It was a two-wheeled robot armed with a large asymmetric verticalbar spinner which could reach speeds of 200mph, though is often reduced to 180mph for battles. One end of the weapon is shaped like a fist, while the other is curved to counterbalance it. This 50lb weapon, referred to by the team as a 'puncher'', could be swapped out for two other options: a 50lb bar which was used in several fights, and an 80lb weapon called 'The HOOP'.[1]
Uppercut during World Championship IV hero shots.
Team Uppercut sported a boxing theme, bearing the fist-shaped weapon as the team often appeared in boxing attire ahead of fights. Uppercut had a minibot called Helping Hands, a small wedge-shaped robot with hands designed to try and distract opponents and help out the bigger robot. They also entered a minibot themed around the BattleBox, complete with HEXBUGTombstone and Witch Doctor toys. Despite a rumble loss in its first ever fight, Uppercut did well in its first season, making the Round Of 16 before losing out to eventual champions Bite Force.
Uppercut during World Championship V hero shots.
Returning for World Championship V, Uppercut boasted relatively few upgrades due to the team's MIT lab being locked down due to COVID-19 with the 2019 Uppercut build still inside its crate. Therefore, the team were unable to work on the robot until Uppercut shipped to Los Angeles en route to World Championship V filming. Luckily for the team, they were able to perform several upgrades away from the lab, including custom-built weapon motors making use of encoders to enhance its power and result in one of the fastest spin-up times in the field.[2] Uppercut now also sported 'ears' and additional horns protruding from the top of the robot to aid it when upside-down, and prevent the weapon from hitting the BattleBox floor at full speed. One horn was slightly taller than the other, to encourage the robot to tilt back onto its wheels, and alternate wedgelet when flipped.[3] Uppercut made its mark in its Fight Night battles, beating Gemini, SawBlaze and HiJinx by KO in quick and spectacular fashion, before losing out to Ribbot in the Round of 16 and failing to reach the quarter-finals for a second time.
Uppercut during World Championship VI hero shots.
Uppercut returned again for World Championship VI with several noticeable upgrades to the design. The team designed a brand new front plow, with the sides bearing its name now angled rather than being a single flat piece of material. The top horns which aided Uppercut's invertibility appeared to be swapped out for a narrow scoop bolted to the top of the chassis. Uppercut's 2021 season began with a convincing knockout win over Robotic Death Company'sGigabyte, before defeating Free Shipping in explosive fashion. After getting the nod in a double knockout against HUGE, Uppercut fell to rookie Riptide in the Top 16.
Entering BattleBots: Champions I as one of the most featured robots in its bracket, Uppercut defeated Wild Side Robotics and Dragon Slayer, before taking out Free Shipping for a second time. Uppercut fell one stage short of fighting ROTATOR, as it lost by virtue of a simultaneous knockout against bracket winners Glitch.
Ahead of World Championship VII, it was confirmed that team member Anna Zolnikov, along with others, would leave to build and manage RIPperoni - one of two robots entered by Omega Team, the other being Starchild. Alex Hattori moved to the west coast in the off-season, taking the Uppercut builds with him as he opted to prioritize mid-term exams which took place during the 2022 filming dates.[4]
As such, the future of both Team Uppercut and the robot itself remains unknown beyond the seventh season.[5] Alex Hattori was present at the July 2023 Open Sauce event, where he showcased a two-wheeled jumping robot named STRIDE.[6]
Uppercut tries to capitalize on its other opponents being stuck together.
Uppercut's first fight was an untelevised rumble against fellow newcomer Jasper and Aren Hill'sTantrum. Uppercut got its weapon up to speed early on, and opted to target Tantrum as Jasper held back. Uppercut then delivered a big hit to the back of Tantrum, which resulted in Uppercut's weapon dying due to one a post above the weapon preventing it from getting stuck becoming bent. Uppercut played little part thereafter and eventually took hits to its underside from Tantrum and stopped moving in the center of the BattleBox. Jasper had not moved since it initially got stuck on Tantrum, so both were counted out, giving Tantrum the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Mammoth
Uppercut topples Mammoth over.
Uppercut delivers the final blow to Mammoth.
Uppercut's next match was against another fellow newcomer, Mammoth. Before the match, Uppercut had its wedge removed to run inverted and its minibot Helping Hands was also present. As the fight began, Uppercut was causing problems for Mammoth, though mostly to Mammoth's forks, ripping one off and flipping Mammoth over. Mammoth self-righted so Uppercut moved in again, after righting itself, this time toppling Mammoth over and ripping a wheel and motor off. This time, Mammoth was not righting itself so Uppercut went in for another attack, almost putting Mammoth back over but also rupturing Mammoth's fuel tank. Mammoth was now on fire and being counted out, giving Uppercut the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Breaker Box
Uppercut takes a slice out of Breaker Box's plow.
Uppercut next fought against veteran Jim Smentowski and his newest entry, Breaker Box. Uppercut went into the match relatively unchanged, and as the match started, Uppercut was dishing out some damage to Breaker Box's lifting plow, peeling up a small section, but not causing any major damage. Uppercut soon had trouble as they were shoved around the arena due to their robot's own tendency to tip over. Uppercut found itself turned on its side on multiple occasions, but simply came back down each time with little to no trouble. Uppercut also ended up upside down a few times, but was able to run inverted and came back at Breaker Box in no time. Smoke soon began to erupt out of Breaker Box and soon Breaker Box stopped moving, with Uppercut giving a final hit that dented Breaker Box's rear panel and giving Uppercut the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Skorpios
Uppercut hits one of Skorpios' tires.
Uppercut hits and tosses Skorpios.
Both weapons collide.
Uppercut was next placed against veteran Skorpios. In response, Uppercut opted for a different weapon bar and support. As the match got underway, Uppercut was quickly taking control, dealing three shots in the opening second, one to each of Skorpios' tires, while the second exchange to the back cost Uppercut one of its side bars. Uppercut momentarily got stuck in the killsaws slot, which gave Skorpios an opening to lightly puncture the right tire, but Uppercut managed to get away without any further damage. Uppercut managed to get back up to speed and deliver a side on shot, throwing Skorpios back a bit. Uppercut delivered another shot, this time throwing Skorpios onto his head, before the boxing robot turned away to get back up to speed, but it was stopped early. After a bit of driving, both met back up for weapon to weapon shots, which Uppercut got the better exchange, before throwing Skorpios back again. Uppercut got two more shots in, one to the wedge and a final to the saw, before Skorpios started emitting smoke that turned into a fire and stopped moving. Skorpios was counted out, giving Uppercut the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Railgun MAX vs. Bloodsport
Bloodsport flies out of the arena, leaving Uppercut to fight Railgun MAX.
Uppercut hits the disabled wheel of Railgun MAX.
Since Uppercut's record was tied with Railgun MAX and Bloodsport, the three of them were picked to fight in a rumble to decide which of them earned a spot in the Top 16. As the rumble got underway, Uppercut hung back while Railgun MAX and Bloodsport traded blows. Uppercut eventually got into the melee once Bloodsport was thrown out of the arena by Railgun MAX. Uppercut started to take control by attacking Railgun MAX's exposed wheel and had little to face in return as Railgun MAX had lost the use of its weapon from the exchanges with the horizontal bar spinner. Uppercut continued to attack until Railgun MAX stopped moving and was counted out, giving Uppercut the win by KO and a spot in the Top 16.
Uppercut vs. Bite Force
Bite Force throws Uppercut against the BattleBox.
Uppercut went into the Top 16 as the No.16 seed, which saw it draw the current champion Bite Force. For this all-important bout, Alex Hattori's term opted for the front wedgelets. Uppercut remained in its square as the fight began, choosing to getting its weapon up to speed while Bite Force drove across the arena. However, Uppercut unbalanced and Bite Force capitalized by throwing Uppercut against the BattleBox. Alex Hattori's bot remained mobile, so Bite Force hit it again. Uppercut landed on its weapon this time, however, which left its drive wheels off the arena floor. Due to the significant damage Uppercut had caused to Bite Force's weapon system and chassis in those two hits, they were left alone instead of being freed. Uppercut was unable to move and was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by a quick knockout and ending Uppercut's rookie season.
World Championship V[]
Uppercut vs. Gemini
Uppercut launches Hydroxyl out of the arena.
Uppercut takes a chunk out of Fred.
Returning for the 2020 season, Uppercut's first match was against the multibot, Gemini. At the start, Uppercut hit Hydroxyl from the back so hard, it flung the robot from halfway across the arena and clean out of the arena. Shortly after, Uppercut hit Fred, taking off its right wheel and motor, leaving it on its back and immobile. Gemini was no longer able to continue the fight and was counted out, giving Uppercut the win by a very quick KO at just 25 seconds.
Uppercut vs. SawBlaze
Uppercut bursts SawBlaze's flamethrower fuel tank
Uppercut's second match was against SawBlaze as the Main Event of the matchup card. As the match began, Uppercut charged and landed an extremely powerful blow to SawBlaze's left tire, which sent SawBlaze flying halfway across the BattleBox and landing on top of the screws. Just as SawBlaze managed to get down from the arena barrier, Uppercut rammed into SawBlaze and burst it's flamethrower's fuel line, creating a massive explosion. Uppercut continued to dominate the match, ripping a chunk of Sawblaze's armor off and jolting it's left drive chain off. Uppercut delivered a final shot to Sawblaze which immobilized it, giving Uppercut the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Hydra
Uppercut is flipped into the air by Hydra.
Uppercut's BattleBox-inspired minibot.
Fresh off an explosive Main Event win over SawBlaze, Uppercut was now facing Team Whyachi'sHydra. In response, Uppercut was armed with a longer bar meant for cutting instead of its fist-shaped bar. They also added a minibot designed to look like the BattleBox, complete with a HEXBUG Tombstone and Witch Doctor inside, but these toys were removed before the fight. Uppercut was not doing well at all as they were quickly tossed into the air by Hydra. Uppercut recovered but had lost their minibot and were unable to mount a counterattack before being tossed again. After a third hit, Uppercut was taken to the screws, where its bar tore off a piece of the hazard before being pushed onto the one next to the one it damaged. Luckily, the screw was able to reverse and Uppercut escaped but took another flip that cost it one of the two spikes intended for inverted driving. Uppercut spent the closing seconds on its side before time ran out. The judges awarded Hydra a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Uppercut vs. HiJinx
Uppercut punts HiJinx out of the arena.
Uppercut made it into the Top 32 seeded the No. 4 seed and came up against the No.29 seed HiJinx. With the match underway, Uppercut charged at HiJinx and nearly hit its left tire. Uppercut continued to push against HiJinx's long stabilizer which kept both Bots' weapons from making contact. Now near the Screws, Uppercut went weapon-to-weapon with its opponent, sending HiJinx out of the arena and sending itself spiraling out of control around the BattleBox. With no way back into the fight, HiJinx was counted out, giving Uppercut the win by another very quick KO with just 33 seconds gone.
Uppercut vs. Ribbot
Uppercut tears a wheel from Ribbot in the first few seconds.
Having progressed to the Top 16 for a second time, Uppercut's next opponent was No. 20 seed Ribbot, who opted for their horizontal undercutter configuration. Uppercut was dominant in the opening moments of the match, tearing up the front of Ribbot and ripping away both front wheels. However, Ribbot was still able to push Uppercut into the walls and as the fight progressed, Uppercut's drive motors began to fail on them. Ribbot then pushed Uppercut towards the pulverizer and landed a huge hit on Uppercut. Ribbot drove away as it became clear that Uppercut was no longer moving. Uppercut was counted out, giving Ribbot an impressive comeback win by knockout and eliminating Uppercut from the tournament.
World Championship VI[]
Uppercut vs. Gigabyte
Gigabyte and Uppercut duel it out in the corner of the BattleBox.
Gigabyte lays immobile as Uppercut watches on.
Uppercut started its 2021 campaign with an undercard match against Gigabyte. It entered the fight with two minibots made up of D2 kits. From the off, Gigabyte was unable to remain stable as an early nudge from Uppercut sent it into the screws. From then, Gigabyte bounced into the area to the left side of the Upper Deck hazard and became trapped, taking a slightly harder hit from Uppercut. The next impact saw Uppercut bounce upwards, forcing its vertical spinner into the BattleBox floor and sending it flying over the corner of the Upper Deck. Gigabyte recovered, but rather than escape the corner, opted to attack Uppercut instead. This proved to be a mistake as Uppercut was able to get a mean bite on their shell and flip them over. Gigabyte righted itself but was again vulnerable, and the next hit bent Gigabyte's self-righting pole to 90 degrees upon landing. Uppercut dealt a few final hits until Gigabyte could no longer recover. It was counted out, giving Uppercut the win by KO.
Uppercut vs. Free Shipping
Uppercut and Free Shipping duke it out.
Uppercut causes another explosion in the BattleBox.
Another angle of the explosion.
Fresh off an impressive display against veterans in Gigabyte, Uppercut's second fight was against Gary Gin and Free Shipping. Uppercut struggled in the opening moments as Free Shipping led with its arm raised, managing to unbalance Uppercut and send it bouncing across the BattleBox floor. Uppercut then landed a big hit to Free Shipping which flipped its opponent over. This was followed up by an attack to the fuel tank of Free Shipping, which caused a massive fiery explosion reminiscent of their previous win over SawBlaze. Free Shipping attempted to escape while still on fire but its wedges were bent upwards and it drove into the wall. Uppercut maintained its aggression and struck the front of its opponent once more, ripping both wedges away and the right-front tire in the same impact. Free Shipping was now upside-down again and drove to the corner to right itself, but Gary Gin inadvertently propped himself up against the wall. Although Uppercut's drive was disabled on one side, Free Shipping was counted out and Alex Hattori's team progressed to 2-0 for the season.
Uppercut vs. HUGE
Uppercut and HUGE go weapon to weapon.
Both bots lay immobile in the short corner.
Uppercut did not receive a third Fight Night battle, and advanced to the Round of 32 as the No.5 seed. In its first knockout battle, Uppercut faced No.28 seed HUGE. In the opening seconds, Uppercut darted towards HUGE but Jonathan Schultz was able to evade the box rush. The two spinning weapons collided which sent HUGE bouncing over the Upper Deck and Uppercut flying backwards into the arena wall, landing in the corner of the BattleBox. Both robots' weapons survived the impact as HUGE attempted to smother Uppercut in the center of the arena, cutting away one of their side poles and leading them into the short corner. HUGE stopped moving as Uppercut attacked from the rear, driving underneath and bending one of their stabilizing arms inward. However, Uppercut went in to attack a second time and flipped onto its side. A count had not yet started on HUGE and Uppercut was now also immobile. With neither bot moving, both referees began counting as a simultaneous knockout was announced. The fight therefore went to the judges, who ruled in favor of Uppercut.
Uppercut vs. Riptide
Foam litters the BattleBox as Uppercut's tires are shredded.
Next up for Uppercut was a surprise package of the 2021 season, No.21 seed Riptide. Both bots charged to the center of the BattleBox, but it was Riptide who engaged first with its weapon, hitting the right side of Uppercut and throwing it around. Uppercut landed on its side against the wall and before it had a chance to recover, Riptide struck two more times and Uppercut bounced into the screws. Uppercut was stuck behind the screws for a moment before being spat out. Riptide sliced their foam-filled tire upon recovering, littering the BattleBox with foam as Uppercut tried to escape. Alex Hattori's team attempted to use the gyroscopic forces from their weapon to maneuver away, but lost a side pole in the process. Riptide continued to overwhelm its opponent and honed in on the exposed tires until Uppercut was no longer mobile. Uppercut was counted out and was eliminated from the competition at the Round of 16 stage.
BattleBots: Champions I[]
Uppercut vs. Dragon Slayer
Uppercut and Dragon Slayer face off.
Uppercut returned for BattleBots: Champions I, and faced Dragon Slayer in the first round of the bracket. Both robots immediately spun up their weaponry and as Dragon Slayer approached, Uppercut delivered the first blow which sent Dragon Slayer into a backflip. Despite landing on its wheels, Uppercut dealt a follow-up shot which sent it spinning towards the short corner. Dragon Slayer fought back as it tore one of the balancing poles away from the side of Uppercut's weapon support, but rode up the front of its wedge and fell backwards. Now inverted, Uppercut was free to attack the vulnerable underside of its opponent, leaving visible gashes in the base of the robot. Dragon Slayer ultimately righted itself and got back up to speed, turning to face Uppercut as the two robots went weapon-to-weapon again. Dragon Slayer was sent into another backflip as Uppercut itself became unbalanced near the screws. Uppercut hit Dragon Slayer one final time, which knocked it out cold. Dragon Slayer was counted out, and Uppercut advanced to the next round.
Uppercut vs. Free Shipping
History repeats itself.
Awaiting Uppercut in the next round was Free Shipping in a rematch from their explosive Fight Night meeting earlier in the 2021 season. Free Shipping swapped its scoop out for its wide wedge, and again began with its lifter raised. Uppercut dealt the first blow of the match, a glancing shot which appeared to immediately immobilize Free Shipping. Uppercut then tore into the side of Free Shipping, puncturing one of the canisters for its flamethrower. The follow-up shot caused the canister to ignite, causing another large fireball in the BattleBox. Free Shipping was counted out and Uppercut moved on in the bracket.
Uppercut vs. Glitch
Uppercut and Glitch square off.
The judges declare a simultaneous knockout.
Next up for Uppercut were the as yet unbeaten rookies, Kyle Miller and Glitch. Uppercut immediately drove towards Glitch, whose charge was interrupted by the killsaw slot. Uppercut hit the front of Glitch, but Kyle Miller's bot was unfazed as Uppercut lifted off the ground to reposition itself for another attack. While unbalanced, Glitch struck Uppercut several times before Alex Hattori drove Glitch back into the arena barrier, suffering another shot as Glitch spun to face it. As Uppercut struggled to move on one side, Glitch got to the back of it and tore its entire baseplate away, but now neither robot appeared to be showing sufficient movement as while Glitch's wheels were turning, they were not making contact with the BattleBox floor, as Glitch had gotten caught on an imperfection created by Deep Six in the previous Sin City Slugfest episode. However, Uppercut was also unable to escape the corner, so a count began on both robots. A simultaneous knockout was declared, and Glitch was declared the winner by way of a split judges' decision. As such, Uppercut was eliminated at this stage of the bracket.
"From MIT, but it's serving up Ha-die-an Punch and you're about to get Kool-laid out. Ohhhhhh yeah! It's the bot that pours on the shots. Going straight for the gut, UPPERCUT!"
"You know the Thrilla in Manila and the Rumble in the Jungle, and now it's time for this bot to make you crumble. Welcome to the melee in LA. It's UPPERCUT!"
"It's got more swings than a playground, make you dizzy like a merry-go-round. You're going to take one straight to the gut from UPPERCUT!"
"It's the #16 seed. It earned its spot by a double KO, let me hear an A-O. It might be the underdog, but to shock the world, all it takes is one... UPPERCUT!"
"From Cambridge, Massachusetts, it's the fist of robotic fury, UPPERCUT!"
"Ding ding, ring the bell. There's gonna be a rumble tonight. This guy's like Conor McGregor... if he actually won his last fight. He's putting up his dukes and like Muhammad Ali, he’s gonna float like a butterfly and sting like... getting punched in the face by a 250lb robot. They're not all going to rhyme… It's UPPERCUT!"
"From Cambridge, Massachusetts, it ain't the jabs or the hooks that'll leave you cooked, it's UPPERCUT!"
"This team comes from MIT and they'll leave you MIA. They specialize in TKOs so their opponents better pray. BTW, those were acronyms, and they're fitting in this case, because OMG, you'll be DOA if you get in his face. Give it up for UPPERCUT!"
"From Cambridge, Massachusetts, everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth by UPPERCUT!"
"This bot comes from MIT, and it graduated at the top of its class. It majored in destruction and minored in kicking your ass. It's graduation day and his celebration will be unmatched, when his giant punch launches your cap in the air with your head still attached. Give it up for UPPERCUT!"
Trivia[]
Much like ROTATOR in the third season, Uppercut was the only seeded robot which did not have every fight televised during World Championship IV.
It was also one of the four robots who did not get a Main Event in that season - the others include Blacksmith, Black Dragon, and Quantum.
Aside from its match with Hydra, every fight Uppercut had resulted in a KO.
Uppercut was the first robot to have knocked out Gemini.
In addition, this KO earned Uppercut the quickest win in BattleBots history - 25 seconds in total, beating the original record of Witch Doctor vs Rotator which was 27 seconds. To make this record even more impressive, Uppercut disabled both halves of Gemini in that time.
Outside of BattleBots, Alex Hattori is a 7-time US National Yo-Yo champion, and featured in the music video for OneRepublic's 'Wherever I Go'.
Uppercut was the first robot to have won and lost a fight by simultaneous knockout, against HUGE and Glitch respectively.
