Whiplash is a heavyweight robot built by Team Fast Electric Robots which has competed in every season of the BattleBots reboot since Discovery Season 3.
The successor to Splatter, who fought in the first two seasons of ABC's BattleBots reboot, Whiplash's main weapon was an articulated disc spinner. This consisted of a 22lb spinning disc mounted on an arm which could rotate 180 degrees, meaning it could lift, cause damage and attack from overhead. The arm had forks which were often protected by a wedge so it could be used as a lifter, and it could also use the disc as a makeshift hammer saw weapon, proving one of the most versatile primary weapons in the field. In later seasons, the front wedgelets could be swapped out for hinged forks of various lengths, or simply a flat plow surface depending on their opposition. The team consisted of Jeff Vazquez, who has two decades of experience in the sport, wife Debby and two sons Matthew and Jason Vasquez.
Originally red in color, Whiplash did very well in its debut season, finishing 3-1 in the qualifying rounds and only losing a Main Event to the reigning champion Tombstone. It made it into the Championship Tournament where it defeated Yeti and Bronco in the Round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, before being destroyed by the former and eventual champion Bite Force in the semi-finals.
For Discovery Season 4, Whiplash was now an electric yellow to suit their new sponsor Meggitt[1] and had a new, more destructive disc. It impressed again, only losing to eventual runner-up Witch Doctor and going 3-1 in Fight Night. After beating HUGE in the Round of 16, the Vazquez family's run came to an abrupt end at the hands of Tombstone in the quarter-finals.

Whiplash in the red square during Discovery Season 5.
Whiplash returned for Discovery Season 5, sporting new wheels and an overhaul on their primary weapon: a new disc and larger lifter gear that was now protected. This version of Whiplash also had an optional plow to put on against horizontal spinners, but came at the cost of their vertical spinner if they wanted to use it. Unlike in previous seasons, Whiplash started on the back foot by losing the very first aired fight of the season to SawBlaze. However, Whiplash would hit an undefeated streak from then on and reached the Championship Final, where it was thrown out of the arena by eventual champion End Game.

Whiplash unveil their newest configuration for Discovery Season 6.

The Vazquez family and Defender's Robert Masek during the 2021 season.
Team Fast Electric Robots came back again for Discovery Season 6 with Whiplash, along with a new robot called Defender, which was designed, built and driven by team member Jason Vasquez. Whiplash now has more configurations to compete against horizontal spnners, on top of the plow which debuted in the 2020 season. This features seven hinged wedgelets at the front to slip underneath opponents similarly to Hydra. While it remained an option and was used in its promotional material for the 2021 season, the disc was never used by Whiplash due to needing armor to take on its hard hitting opponents it faced throughout the 2021 season. Outside of this, the extent of Whiplash's upgrades is unknown. Unlike previous runner-ups, Whiplash began its season by winning consecutive Main Events against Bloodsport and Skorpios. However, after beating Icewave in the Round of 32, Whiplash lost to Cobalt in the Round of 16, eliminating it from the tournament.
Outside of BattleBots, Whiplash also competed at RoboGames 2015 and 2017. While it lost twice in 2015, Whiplash performed really well in its second RoboGames tournament as it reached the Championship Final and finished second overall.
Contents
Robot History[]
Discovery Season 3[] |
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Whiplash vs. Hypothermia ![]() Whiplash knocks out Hypothermia. Whiplash found itself facing Team Toad's Hypothermia in its first ever BattleBots fight. The match started out poorly for Whiplash as they were quickly pushed up against the screws. Whiplash then started to retaliate with a hit of its own, sending Hypothermia flying. Its 2nd hit tore off one of Hypothermia's wheels, leaving the opponent to drive in circles. Whiplash moved its lifting arm 180 degrees to dish out one last blow before Hypothermia was counted out, allowing Whiplash to advance to the next stage. |
Whiplash vs. Mecha Rampage ![]() Whiplash stacks Mecha Rampage against the wall. |
Whiplash vs. Tombstone ![]() Whiplash is destroyed at the hands of Tombstone. ![]() The extent of Whiplash's damage. |
Whiplash vs. Warhead ![]() Warhead sets Whiplash ablaze. ![]() Whiplash flips Warhead over. |
Whiplash vs. Yeti ![]() Yeti rides over the top of Whiplash. |
Whiplash vs. Bronco ![]() Whiplash attacks Bronco from the side. |
Whiplash vs. Bite Force ![]() Bite Force tears a wheel off. ![]() Bite Force targets the underside of Whiplash. |
Discovery Season 4[] |
Whiplash vs. Minotaur ![]() Whiplash strikes the side of Minotaur. Whiplash's first match of 2019 was against runners-up from 2018, Team Riobotz and Minotaur. This fight also served as a rematch back in 2017 RoboGames. As the match got underway, Whiplash used its driving and weapon arsenal to keep Minotaur's weapon at bay and from reaching top speed. Whiplash continued to control the fight as Minotaur was also having issues getting its weapon to top speed outside of Whiplash's attacks. However, Whiplash eventually lost their lifting arm and were left to continue attacking with their spinning weapon. Luckily, they still had full drive and their front scoops and were still able to control Minotaur, even getting them under the pulverizer. Both robots were hit by the killsaws before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Whiplash. |
Whiplash vs. Son of Whyachi ![]() Whiplash takes a shot from Son of Whyachi's iconic cage spinner. ![]() Whiplash attempts to get underneath Son of Whyachi. |
Whiplash vs. Witch Doctor ![]() Whiplash lifts Witch Doctor against the wall. Whiplash next faced off against veteran Andrea Gellatly and Witch Doctor. In response, Whiplash opted to swap out its traditional front forks for a wedge plate. When the match got underway, Whiplash was not doing well as they were thrown into the air by Witch Doctor and had its left wedgelet bent up. As the match progressed, Whiplash lost a tire and was pushed into the screws, where it got stuck. Whiplash then used its lifting arm to escape and was pushed into the other set of screws directly next to it, but it escaped. Whiplash continued to fight and managed to flip Witch Doctor over near the screws, but Witch Doctor righted itself and escaped. As Whiplash lifted Witch Doctor up again, the chain for its lifting arm came off, rendering it useless. Making matters worse, Witch Doctor also took out their lifting arm's spinner, leaving Whiplash to try and win a shoving match as Witch Doctor had lost the use of its own weapon. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Witch Doctor. |
Whiplash vs. Texas Twister ![]() Whiplash kicks Texas Twister into the air at the opening seconds. |
Whiplash vs. HUGE ![]() Whiplash manages to control HUGE with its lifter. ![]() Matt Vazquez is able to coerce HUGE into the arena barrier. |
Whiplash vs. Tombstone ![]() Whiplash collides with Tombstone's blade. ![]() Whiplash gets part of its right front rim shaved off. Whiplash found itself in a revenge fight against Tombstone. Things got off to a bad start as Whiplash immediately had its right wedge ripped off. From there, Whiplash began losing some minor bits and pieces, even getting spun around from the sheer kinetic energy. Whiplash found its left wedge also not in the best shape, having a slice right on the left edge. Whiplash tried keeping its front pointed to the former champ, but Tombstone managed to slip underneath and rip off the right front wheel. Whiplash tried to keep its other wheels from getting damaged, but that didn't work as Tombstone tore off the forks and a chunk out of the rear right tire one, leaving Whiplash to crab walk at this point. Wounded, Whiplash received more damage, losing its other wedge, and the remainder of its right tire torn off. With a few more final shots to the front, Whiplash was finally being counted out, giving Tombstone the win by KO once again. |
re:MARS Amazon BattleBots Challenge[] |
Whiplash vs. Lock-Jaw ![]() Whiplash slams Lock-Jaw with its disc from behind. |
Whiplash vs. Bite Force ![]() Bite Force pressures Whiplash into the corner. ![]() Whiplash lays dormant underneath the pulverizer. |
Discovery Season 5[] |
Whiplash vs. SawBlaze ![]() SawBlaze deals a devastating shot to Whiplash. |
Whiplash vs. Gruff ![]() Whiplash pins Gruff as it emits smoke. |
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie ![]() Whiplash lifts Valkyrie into the screws. |
Whiplash vs. HUGE ![]() Sparks fly as Whiplash grapples with HUGE. |
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie Whiplash lifts Valkyrie in the air. ![]() Valkyrie is thrown into the screws by Whiplash. |
Whiplash vs. Hydra ![]() Whiplash self-righting after a flip from Hydra. |
Whiplash vs. Black Dragon Whiplash breaches Black Dragon against the wall. ![]() Whiplash overturns Black Dragon and pushes it around the BattleBox. |
Whiplash vs. End Game ![]() End Game prevents Whiplash from using its weaponry. ![]() End Game tosses Whiplash out of the arena, deciding the fight and the season. |
Discovery Season 6[] |
Whiplash vs. Bloodsport ![]() Sparks fly as Whiplash and Bloodsport duke it out. ![]() Whiplash chases Bloodsport. ![]() Whiplash immobilizes Bloodsport on top of the Upper Deck. The fight began with Whiplash charging straight at Bloodsport to try and prevent them from spinning up, but Whiplash had to turn due to Bloodsport's movement, running into the Upper Deck in the process. Bloodsport dealt some glancing shots with its tri-bar spinner, but was largely running away from Whiplash as it dealt occassional glancing blows with its primary weapon. Bloodsport lost a tire from one of the next engagements and found itself clamped down by the arm of Whiplash and run into the one set of screws, which appeared to not be working. Bloodsport attempted to spin up but was grabbed again and taken to the Upper Deck this time, where it was freed. Despite having the more damaging weaponry, it was Bloodsport who had taken the most damage up to this point. And as it found itself caught momentarily on a killsaw slot, Whiplash capitalized and got underneath Bloodsport, lifting it over. It righted itself but was overturned again, carried over the screws and on top of the Upper Deck, where it could no longer right itself. Bloodsport was counted out, and Whiplash took the win by KO with just a second left on the clock. |
Whiplash vs. Skorpios ![]() Whiplash and Skorpios meet in the BattleBox. |
Whiplash vs. Icewave ![]() Whiplash celebrates as Icewave is counted out. |
Whiplash vs. Cobalt ![]() Whiplash lifts Cobalt early on. ![]() Whiplash and Cobalt ready to square off in the BattleBox. ![]() Whiplash and Cobalt are both incapacitated. |
Results[]
WHIPLASH - RESULTS | ||
Discovery Season 3 | ||
Fight Nights 3-1 | ||
Fight Night | vs. Hypothermia | Won (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. Mecha Rampage | Won (KO) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Tombstone | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. Warhead | Won (KO) |
Top 16 10th seed | ||
Round of 16 | vs. Yeti (7) | Won (JD) |
Round of 8 | vs. Bronco (2) | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Bite Force (3) | Lost (KO) |
Discovery Season 4 | ||
Fight Nights 3-1 | ||
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Minotaur | Won (JD) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Son of Whyachi | Won (KO) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Witch Doctor | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. Texas Twister | Won (KO) |
Top 16 5th seed | ||
Round of 16 | vs. HUGE (12) | Won (Split JD) |
Round of 8 | vs. Tombstone (4) | Lost (KO) |
re:MARS Amazon BattleBots Challenge | ||
re:MARS Match | vs. Lock-Jaw | Won (KO) |
Exhibition Match | vs. Bite Force | Lost (KO) |
Discovery Season 5 | ||
Fight Nights 2-1 | ||
Fight Night | vs. SawBlaze | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Gruff | Won (JD) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Valkyrie | Won (JD) |
Top 32 8th seed | ||
Round of 32 | vs. HUGE (25) | Won (JD) |
Round of 16 | vs. Valkyrie (9) | Won (JD) |
Round of 8 | vs. Hydra (1) | Won (Split JD) |
Semi-Final | vs. Black Dragon (5) | Won (JD) |
Final | vs. End Game (6) | Lost (KO) |
Discovery Season 6 | ||
Fight Nights 2-0 | ||
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Bloodsport | Won (KO) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Skorpios | Won (Split JD) |
Top 32 3rd seed | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Icewave (30) | Won (KO) |
Round of 16 | vs. Cobalt (14) | Lost (Split JD) |
Bounty Hunters 2021 | ||
Bounty Hunters 2021 - Unknown Episode | ||
Round 1 | vs. Unknown | Unknown |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 19
- Losses: 8
Competition | Wins | Losses |
---|---|---|
Discovery Season 3 |
Hypothermia (Undercard Match) Mecha Rampage (Undercard Match) Warhead (Undercard Match) |
Tombstone (Main Event/Undercard Match) |
Discovery Season 4 | Minotaur (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Son of Whyachi (Main Event/Undercard Match) Texas Twister (Undercard Match) |
Witch Doctor (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Tombstone |
re:MARS Amazon BattleBots Challenge | Lock-Jaw | Bite Force (Third Place Play-Off) |
Discovery Season 5 | Gruff (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Valkyrie (Main Event/Undercard Match) HUGE Valkyrie |
SawBlaze (Undercard Match) |
Discovery Season 6 | Bloodsport (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Skorpios (Main Event/Undercard Match) |
Cobalt |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"If this bot wrote a book, it would be called Fifty Shades of Slay. Oooh child! Hope you know the safe word. It's WHIPLASH!"
"A crash with this bot will leave you with aches, pains and a visit to a questionable lawyer. Better call Brawl because you just got WHIPLASH!"
"Congratulations, this robot just proposed a ring of destruction. *Sings* Every kill begins with K... it's WHIPLASH!"
"This bot fights at the speed of sound and loves to go out and flay. It will grip, rip and send you on a trip, straight to the trash. It's WHIPLASH!"
"This family means business and business is booming. Could a spot in the next round be looming? It's here to fight, slam and smash. It'll beat you in a flash. It's WHIPLASH!"
"It dominated a monster in the opening round, sending parts of Yeti to the Lost and Found. A bot that will make you crash, give it up for WHIPLASH!"
"It's done the impossible; buck the Bronco and slayed a Yeti with a 19-year-old driver who's proven he's ready. The Vasquez family is in the big show at last. Ladies and gentleman, it's WHIPLASH!"
"Buckle up, it's time to showcase your neck brace. You'll be in misery with this injury. Better call your lawyer. Get ready for the hit 'n' run, it's WHIPLASH!"
"This bots family matters. It could win fast or win slow. It's going to spin you in a vicious circle, then laugh at you like Steve Urkel. Hehehehe, *snort snort* Did I do that? It's WHIPLASH!"
"When it hits, you'll be saying: "My neck, my back, someone's mom just had a heart attack." It's going to hit you hard, hit you hard, hit you hard just like IT should. It's WHIPLASH!"
"This bot is driven by a real whizz-kid, who'll leave your bot twisted. Don't make him clean his room because he will send you to your doom. Here to give you road rash, it's WHIPLASH!"
"The Vasquez clan is seeded at #5, and to win the Giant Nut, they're goin' to kick in overdrive. And even though their young driver can't grow a mustache, you better beware of the smooth moves of WHIPLASH!"
"Last name Vasquez, first name Matt. He's about to beat you flat. Oh no, he just stomped on the gas! At least you'll die fast. It's WHIPLASH!"
"To quote Dustin Hoffman, he's an excellent driver. Not many have left a match with him a survivor. But instead of Rain Man, he's here to bring the pain, man. It's definitely definitely WHIPLASH!"
"Ask anyone, they'll say they always stay humble. Make no mistake, this family came to rumble. They've been working for years showing their strut, now the only thing left to win is that first Giant Nut. Two brothers who drive with passion and pride, when they walk out together, a look that says "let's ride!". So what was said right before this final bout? The message was simple. Momma said knock you all the way out! Give it up for WHIPLASH!"
“Like a young Michael Jackson, our next bot is a Thriller. This thing is Bad, and last season it won the silver. You want to Beat It? I don’t know how to say this any clearer, but if you want to see its next victim, better look at the Bot in the Mirror. Hee-hee! It’s WHIPLASH!”
"That sly outkill you stare. That driver that lowers them there. He'll rip all your circuits bare and you'll crash. Now you're dead there's no defense for it. Saws you in half and your past tense for it. What good would making amends for it do? It's WHIPLASH!"
"Like Indy, he'll whip you until you're buried in the ground. This is his Temple of Doom and it's gonna be a short round. Call him the Ark of the Covenent 'cause bots melt when they see him. This fighter's a legend; he belongs in a museum. It's WHIPLASH!"
Merchandise[]
Any appearances by Whiplash in merchandise are listed below:
See Also[]
Trivia[]
- An unpainted Whiplash was used in an 18-bot preview on Witch Doctor's YouTube channel.
- Whiplash was the first robot to flip Hydra over and force it to self right.
- In Whiplash's first three seasons, it made the quarter-finals each time, making it one of the most consistent bots in the reboot.
- Whiplash is the second bot to beat the same robot twice in the same season. The first was Lock-Jaw over Bombshell in Season 3.
- Matt and Jason Vazquez helped build a robot to star in a commercial for 2K Games' Borderlands 3 in 2019.
- Coincidentally, Whiplash lost the very first fight and very last fight of Discovery Season 5.
- Whiplash, along with SawBlaze, featured in the first Platinum Rivals set released by Hexbug in 2021. These used rechargeable LiPo batteries as opposed to the AAAs used in previous Rivals sets.
- In the full untelevised Round of 16 fight between Whiplash and Cobalt, Whiplash received an introduction but its opponent strangely did not.
References[]
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