mobility in the short corner. With just one wheel remaining, Minotaur was able to gyro away into the red square with its primary weapon up to speed. Referee John Remar was unconvinced by Minotaur's movement, much to the annoyance of the Minotaur captain.
"It's showing control... Yeah, we are going for it, they are avoiding."
— Carlos Junior of Minotaur states his case to the referee
Witch Doctor refuses to engage with Minotaur.
In the meantime, Witch Doctor remained distant with driver Mike Gellatly anticipating an official count-out, knowing that any attack would reset the judgement of when Minotaur would be deemed immobile from.
"Are they gonna count them out or not?!"
— Mike Gellatly questions the reluctance to begin an official count on Minotaur
"We've got control. We're doing what you want... We've got control, we've got control! We have done this so many times."
— Carlos Junior continues his protest
Carlos Junior pleads his case to John Remar.
As a result, Witch Doctor circled Minotaur, who had by this point escaped to the center of the BattleBox with its drum spinning, flipping itself over and back with the gyroscopic forces of its own weapon. Mike Gellatly expressed his frustration over the lack of a count as Andrea discouraged him from engaging with Minotaur. For much of the final ninety seconds of the fight, Witch Doctor circled its injured opponent anticipating the referees to communicate an official immobilization or lack of to both teams. With four seconds to go, Witch Doctor did land a single hit to Minotaur's front and time expired on the battle. As Team Witch Doctor spoke among themselves, driver Daniel Freitas stated he had total control of his robot and worked the crowd.
"They know they lost, that's why they're acting like this."
— Andrea Gellatly reassures her husband as Team RioBotz initiate a Minotaur chant
The judges' scorecards.
The judges ruled unanimously in favor of Witch Doctor, though all three scored the fight 6-5. meaning it was incredibly close in spite of this mutual agreement. The live audience could be heard booing the decision, with hecklers making themselves known throughout Andrea Gellatly's post-fight interview.[10] Irrespective of this, Witch Doctor advanced to the semi-finals and Minotaur was eliminated at this stage.
This proved to be one of the most controversial fights in BattleBots history, with criticism of the enforcement of unsticking and a lack of translational movement from builders and fans alike. Many drew inconsistencies between the previous episode's Round of 16 clash between Cobalt and Whiplash where the latter became stuck on the Upper Deck, but was not freed, and the subsequent judges' decision went against the Vasquez family. Others criticized Witch Doctor driver Mike Gellatly for refusing to engage after the restart, though this was the result of miscommunication as to whether Minotaur's movement was considered sufficient to satisfy the judges in the remaining 90 seconds of the fight. In a tweet posted during the episode's initial airing, BattleBots clarified their current rules regarding unsticks and stated they would reconsider rules on "controlled movement" ahead of World Championship VII.[11]
World Championship VII[]
Minotaur vs. Tantrum
Following its controversial exit from the previous season, Minotaur returned with Marco Meggiolaro back at the helm. In the first Main Event of World Championship VII, Minotaur faced the defending champion, Tantrum.
Minotaur throws a Tantrum.
In the opening seconds, Minotaur was slower to leave the blue square, but survived a glancing first ram from the Seems Reasonable Robotics entry. It proceeded to pursue Tantrum across the BattleBox, before being knocked onto its left side as the two competitors collided again. Minotaur was bumped and pushed again by Tantrum, but took advantage of its gyro-dancing techniques to briefly escape.
"Tantrum on the attack, playing the aggressor early to start. Gets underneath Minotaur, but Daniel Freitas self-rights... Tantrum keeping the pressure on!"
— Chris Rose
Sparks flew as Minotaur's drum then clipped the front of Tantrum multiple times, while the orange machine attempted to push it into the wall. In doing so, Minotaur threw Tantrum up onto its left-hand side, breaking the two competitors up as Tantrum sped to the bottom-left corner. The RioBotz machine, however, hung back, allowing it to charge head-on into Tantrum once more before giving chase.
"Tantrum can't afford to be flipped back over, but here's the champ punching back! There's no surrender!"
— Chris Rose as Tantrum begins to fight back
Minotaur watches on as Tantrum fails to right itself.
Once both robots met again, Minotaur threw Tantrum onto its back, before hitting it a second time to violently toss it towards a nearby pulverizer. Having left Tantrum crawling on its right-most wheels, it proceeded to turn its opponent back upright, damaging one of its self-righting arms in the process. Minotaur continued to harry Tantrum across the BattleBox floor, flipping it a full 360 degrees before weathering a blow from its puncher spinner. While Tantrum briefly succeeded in pushing Minotaur back, Minotaur flipped Tantrum over again once its drum clipped the former's "swordfish" wedge attachment. With Tantrum struggling to self-right on its puncher and remaining srimech arm, Minotaur drew alongside, seemingly threatening to attack once again.
Sensing Tantrum's immobility, Marco Meggiolaro advised Daniel Freitas to hold back as their opponent was eventually counted out. Minotaur thus triumphantly secured its first win of the season by knockout.
Minotaur vs. Free Shipping
Coming off a statement win over the defending champion, Minotaur's second opponent was against Gary Gin and Free Shipping.
Free Shipping and Minotaur duke it out.
Free Shipping immediately box-rushed Minotaur, flipping it over and forcing Daniel Freitas to right the Brazilian bot. Gary Gin kept Free Shipping's front pointed towards Minotaur, but the drum spinner tore its left-side wedgelet away. Free Shipping scurried away and instigated its flamethrower, but Minotaur turned sharply to get around to its sides, targeting the vulnerable wheels.
"Daniel Freitas is going to try to chew on some tires. That's one of his specialties."
— Kenny Florian predicts Minotaur's tactics
Team RioBotz expertly pin Free Shipping with help from the pulverizer.
Minotaur was able to pop Free Shipping into the air, but Gary Gin's robot was unaffected and even managed to fight back, driving the World Championship III runner-up into the corner. As Minotaur continued to attack, however, damage began to show as Free Shipping's side armor had been torn up. One of its front tires was now also loose and in attempting to drive away, Free Shipping drove underneath the pulverizer and suffered a hit to its top panel. It was pinned momentarily and Minotaur took advantage by landing several more hits. Free Shipping reversed across the BattleBox and into the short corner, where it suddenly became stuck in place.
"Gary's staring down at his controller confused. Free Shipping may be stuck up against the side of the 'Box."
— Kenny Florian commentates as Free Shipping drives into the wall
Free Shipping is counted out.
With just over a minute of the fight remaining, a count began on Free Shipping as Minotaur held back, and the Brazilian team took their second win of the season.
Following a tentative start by both competitors, in which Cobalt caught a floor seam in the center of the BattleBox, Minotaur rushed in to grind away at the front-left side of the retreating UK entry. It continued to pressure Cobalt - driven by Sam Smith - as turned with the aid of its gyroscopic forces, only to be flipped into the air upon riding up into Cobalt's asymmetrical disc. Minotaur self-righted using its drum, though it was pursued and launched into the bottom-left paddle by Cobalt. More hits from Cobalt tossed Minotaur even higher across the BattleBox, though one of these was enough to knock the RioBotz machine back upright.
Kenny Florian: "...we're finding out that those forks on Cobalt are working out really well so far!"
Both [as Cobalt tosses Minotaur towards the ceiling]: "Whoa!"
Kenny Florian: "Huge shot by Cobalt, and another!"
Chris Rose: "Follows it up nicely! Daniel Frietas having trouble keeping his machine on the ground."
Kenny Florian: "Cobalt the aggressor so far!"
— As Cobalt pressures and punts Minotaur across the BattleBox
Minotaur tears a fork from Cobalt.
Undaunted, Daniel Frietas immediately steered Minotaur back into the front of Cobalt; sparks flew as Minotaur's drum repeatedly made contact with its opponent's green forks. While the Team Carbide machine resisted by pushing Minotaur across the boundary of the Upper Deck and into the bottom-left corner, Minotaur succeeded in ripping three of its forks clean off. Both robots exchanged more shoves and grazing blows with their spinners, before Minotaur was punted towards a nearby paddle by Cobalt. This happened in front of commentators Chris Rose and Kenny Florian, the latter expecting Cobalt to struggle at this point in the match.
Kenny Florian: "Going to be way more difficult for Cobalt with just one fork right now."
Both [as Cobalt tosses Minotaur into the bottom-left corner]: "OH!"
Kenny Florian: "Huge shot by Cobalt!"
Chris Rose: "What were you were saying, Kenny?"
Kenny Florian: "Yeah! Eat my words there!"
— Chris Rose and Kenny Florian react as Minotaur is thrown towards their corner by Cobalt
Minotaur is pinned against the screws.
More pushing, shoving and gyro hops followed, before Cobalt pinned Minotaur against an Upper Deck screw for six seconds. Minotaur remained persistent, clipping Cobalt's front end, spinner and remaining fork in the next succession of attacks. However, Cobalt retaliated aggressively, getting underneath and flicking Minotaur around with three more heavy hits, while also ripping off Minotaur's left wedgelet. Minotaur was pushed back towards a pulverizer, but broke free following another heavy hit over a killsaw slot. As the match entered its second half, Minotaur continued to tank and exchange hits with Cobalt's disk spinner.
"So far, this match has been driven with championship intensity. Cobalt misses front forks, but has landed the heavier shots. Does Minotaur have an answer down the stretch?"
— Chris Rose as the battle passes the halfway mark
Cobalt uses the rails to self-right.
During one of these exchanges – with both robots near the red square – Minotaur catapulted Cobalt towards the control booth, though the recoil forced it to self-right by gyro-dancing. Minotaur's respite was short-lived, however, as Cobalt rammed and buffeted it away with another weapon-on-weapon collision. Even so, Minotaur used its gyro-dancing capability to prevent Cobalt from reaching its sides, in a subsequent pursuit where the spinner of Team Carbide's machine stopped rotating twice. Another weapon-on-weapon blow followed, before Minotaur was pushed back across the BattleBox by Cobalt. At this point, Minotaur began smoking while taking more direct hits to the front from Cobalt's disc. In one of these exchanges, Minotaur rammed and tipped Cobalt over, causing Cobalt's disk to hit the floor and send it flipping violently into the bottom-left corner.
"Huge shot there by Minotaur! Could this be a comeback?"
— Kenny Florian, as a smoking Minotaur violently tosses Cobalt into the corner
Minotaur smokes as Cobalt is immobile.
Minotaur capitalized on this by hitting and pushing Cobalt while it self-righted. In pursuing its opponent, however, it drove into one of the rising killsaws, but without picking up any major damage. Immediately after, the two heavyweights clashed once more in the center. Minotaur again tipped Cobalt onto its back in this exchange, causing Cobalt's disk to stop working after it hit the BattleBox floor, with around thirty seconds remaining. As it became apparent that Cobalt could no longer self-right, it briefly churned at the former's baseplate, but began shuffling in triumph as the smoke from its right-rear corner thickened.
Kenny Florian: "OH MY GOODNESS!"
Chris Rose: "Cobalt is on its head!"
Kenny Florian: "Are you KIDDING me?!"
Chris Rose: "I don't think they can self-right!"
Kenny Florian: "WOW!"
Chris Rose: "This might do it!"
Kenny Florian: "And he's SMOKIN'! Minotaur is smoking!"
— Shortly after Minotaur immobilizes Cobalt
Damage to Minotaur's drum post-fight.
Much to the celebration of Team RioBotz themselves, Minotaur secured the knockout victory after two minutes and 54 seconds, following a tense and highly competitive match. With this, it increased its Fight Night record to 3-0, one of two competitors (along with Claw Viper) to attain this by this stage of the season.
Minotaur vs. Witch Doctor
"...we know how badly these two squads want this, and I think this is less about last season's controversy, and more about showing definitively, who's got the best bot this season. They've had big KOs, three-minute brawls, and both of them have "Fight of the Year" candidates. When we talk about what it means to be a tournament team, these two are the gold standard. No one's going to complain when one of these teams takes that top seed, and I don't think anybody will be surprised to see one, or both of them, in the finals."
— Kenny Florian, during the build-up for Minotaur's rematch against Witch Doctor
In the final Main Event of World Championship VII, Minotaur was pitted against Witch Doctor, in a rematch of their controversial World Championship VI encounter, which was also the third encounter between both bots since the 2018 season. With each team acknowledging and distancing themselves from the previous season's controversy, they both looked to finish the Fight Night rounds with a perfect 4-0 record and secure the first seed for the main championship bracket. Minotaur itself entered the BattleBox with no wedgelets and a drum with a noticeably duller gold finish. In a vote cast by other World Championship VII builders, it received the majority of votes backing it to win this 'championship-level' match, with a 76% share.
"So, we have a ton of respect for each other. If there's any animosity, it's between the fans. I'm looking forward to another slugfest with Minotaur."
— Team Witch Doctor's Andrea Gellatly, in a Discovery trailer promoting the rematch[12]
Minotaur gains an early advantage.
Both competitors started tentatively. Minotaur crept from the red square to the inner-left perimeter, landing an early hit to the corner of Witch Doctor's right-hand wedge piece. A second attack from RioBotz's machine allowed it to flick Witch Doctor upwards, after which it carried and pinned the latter against the spiked bumper nearby. Minotaur churned away at Witch Doctor's front-left corner, ripping apart the tire on that side before moving clear. It inflicted another series of blows to the front of Witch Doctor, eventually resulting in a direct collision between both spinning weapons. Minotaur, unrelenting, charged into Witch Doctor's front-right corner, buffeting Andrea and Mike Gellatly's machine onto its rear wheels.
Chris Rose: "... Daniel Freitas dishin' out some punishment here to start. Tearin' up the front of Witch Doctor!"
Kenny Florian: "Those forks on Witch Doctor are gone!"
Chris Rose: "Mike Gellatly lookin' to reset..."
— As Minotaur buffets and removes both of Witch Doctor's front forks
Minotaur rips both forks from its opponent.
Once Witch Doctor bounced back down, Minotaur unleashed a similar wave of attacks, scooping it up and ripping off both of its opponent's forks. Though Witch Doctor tried to escape by driving over the top, the Brazilian machine swiftly delivered another blow to its front-left corner. Minotaur clambered over one of the bent and discarded forks, as it weaved and attempted to retreat to the inner-right perimeter. However, it was pursued and flung into the top-right pocket by a powerful blow from Witch Doctor's spinner.
"What a counterstrike by Witch Doctor! Brilliant stuff there from Mike Gellatly! Minotaur's reeling from that shot!"
— Kenny Florian as Minotaur is punted into the corner by Witch Doctor
Witch Doctor counters, striking the side of Minotaur.
Minotaur, landing upside-down, crashed into the yellow spiked bumper opposite the Upper Deck. Further pressure was placed by Witch Doctor, as it briefly shepherded Minotaur deeper into the corner. However, Minotaur quickly backed away into a skid turn, driving forwards and self-righting using its own gyroscopic forces, just as Witch Doctor bumped into its side once more.
Minotaur rights itself.
Another weapon-to-weapon blow was exchanged by both robots, resulting in Minotaur being flipped over by Witch Doctor again. However, it became more apparent that Witch Doctor was struggling to maintain free movements, giving Daniel Freitas more time to position Minotaur over the blue square and begin gyrating it back upright a second time. At that point, Witch Doctor initiated another charge, prompting Marco Meggiolaro to instruct Freitas to move Minotaur towards the center. These maneuvers saved Minotaur from being hit by Witch Doctor's spinner, while allowing it to set up another direct hit to Witch Doctor's left wedge piece. However, the death hum suddenly quietened; the impact caused Minotaur's drum to suddenly lose power.
Minotaur pins Witch Doctor against the wall.
During this phase, Minotaur was chased and buffeted towards the top-left corner by Witch Doctor, before sustaining another head-on collision. However, as Witch Doctor's weapon lost power, it pushed its now-smoking opponent back, pinning it against the control booth bumper for several seconds. Minotaur reversed to release its opponent just as the match reached the halfway mark.
"What a display of control by Minotaur, in what has been a very close fight. Daniel Freitas, leaning on Witch Doctor like a boxer now!"
— Kenny Florian, as Minotaur pins Witch Doctor against the control booth bumper
Minotaur holds Witch Doctor against the rails again.
Both competitors attempted to spin up their weapons, though Minotaur's drum briefly kicked up sparks from the BattleBox floor as the robot moved. Minotaur dodged another charge from Witch Doctor, flicking and pressing it against the bumper a second time. Once the two robots became separated, Minotaur turned back into and flicked Witch Doctor upwards again. With neither robot's spinner appearing to be fully function at this point, Minotaur was shoved back by Witch Doctor. Making matters worse for RioBotz, it appeared to lose power to its left wheel, forcing Minotaur to crab-walk towards the bottom-left killsaw slots.
Chris Rose: "And there's a little bit of movement from Minotaur's drum spinner. But now it seems to be dealing with an issue on its left side!"
Andrea Gellatly [to her teammates]: "He's crab-walking, he's crab-walking!"
Kenny Florian: "Yeah, Minotaur's lost half of its drive. Witch Doctor's weapon is completely non-functional. Now it's a matter of who can score points in the aggression and control categories down the stretch. This is gonna be a pushing match!"
— As both robots - with drive and weapon issues - enter the final minute
Minotaur, crab-walking, tries to remain aggressive.
With just under a minute left, Minotaur resisted a few nudges from Witch Doctor, which was unable to push its opponent back a substantial distance. As both robots clashed head-to-head within the inner perimeter, it again edged Witch Doctor towards the bottom-left killsaws, themselves now active. Witch Doctor again tried to push Minotaur around - this time from the sides – eventually succeeding in pressuring it towards the bottom-right perimeter and the blue square. A final engagement in the closing ten seconds allowed Minotaur to push back, before both battle-weary robots bumped and nudged each other just before time ran out. After a tough and evenly-fought battle, Minotaur returned to the red square at Marco Meggiolaro's instruction, proving its continued functionality.
"Kenny, fans across the globe had this match circled the moment this schedule was released, and it did not disappoint!"
— Chris Rose, at the start of the post-match replay sequence
Both robots survived to a judges' decision, which ruled unanimously in favor of Minotaur, to jubilation and relief from various RioBotz team members. During his post-match interview, Marco Meggiolaro reiterated his appreciation for Team Witch Doctor and their machine, confirming that there had been no lasting animosity between them and RioBotz since their World Championship VI duel. Meggiolaro also used this opportunity to call on viewers and audience members to properly differentiate between the robots, match events and the teams' true attitudes towards each other.
"...the best thing about this match, about winning against Witch Doctor, is because they are very good robots. They are very well-ranked robots. There's nothing to do with any personal grudge. We love them. Last year, they did all they had to do within the rules to win. They were trying to win, and within the rules they had. The rules this year are better. You used to get some more closure with a fight. I love that. You have to not confuse people - the bots from their builders. We want to "kill" Witch Doctor, but... we love and we respect a lot Andrea and Mike... you know? We'll never get personal with them about something that happened inside that Box, you know. What happens inside the BattleBox stays in the BattleBox. Thank you."
— Marco Meggiolaro's post-match speech, following Minotaur's victory against Witch Doctor in World Championship VII
Off the back of its redemption, Minotaur completed an undefeated 4-0 record as the Fight Night stage drew to a close.
Minotaur vs. Fusion
Entering the Top 32 as the No.1 seed and the bot to beat, Minotaur took on Reese Ewert and the No.32 seed, Fusion.
Minotaur begins on the back foot.
As Fusion approached with its drum spinner, Minotaur got its own up to speed. Both robots went weapon-to-weapon and the Brazilian bot was flung backwards, landing inverted.
Fusion bursts into flames.
Minotaur drove into Fusion again, righting itself but suffering damage to the guard for its weapon belt in the process. Shortly after, Fusion began arcing to the right and then stopped completely. A fire began within the Team Whyachi robot as Daniel Freitas held back.
Chris Rose: "Another nice jab from Fusion..."
Kenny Florian: "WOW!"
Chris Rose: "... and a belt goes flying! Is the No.1 seed in trouble?!"
Kenny Florian: "Oh no! And it's on fire!!"
Chris Rose: "Ohh, no... of course it is!"
Kenny Florian: "The Fusion inferno has returned! Not like this, Chris! Not like this!"
— Chris and Kenny react as the tide turns
Post-fight damage to Minotaur.
As the robot stopped moving over the killsaw slots, Fusion was counted out and Minotaur advanced to the Top 16 once again.
Minotaur vs. Malice
After its most recent victory, Minotaur drew the No.17 seed Malice in the Round of 16, who were now accompanied by former Giant Nut winner, Ray Billings.
"...look for Daniel to target the wheels on Malice, and... given Malice's history of weapon reliability issues, the Brazilians say they are not afraid to go straight at that 60lb drum. This should be fun!"
— Kenny Florian
The first big impact between both robots.
Minotaur began by tentatively moving out of the blue square and across the inner perimeter, where it absorbed an early charge from Malice. The collision sent it gyrating on its side into the bottom-left wall. Upon hitting the bumper, Minotaur landed upside-down and backed towards the nearby paddle. It charged into an approaching Malice from the front-right corner, sending it spinning into the same bumper, though in turn it was deflected towards the red square. Minotaur attempted to self-right as it pitched itself onto each of its sides, though in doing so it maneuvered precariously close to the nearby screws.
Chris Rose: "David Liaw means business... and uh-oh, there's that gyroscopic movement!"
Kenny Florian: "Woah-oh-oh!"
Chris Rose: "But the one seed gets taken down! Can Malice follow it up?"
— As Minotaur is sent ricocheting between two sets of screws
Minotaur is sent ricocheting across the arena.
At that moment, Malice slammed into the side of Minotaur, pitching it into the screws themselves. Minotaur ricocheted across the BattleBox as a result, flipping and spinning directly into the screws lining the Upper Deck. Reversing quickly into the blue square, the RioBotz machine began spinning its drum up, only to flip itself onto the screws behind with assistance from Malice's drum. As it tried to escape, Minotaur sustained another heavy hit from Malice, the recoil of which was enough to cause the latter to kick itself off the floor. Weathering more light blows from its opponent, it retaliated by hitting Malice's right wheel, bumping into the center screw mount as the two competitors separated.
"...and Minotaur having a little trouble getting away from Malice. Starting to gyro - ooh! [Minotaur slams its drum into Malice] Nice duke... and a counter-shot! What a move by Daniel Freitas!"
— Kenny Florian as Minotaur self-rights and punts Malice across the BattleBox
Minotaur, stranded on the screws, causes Malice's drum to hit the BattleBox floor.
Another head-to-head clash followed, before Minotaur finally self-righted while dodging another charge from Malice. Seconds later, Minotaur exchanged a brutal weapon-on-weapon attack, flipping Malice over and causing both robots to recoil towards opposite sides of the BattleBox. Regaining control in the blue square, Daniel Freitas steered his team's machine into the inner perimeter, landing several glancing blows on Malice's wheels and drum.
"It's still early, but Minotaur fighting from behind. They had that incredibly comeback against Cobalt earlier this season. Gonna have to do it here again tonight!"
— Kenny Florian, as Minotaur pressures Malice into a weapon malfunction
Minotaur pins Malice against the Upper Deck.
During these attacks its opponent's spinner stopped turning due to a BEC failure, giving Minotaur the upper hand as it proceeded to nudge and buffet Malice upwards.[13] Minotaur pushed Malice towards the bottom-left Upper Deck screws, pinning it upwards against the hazard mount. Alongside the malfunction, the earlier exchanges had taken a sizeable chunk out of the Big Red drum on Bunny and David Liaw's machine.
Minotaur pressures Malice towards a pulverizer.
Releasing Malice back onto its wheels, Minotaur carried it around and flipped it back upright opposite the red square. A ram from Malice prompted it to land more hits to the front of the Californian entry. Minotaur, while powering its own drum down, maintained this aggressive assault at the halfway point, pushing, then luring Malice towards a pulverizer. More glancing hits followed, allowing Minotaur to buffet and push Malice around in circles into the bottom-left corner. Both robots separated as Malice tried to push Minotaur back; Minotaur headed back to the center, spinning its drum up and throwing an approaching Malice aside. A shoving match between the two heavyweights followed, with Minotaur again pushing Malice under the bottom-right pulverizer and across the nearby bumper.
"Approaching the one-minute mark. Malice landed some huge shots in the first thirty seconds, but it's been all Minotaur since then!"
— Chris Rose as Minotaur pushes Malice within the bottom-right corner
Minotaur overturns Malice in the closing seconds.
Following this, Minotaur retreated towards the top-right killsaws, throwing Malice upwards and on its side with two powerful drum blows. Though briefly lifted by the killsaws themselves, it pounded and flipped Malice completely over through its next series of attacks. Minotaur rammed and landed one last drum attack on Malice during the closing seconds, pushing it back towards the bottom-left corner as the end buzzer sounded.
Chris Rose: "You can exhale now!"
Marco Meggiolaro: "That was a tough fight. I hate fighting horizontal spinners... especially [laughing] with Jin and Ray by my side! Last time, it was not so good!"
— Marco Meggiolaro, during his post-match interview
Damage to Minotaur's right tire after the fight.
Having recovered from its difficult start – a scenario which Marco Meggiolaro had expected - Minotaur received the unanimous judges' decision, allowing his team to progress to the Top 8 once again. Minotaur, however, did not emerge from this battle unscathed; Bunny Liaw later revealed that Malice had become the first robot to break its weapon pulley in its entire career.[14]
Minotaur vs. SawBlaze
In the quarter-finals, Minotaur faced the No.8 seed SawBlaze in a rematch from World Championship VI Fight Nights, where Team RioBotz previously lost. To counter its opponent's hammer saw, a thicker top panel was fitted, though Marco Meggiolaro later confirmed that there was not enough of a weight allowance available to replace the existing baseplate as well.
"Fighting SawBlaze is always very tough. This fight will be a duel, about very good drivers, very aggressive drivers. We have to stay away from the wall. Once you’re caught on the wall, Jamison can still hit us several times, until he is asked to release us. And it’s gonna be up to Daniel to try to get out of the forks if it gets caught, before we get stuck on the walls and we’re cut… we know that Daniel has to be very aggressive, but also very careful."
— Marco Meggiolaro
Minotaur takes an early deflection from SawBlaze.
Of the two robots, Minotaur was the more tentative to start, creeping out of the blue square just as SawBlaze drove its right fork into the drum. The recoil from this threw it into a sideways spin, after which Daniel Freitas piloted it towards the Upper Deck screws in evasion. However, this only allowed SawBlaze to chase and briefly throw Minotaur upwards in that place.
Chris Rose: "Woah! Nice shot, SawBlaze, out of the gate!"
Kenny Florian: "Yeah, they ran that fork right into the drum. So far, that fork is holding up."
— As SawBlaze deflects and begins controlling Minotaur early
SawBlaze strikes the top of Minotaur.
Minotaur headed towards the center, turning around and charging into the front of SawBlaze. This, again, left the RioBotz entry helpless, as SawBlaze promptly rammed and held it in place against a set of red square screws. Churning away at the left fork of Jamison Go's machine, it took a direct hit to its top panel from the latter's hammer saw, and was dragged and pushed further into the red square itself. Minotaur broke free, responding by landing three heavy hits to SawBlaze's forks. Another head-to-head exchange followed; Minotaur, once again, was helpless as SawBlaze scooped, pushed and turned it over onto an Upper Deck screw.
Chris Rose: "Yeah, the one seed told us they wanna go right after those forks. They aren’t afraid to go face-to-face! But now, they're up on the screws of the Upper Deck!"
Kenny Florian: "Minotaur's inverted!"
Both (as SawBlaze strikes Minotaur's baseplate): "OH!"
Chris Rose: "Jamison Go with a shot through the underbelly! The hammer saw wreaking havoc!"
— As Minotaur is flipped over and takes a direct blow to its baseplate
Minotaur's vulnerable baseplate is attacked.
Now stuck on its opponent's left fork, Minotaur could not drive itself free while SawBlaze missed its second hammer saw swing. A few seconds later, its baseplate was pierced by the hammer saw itself, the impact briefly flicking both competitors upwards. After being pushed further along the inner perimeter, Minotaur suddenly darted into a gyro-turn, allowing it to self-right. While doing so, however, it inadvertently steered itself back onto SawBlaze's plow. SawBlaze rammed Minotaur into the wall bumper opposite the control booth, before dragging it backwards.
Minotaur begins to combust as it grinds the front of SawBlaze.
Smoke started pouring from the rear-right corner of Minotaur, which threw itself clear by striking SawBlaze's forks once more. The smoke thickened as Minotaur drove under the pulverizer and into the front of SawBlaze once more. Sparks flew, and flames started flashing from beneath Minotaur, as it was briefly jostled and maneuvered over the bottom-left killsaw slots.
Kenny Florian: "This is when SawBlaze is at their best – a little bit of smoke coming OUT of Minotaur, Chris!"
Chris Rose: "That is a MAJOR issue for Minotaur!"
Kenny Florian: "Could this be another fire? IT IS!"
Chris Rose: "It is, for the second straight season!"
— As SawBlaze controls and starts a repeat internal fire for Minotaur
Minotaur fights back, throwing SawBlaze over.
This exchange allowed Minotaur to clip SawBlaze's left fork from the side, flicking Jamison Go's machine upwards. With its opponent's back end now vulnerable, it immediately ripped off the wheelguard from the same side and delivered a violent hit to its hammer saw. Minotaur's momentum caused it to briefly get stuck on the bumper, though it turned around quickly and charged up the front of SawBlaze. Again, this proved to be costly, as SawBlaze rammed and flipped it against the same Upper Deck screw set as before. Still burning brightly, Minotaur turned itself back upright, before engaging in another head-to-head scrap.
Minotaur lands a series of violent and damaging attacks on SawBlaze.
SawBlaze rammed Minotaur back into the control booth bumper, the Brazilian machine continuing to be pressured and steered backwards within the inner perimeter. Grinding attacks to SawBlaze's plow eventually allowed it to jolt free, after which Minotaur flung SawBlaze over and ripped off one of the supports for its hammer saw arm. Though its opponent quickly self-righted, Minotaur refused to let up, flipping SawBlaze a second time and continuing to attack its weapon assembly.
Kenny Florian: "Jamison Go, with the pressure, but they're taking huge shots here again!"
Chris Rose: "Still ninety seconds to go, and SawBlaze pops into the air! [Minotaur pounds SawBlaze higher off the BattleBox floor] OH!"
Kenny Florian: "That looked like a direct shot to the weapon coupling of SawBlaze! What a comeback this would be by Minotaur!"
— As SawBlaze is flipped and damaged further by Minotaur's drum
Another powerful blow allowed it to toss SawBlaze even higher into the air, while also tearing the remaining arm support off. As the battle entered its second half, Minotaur kept attacking the front of the now re-righted SawBlaze. In response, SawBlaze collected and rammed it into the bumper opposite the bottom-left pulverizer. Minotaur, still engulfed in flames, twice turned itself over within the corner, but was unable to escape before SawBlaze shoved it into another nearby bumper. More smoke began pouring from its back end as it was pinned in place. However, its attacks up to this point were enough to have disabled SawBlaze's overhead spinner.
"Minotaur has turned the tables here, Chris! They've broken SawBlaze's weapon, and Jamison cannot afford to get flipped!"
— Kenny Florian reports the damage to SawBlaze's hammer saw
Minotaur upends SawBlaze, who immediately retaliates.
Minotaur grazed SawBlaze's forks yet again as the two competitors separated. There, it flicked SawBlaze upwards opposite the bottom-left killsaw slots, before pushing and chasing it back towards the center. Minotaur followed this up with another ram, then a third flip on SawBlaze, which allowed it to strike its opponent's disk once again. Seconds later, it initiated another head-to-head collision, causing it to flip over and violently crash down on top of SawBlaze's weapon arm.
Kenny Florian: "This is just a nasty brawl here by BOTH robots!"
Chris Rose: "Great job by SawBlaze, pinning his opponent now against the screws!"
— As SawBlaze rams and traps Minotaur against the blue square screws
Self-righting immediately, Minotaur attacked SawBlaze's forks, but was smashed against a blue square screw mount as a consequence. With just under 50 seconds to go, SawBlaze pushed and repeatedly stacked Daniel Freitas' machine against the screws themselves, as the drum suddenly stopped turning.
"Minotaur looks like a piece of burnt toast at this point! How are they going to get off the screws with thirty to go?"
— Chris Rose as Minotaur is jostled around by the screws
A flaming Minotaur rests immobile by the screws.
Once propped up on the hazard – with its drum resting against the blue square itself - a smouldering Minotaur was jostled and turned around, before finally being lowered back onto the floor. However, once it had been freed by the screws, it immediately became clear that the robot was now completely incapacitated. Following one last ram from SawBlaze, Minotaur was left immobile opposite the screws, as Daniel Freitas frantically attempted to regain control.
Kenny Florian: "Oh Minotaur, may be knocked out here Chris! They may have FRIED their motors!"
Chris Rose: "That is it, I think! SawBlaze... have they done it? Have they pulled off the upset?! The countdown has started! The one seed is history!"
— As Minotaur lays immobile, and Team SawBlaze begin celebrating the knockout win
Team RioBotz post-fight.
Despite putting up a spectacular and spirited performance, Minotaur was soon counted out by David Sanfilippo, eliminating it from World Championship VII by knockout. An emotional Freitas was consoled by Marco Meggiolaro and his other teammates as the elimination was confirmed, though he later exchanged a peaceful fist bump with the victorious Jamison Go.
Chris Rose: "Marco. For almost two minutes, you made it while you were on fire. What was it that eventually did you in?"
Marco Meggiolaro: "Well... we put some extra thickness on the top armor, but didn't have weight for the bottom one. [Jamison] drove very well. Jamison did a good job getting a fire right at the beginning. It's a very tough robot, SawBlaze, so... we learn a lot."
— Marco Meggiolaro's post-match interview
BattleBots Proving Ground[]
Minotaur vs. Claw Viper (4/11/2024)
Team RioBotz became the second international team to enter BattleBots Proving Ground in April after Canadian entry Orbitron, as Minotaur fought four times as part of the Destruct-a-Thon show. The first of its fights took place on the Thursday show against Claw Viper.
Claw Viper gains an early advantage.
Minotaur was quickly charged down by Claw Viper, which oversteered before promptly correcting itself and making contact in the middle of the arena. Though Minotaur's drum was already up to speed, Claw Viper got underneath from the right flank and charged it into the screws.
A fire starts inside Claw Viper.
However, fire soon erupted from Kevin Milczewski's robot and it was left moving in arcs inside the blue starting square. The smoke quickly dissipated and Claw Viper still looked to get under the Brazilian bot despite being down a speed controller.
Sparks fly as both robots collide.
Minotaur met Claw Viper head-on and sparks flew on impact. This attack also disrupted the lights of the BattleBox, causing them to flicker for the rest of the battle. Minotaur buffeted against the lifter of Claw Viper, which caused the controlbot to twitch in place before becoming immobilized.
Claw Viper was then counted out as Minotaur returned to the middle of the arena, sealing the win by knockout for Team RioBotz.
Minotaur vs. Claw Viper (4/12/2024)
Minotaur fought Claw Viper for a second time during the Friday show.
Claw Viper charges down Minotaur.
Minotaur was instantly box-rushed by Claw Viper before it had a chance to get its drum spinner up to damaging speed. Claw Viper slid underneath and popped it opponent into the air before driving itself into the arena wall.
Unfazed, Kevin Milczewski's robot drove Minotaur into the short corner before driving it back and almost tipping it over. Claw Viper clamped down on the drum of Minotaur, but Daniel Freitas managed to wriggle free from the controlbot's grasp. Minotaur turned to face Claw Viper, causing sparks to fly as its drum made contact with its opponent's steel forks. However, it instantly found itself on the back foot again as Claw Viper got around to its flank, driving Minotaur around the arena before settling on grappling it inside the red square.
Claw Viper looks to stand Minotaur on its end.
Claw Viper tipped Minotaur up and looked to rest it against the housing of the screws, but the Team RioBotz robot fell back onto Claw Viper and struck its weapon system. This did not appear to affect Claw Viper, whose top arm raised again as it continued to harass Minotaur in the opposite corner.
Claw Viper stacks Minotaur against the wall.
The controlbot lifted the World Championship IV finalist against the Lexan, threatening to hoist its opponent out of the arena entirely, but Minotaur recovered again and got its drum spinner back up to full power once more, striking the sides and front of Claw Viper as it was driven back towards the screws again. Minotaur landed upside-down and righted itself, but was inverted shortly after once Claw Viper rammed it against the opposite arena wall.
Minotaur drives into Claw Viper.
Now past the 1:30 mark, Daniel Freitas tried desperately to use the robot's gyroscopic forces to self-right, but failed to do so at the first attempt. Claw Viper corralled it into the short corner where Freitas successfully flipped Minotaur back over, but not before suffering a pulverizer blow to its top. Minotaur found itself rammed into the Upper Deck before escaping, but Claw Viper was quick on its tail and drove it back towards the pulverizer. The Brazilian representative flipped itself over, leaving itself vulnerable as Claw Viper drove it into the screws of the Upper Deck. Minotaur drove across the top of Claw Viper in an attempt to flip back over, but was quickly inverted again on impact with its opponent's forks.
Claw Viper overturns Minotaur again.
Claw Viper held Minotaur in its grasp again, but failed to lift on this occasion. Daniel Freitas expertly flipped Minotaur back over and faced Claw Viper, whose upper arm was sitting at a lower position than before. Minotaur struck the front of Claw Viper several times in quick succession before Kevin Milczewski's robot flipped Minotaur once again and halted its drum.
Minotaur's primary weapon got back up to speed in the final fifteen seconds as the pair engaged in a shoving match until the clock hit zero. After the fight, Claw Viper caught fire but won the crowd vote.
Lucky met Minotaur in the center of the arena and the Brazilian robot got its 8000rpm drum up to speed, buffeting away at the front of Lucky before turning to spin back up. Mark Demers looked to escape, but in doing so, drove into the arena wall. This gave Minotaur ample opportunity to attack the right side of Lucky, so Daniel Freitas honed in on the vulnerable side armor and eventually got to Lucky's underside before it fell back on top of Minotaur.
Lucky mistimes its flip.
As Minotaur sought space to spin back up, Lucky was in hot pursuit and threatened to get in underneath, but narrowly missed getting its hinged wedgelet into position. The 2018 season runner-up continued to attack the front of Lucky, breaking the mounting for its wedgelet attachment and rendering it almost useless. Minotaur then momentarily drove over the front of the wedgelet, but Lucky lacked the leverage required to throw Minotaur as it fired its flipper for the first time in the battle.
Lucky's damaged front end.
Almost a minute in, the front of Lucky looked worse for wear while Minotaur showed no signs of letting up. It landed several small shots in succession, buckling Lucky's smaller forks and dislocating its wedgelet even more. Minotaur drove to the vulnerable rear end of Lucky and got underneath, charging it into the short corner and ultimately tearing away Lucky's damaged wedgelet.
Minotaur throws Lucky, before it gets itself stuck.
The fight moved to the middle of the BattleBox and Lucky turned to face Minotaur again. However, Minotaur caught Lucky's flank and upended it, almost flipping it over. After this assault, the right rear wheel of Mark Demers' machine was loose and its mobility appeared impaired. Lucky was thrown by Minotaur and landed upright in the screws, but was overturned as Daniel Freitas dealt a devastating follow-up shot. Lucky acrobatically looked to right itself, landing on its back off the first flip and launching itself behind the augers as a result of the second.
"Lucky, you're gonna need to make a miracle!"
— Referee Yvette Clutterbuck before starting her count
Lucky finds itself slotted behind the screws.
Lucky was subsequently counted out as Minotaur returned to winning ways.
Minotaur vs. Traves T. (4/14/2024)
Minotaur's fourth and final Proving Ground opponent was rookie Traves T., operated by Kurt Krueger.
Minotaur charges Traves T. into the screws.
Minotaur approached Traves T. in the middle the arena, and the pair went weapon-to-weapon. Minotaur got around to the side of Traves T. and drove underneath, pushing from the back of its legs and guiding it into the screws.
Both bots go weapon-to-weapon.
As Minotaur drove away, Traves T. was allowed time to recover and struck the Brazilian bot's drum again. Minotaur's gyroscopic forces lifted its right side off the ground momentarily and Traves T. surged backwards, slamming its bar into its unstable opponent before meeting head on again.
Minotaur looked to take control and began attacking Traves T. near the screws again, successfully damaging a wheel and peeling a tire away. Daniel Freitas drove Minotaur underneath Traves T. again, evading its primary weapon which ground to a halt after their previous assault.
Traves T. immobilized in the corner.
Traves T. lost another tire and was left unable to move as Minotaur returned to the blue starting square. Yvette Clutterbuck initiated a count and Minotaur won by knockout in just over a minute, finishing with a 3-1 record and the Giant Washer Award for the most destructive robot over the week.
Results[]
MINOTAUR
World Championship II
World Championship Tournament #7 Seed, Semi-Finals
"It’s Brazilian, so you know someone is about to get waxed. It’s MINOTAUR!"
"It's raining, it's pouring, it's time for some goring! Part man, part cattle and ready for battle. It's MINOTAUR!"
"At the running of the bulls, the bulls run from him. Toro! Toro! Toro! These horns bring the gore-o. It's MINOTAUR!"
"In this symphony of destruction, this monster plays the horns. 1st Chair in the Gore-chestra Pit. It's MINOTAUR!"
"From Brazil, the raging bull. When it's stampeding, you're going to start bleeding. It's MINOTAUR!"
"*singing* Ole, ole ole ole. When this bot sees red, you're... well, dead. It's fast, it's mean, it'll bust your spleen. It's MINOTAUR!"
"It's the bull from Brazil here to win-otaur, wipe that face of that grin-otaur, smash your chiny-chin chin-otaur. The South American Kingpin-otaur, it's MINOTAUR!"
"Like a bull in a China shop, here's a bot you can't stop. The plate breakin', earth shakin', no fakin' MINOTAUR!"
"He's a bot cast in legend. They should call it Oprah Spin-frey. You get a kill! You get a kill! You get a kill. Everybody gets a kill! It's MINOTAUR!"
"If you mess with the bull, you get the horns and your robot will end up ragged and torn. So slap on the spurs. Hop on for a ride. Face this bot and you might die. It's MINOTAUR!"
"This bot took no bull. Come at it hard, you'll look like a fool. The tips are sharp, its speed is fast. Get out of its way or you might not last. It's MINOTAUR!"
"This Brazilian bull will smack you right in the face, leaving limping away, head down in disgrace. Its mission is simple, go in for the kill and bring the Giant Nut back to Brazil. It's MINOTAUR!"
"It's the Michael Jordan of bots. It's all about winning. Now trying to earn its first title, it never stops spinning. It's MINOTAUR!"
"It's the one and only bull from Rio. Here to make you all cry 'dios mio'. Think I didn't know that was Spanish? Please, you try rhyming in Portuguese. It's the holy terra, from Rio de Janeiro. It's MINOTAUR!"
"It's baaaaack, and somebody's about to get mino-tore up from the floor up. Listen for the drum, as it gets ready to blow up. It's MINOTAUR!"
"This bots nickname is Splat Binotaur. It's a bot breaker, scream maker, life taker. It don't mess around, no no no. It's MINOTAUR!"
"From Brazil, chiggity check yourself before it wrecks yourself 'cause bulls from down south are bad for your health. It put the smack-down on Lucky, and for you, that's just sucky. South America's most wanted, MINOTAUR!"
"From Rio de Janeiro, check out this bots scenario. He upended End Game in the semi-final, now it's time to lock horns with his cross country rival. It's the bellowing bull in this uncivil war. It's the mighty, fighty, MINOTAUR!"
"Who gave this bot a Visa? It'll charge you like a South American Express. All the way from Brazil, it'll cost you an arm and a leg for the bill. It's MINOTAUR!"
“This bot from Greek mythology kills from Mykonos to Acropolis. He’s the greatest Greek since John Stamos, like a half-bull Jessie Katsopolis. You’ve never seen a bot this strong. He could bring Apollos to his knees, kill all of Mount Olympus, making Zeus call him Hercules, Hercules! It’s the oracle of you die… MINOTAUR!”
"From Rio de Janiero, Brazil, the most ball-headed bot the sport has ever seen, it's MINOTAUR!"
"A Minotaur has the head of a bull and the body of a man which means you can get the horns and you can catch these hands. So step right up. I'm calling all matadors to shout olé and get gored through the BattleBox floor. It's MINOTAUR!"
"Just like David Bowie, labyrinths are his favorite places. Gonna make some ch-ch-ch-changes to other bots' faces. He's a hero, a star, man. He'll kill you quick with no pity. Pack your bags, 'cause he's sending you to Suffer Death City. It's MINOTAUR!"
"Hey, bots, this team sat out last season, sparing your lives. Now this bull is back like Jordan, wearing a 45. In this fight, they're an underdog, not given much of a chance, and they took that personally. Now, prepare for your last dance. Give it up for MINOTAUR!"
"Minotaur can beat you in a minute or he can prolong your fall. Give you a mini-tour of the battle floor before he slams you to the wall. Ask all the men he tore with those spinning forks if they felt like fools when his mini-horns hit a gore like the running of the bulls. It's MINOTAUR!"
"Saddle up, partner, this bull's bucking up a ruckus. But you won't make it eight seconds because he turns cowboys into suckers. When the gate opens up, he charges lightning fast, this isn't his first rodeo, but he'll make it your last. It's MINOTAUR!"
"They went to win it all and I wouldn't bet against the foreign beast, because they're here to win a porca gigante. That's the Giant Nut in Portuguese. When it's all said and done, there's only one thing they'll call you, 'The newest world champion of Robos de Batalha.' Here to speak the universal language of robot destruction, it's MINOTAUR!"
"This raging bull isn't played by Robert De Niro, some goodfellas from Brazil are this story's heroes. Try to talk smack and this bot will go bonkers. He'll say, 'You talking to me? You better not, little Fockers!' It's MINOTAUR!"
"Like the Chicago Bulls of the 90s, this bot dominates its sport, and would have ruled that sport too, it just doesn't look good in shorts. Dennis Rodman couldn't rebound, Scottie Pippen would be defenseless, and Michael Jordan would never be the GOAT had this bull knocked him senseless. It's MINOTAUR!"
"From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You're trapped in his maze of pain for all of eternity. Welcome to the stab-rinth, it's MINOTAUR!"
Merchandise[]
Any appearance by Minotaur in merchandise are listed below:
Minotaur is one of the most consistent overall performers in the reboot era of BattleBots, yet to fail in making at least the Championship quarter-finals in each of its seasons so far.
Minotaur, ROTATOR, Whiplash and Witch Doctor are the only three bots to have fought all five World Champions.
The sound of Minotaur's drum used in its battles for the ABC reboot is from outside when the drum was running as the sound of of the drum inside the arena wasn't as good.
Ironically, Minotaur's HEXBUG toy accurately reflects the damage it received during its Championship match against Bite Force, as one of the side wheelguards was ripped away.
Touro is Portuguese for "bull", which has been a common theme for the team's drum spinner robots for over a decade.
The Minotaur in Greek legend is a mythological half-man half-bull, with its name deriving from Minotauros, otherwise known as “Minos's Bull”.
