Whiplash

Whiplash
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship III World Championship IV World Championship V World Championship VI World Championship VII
Other Events	re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019) re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) BattleBots: Champions I BattleBots: Champions II
Team Information
Team	Team Fast Electric Robots
Team Members	Matt Vasquez (Captain) Jason Vasquez Jeff Vasquez Debbie Vasquez Daisy Gonzalez (WC VI-Present)
From	Thousand Oaks, CA
Other Entries	Deb Bot, Matts Bammer, Think Tank, Splatter, Defender
Associated Robots	VD6.0 (Jeff Vasquez)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Top Speed	~15mph
Drive	2x Mini Magmotors (WC IV-Present) 2x 48v AmpFlow motors (WC III)
Weapons	Lifter Vertical spinner
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

For the ShowBot which competes at BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon live events, see Whiplash (ShowBot).

Whiplash is a heavyweight robot built by Team Fast Electric Robots which has competed in every season of BattleBots since World Championship III.

The successor to Splatter, who fought in the first two seasons of ABC's BattleBots reboot under the Vasquez family, Whiplash's main weapon is a rear-hinged lifter which is often paired with a 22lb spinning disk mounted on an arm. This arm can rotate 180 degrees, meaning it can lift, cause damage and attack from overhead. The arm has forks which are often protected by a wedge so it could be used as a lifter, and it could also use the disk as a makeshift hammer saw weapon. Depending on the opponent, the spinning disk may be removed and replaced with a plate of AR500 steel.

Whiplash during World Championship III hero shots.

Whiplash has proven itself as one of the most dynamic robots in the field, as its offensive potential coupled with the driving of Matt Vasquez, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest drivers of the modern BattleBots era, has made it a constant threat in each of its competitions to date. The team state much of Splatter's blueprint was incorporated into building Whiplash, with its chassis constructed in the same way, but owing their success to using better components. In later seasons, the front wedgelets could be swapped out for hinged forks of various lengths, or a multitude of offensive and defensive configurations depending on their opposition. Originally red in color, Whiplash did very well in its debut season, finishing 3-1 in during the Fight Night rounds and only losing a Main Event to the reigning champion Tombstone. Whiplash 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.

Whiplash during World Championship IV hero shots.

For World Championship IV, Whiplash was now an electric yellow to suit their new sponsor Meggitt and had a new, more destructive disk. 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 Vasquez family's run came to an abrupt end at the hands of Tombstone in the quarter-finals.

Whiplash during World Championship V hero shots.

Whiplash returned for World Championship V showcasing brand new Brazil wheels and an overhaul of their primary weapon, concerning a new disk and larger lifter gear which 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 during World Championship VI hero shots.

The Vasquez family came back again for World Championship VI with Whiplash, along with a new robot called Defender, which was designed, built and driven by team member Jason Vasquez. Whiplash now had more configurations to compete against horizontal spinners, as well as the plow which debuted in the 2020 season. This included a row of seven hinged wedgelets at the front to slip underneath opponents similarly to Hydra, as well as a C-shaped wedge seen during the post-season spin-off. According to Matt Vasquez, the team had multiple configurations which have been unused to date, including a wildly different lifting setup which involved Whiplash facing backwards, similar in functionality to a forklift, designed specifically for a rematch against End Game. While it remained an option and was used in its promotional material for World Championship VI, the disk was never used by Whiplash due to needing armor to take on its hard hitting opponents it faced throughout the competition. Unlike recent runner-ups, Whiplash began its season by winning consecutive Main Events against Bloodsport and Skorpios. After beating Icewave in the Round of 32, however, Whiplash lost to Cobalt in the Round of 16 under highly controversial circumstances, eliminating it from the tournament.

Whiplash also participated in the 2022 re:MARS all:STARS Challenge, and the Vasquez brothers reunited as Defender was not competing. The family were also joined by Rob Masek, who assisted with Defender and formed part of TKO Robotics and the title-winning Aptyx Designs in past BattleBots events. The team confirmed Jason Vasquez drove Whiplash exclusively for the event as Matt had tested positive for COVID-19 and therefore could not be present. Returning for BattleBots: Champions I, Whiplash advanced through its bracket, beating HiJinx, Ghost Raptor and Black Dragon, but lost by knockout to the gatekeeper to the fifth and final vacant spot in the tournament, Witch Doctor.

Whiplash during World Championship VII hero shots.

Matt Vasquez confirmed the team's intention to compete in World Championship VII during a September 2022 episode of RoboCast. In the same podcast episode, he elaborated on the thought process surrounding dropping the kinetic weapon throughout the competition, which included simplifying Whiplash for a season where the team were entering multiple robots.

"Pretty much every robot we lost to in previous seasons was a vertical spinner... we kinda figured "take off the spinner and armor up the robot" - just take that approach. And honestly, it worked!"

— Matt Vasquez explains the absence of Whiplash's disk during World Championship VI

Whiplash was later confirmed by BattleBots themselves to be participating in the competition, ranked #7 in their Pre-Season Power Rankings. It now featured an all brushless drive system, which spared enough weight for the team to no longer have to choose between running their disk or additional armor. The team first debuted their brushless system in the 2022 re:MARS all:STARS event, but experienced issues throughout the event preventing Jason Vasquez from driving well. The disk itself was more powerful than in previous years, and the team worked to bring more spares of it to 2022 filming, equipping it from the get-go. Unlike in previous seasons, Whiplash suffered two brutal knockouts to MadCatter and HyperShock, but managed to save its season by winning a Main Event against Monsoon and a knockout over the defending champion Tantrum. Whiplash made the Top 32 with its 2-2 record, taking out Beta before losing out in a rematch against Hydra.

Returning for BattleBots: Champions II, Whiplash won three consecutive fights against Fusion, Malice and Black Dragon to qualify for the Golden Bolt tournament of champions, but lost out in the first round of the tournament bracket to JackPot.

A brand new version of Whiplash was teased by Matt Vasquez via Instagram in December 2023. The most notable change concerns sloped front armor.

Whiplash under the ownership of Lars Bakker.

Whiplash in its 'piano key' configuration for World Championship VI.

Whiplash in the red square during World Championship V.

The newly-sponsored Whiplash ahead of World Championship IV.

Outside BattleBots

Whiplash also competed at RoboGames 2015 and 2017. It lost twice in its first outing, to Whoops! and then to Gruff, sporting a more traditional two-wheel drive setup and a vertical spinner. This weapon system was recycled in 2017 into the team's middleweight Doom On You!. According to Debbie Vasquez, the drive system ultimately went into Splatter for the 2015 BattleBots season.

Bearing a much stronger resemblance to its BattleBots design in 2017, Whiplash performed well in its second RoboGames tournament as it reached the Championship Final and finished second overall. Team captain Matt Vasquez once fought at National Havoc Robot League in April of 2022 with a 3lb vertical spinner called Crunch Roll Supreme and a 12lb horizontal spinner called Whomper.

The team entered RoboGames 2023, removing the disk of Whiplash and painting its forks pink. For the competition, it went under the name Whomper, which shares its name with Matt Vasquez's 12lb horizontal spinner. The heavyweight Whomper lost its first fight by a close judges' decision to Ziggy Jr., which entered BattleBots as Lucky. It then fought DOOM in the loser's bracket, comfortably dispatching of its opponent by flipping it over as its disk was not working. Whomper followed this up with a win over Khaos 3, but lost for a second time to Ziggy Jr., marking Whomper's elimination from the tournament. Whomper also had a second lifting configuration, where its lifting arm was substituted for a pair of lifting forks used against Khaos 3 in the tournament. Jason Vasquez also brought King Crab, a revised Defender, into the heavyweight division.

Whiplash and King Crab were among the BattleBots competitors displayed at Open Sauce in San Francisco in July 2023.

In February 2024, Whiplash was displayed at a 'Bring Your Child to Work' event hosted by the company AeroVironmentic. Later that year, Whiplash was again on display at the June 2024 Open Sauce event.

The 2020 season build of Whiplash was sold to BattleBots collector Lars Bakker.

Whomper and Ziggy Jr. facing off at RoboGames 2023.

Whomper during RoboGames 2023.

Whiplash at RoboGames in 2017.

Whiplash during RoboGames 2015.

Robot History

World Championship III
Whiplash vs. Hypothermia Whiplash knocks out Hypothermia. Whiplash found itself facing Team Toad and Hypothermia in its first ever BattleBots fight. The match started out poorly for Whiplash as it was quickly pushed up against the screws. Whiplash then started to retaliate with a hit of its own, sending Hypothermia flying. The second hit tore off one of Hypothermia's wheels, leaving its opponent to drive in circles. Whiplash positioned its arm to dish out one last blow with the disk before Hypothermia was counted out, allowing Whiplash to go begin Fight Night with a win by knockout.
Whiplash vs. Mecha Rampage Whiplash stacks Mecha Rampage against the wall. Whiplash's next opponent was Christian Carlberg and Mecha Rampage. For this fight, Whiplash opted to go with a new armor set-up to protect itself from Mecha Rampage's attacks. This proved to work well as they were able to absorb the impacts from its opponent without taking much damage. Additionally, Mecha Rampage's weapon wasn't up to full speed and thus Whiplash was able to pick it up and flip it against the arena barrier under the pulverizer. Mecha Rampage was unable to get down and was counted out, pushing Whiplash to a 2-0 record.
Whiplash vs. Tombstone Whiplash is destroyed at the hands of Tombstone. The extent of Whiplash's damage. Up next for Whiplash was the reigning champion Tombstone. When the match began, things were mostly looking up for Whiplash as they were withstanding the impacts from Tombstone and sending them flying with each collision. However, that changed as they lost a tire and one of the two front scoops. Even so, they managed to corral Tombstone into the corner and keep them there for a period. When they let go, they took another hit from Tombstone that tore off another wheel. After another hit, Whiplash was left motionless against the arena barrier and smoking. Whiplash was counted out, giving Tombstone the win by KO.
Whiplash vs. Warhead Warhead sets Whiplash ablaze. Whiplash flips Warhead over. In a last-ditch effort to make the Top 16, Whiplash was placed against Warhead. As soon as the match began, Whiplash instantly drove out of its square, whilst Warhead assumed chase, trailing after Whiplash. Soon enough, Warhead's mouth got hold of Whiplash, engulfing Whiplash in a fiery inferno, but Whiplash quickly scurried away. It was Whiplash's turn to deal some punishment, getting a lift into and leaving Warhead to get shoved across the arena, but fortunately landing upright. Warhead was again in hot pursuit of Whiplash, but because Whiplash was much faster and more agile, it was hard to catch. Warhead tried to retaliate, but was being outpaced by Matt Vasquez and his driving skills. Warhead once again found itself in Whiplash's grasp, and was violently shoved into the screws, dangerously near to being flipped over, but again, landed upright. Warhead was still spewing flames angrily at his opponent whilst Whiplash was triumphantly bullying Warhead across the BattleBox, thrashing the beast against the arena barrier. Finally, Warhead was tipped over directly in the center of the arena and struggled to self-right. Whiplash went in for another attack, but smoke began to pour out of its chassis, so Whiplash backed off. Warhead was now unable to self-right and was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO.
Whiplash vs. Yeti Yeti rides over the top of Whiplash. Next up for Whiplash was Yeti. This match was pretty even to start, as both robots met weapon-to-weapon without causing much damage or giving control to their opponent. Whiplash then had the front middle plate of its lifting arm torn off by Yeti's drum but was still able to lift Yeti up and push it around. Both robots then had another weapon-on-weapon brawl before Whiplash hit Yeti hard and disabled their opponent's weapon. Yeti continued to fight so Whiplash got under Yeti again and nearly threw it upside down but Yeti recovered. Whiplash then threw it over before hitting them hard enough to flip them back over. Whiplash managed to get a few hits on Yeti's wheels, bending the hubcaps but not affecting Yeti's mobility at all. However, with fifteen seconds left, smoke began to pour out of Whiplash as its drive motors were burning up, leaving it pretty much immobile near the killsaws. Luckily, there wasn't enough time for a count out, so Whiplash survived to the judges decision, which gave them a 3-0 decision to advance to the quarter-finals.
Whiplash vs. Bronco Whiplash attacks Bronco from the side. In the last eight, Whiplash faced Inertia Labs and Bronco. Early on, Whiplash found itself able to take control of Bronco by shoving it around the BattleBox and pinning it against the arena barrier. When Bronco self-righted, Whiplash continued to dictate the fight, shoving Bronco around and not allowing it time and space to get a big flip in. Whiplash was able to control Bronco for much of the fight, but was tossed over before quickly self-righting. After a fourth dominant attack, smoke began pouring out of Bronco, whom had no drive power left. Bronco was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO to advance to the semi-finals.
Whiplash vs. Bite Force Bite Force tears a wheel off. Bite Force targets the underside of Whiplash. Now in the semi-finals, Whiplash faced World Championship I winner, Bite Force. Early on in this fight, Bite Force gained the upper hand as it landed several blows in quick succession. The front forks were soon bent up on Whiplash as the robot was tossed into the air, jamming the right front wheel. Whiplash continued to take damage and eventually lost both right side tires, leaving them only to drive in circles. After the repeated impacts, Whiplash was still crab walking, but was counted out. Bite Force advanced to the Championship decider and Whiplash was eliminated from the tournament.
World Championship IV
Whiplash vs. Minotaur Whiplash strikes the side of Minotaur. Whiplash's first match of World Championship IV was against the previous year's runner-up, Team RioBotz and Minotaur. 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's next opponent was former champion Son of Whyachi, a rematch with the Ewert family from 2016 with both teams' previous bots. Whiplash was not off to a good start as Whiplash caught a seam in the arena floor and was unable to box rush Son of Whyachi in time. Instead, Whiplash started to take damage, losing the left scoop completely. Even so, Whiplash stayed on Son of Whyachi, working hard to prevent their opponent from having any room to get their weapon going. Whiplash managed to lift Son of Whyachi so that the lifting arm served as a grabber and Whiplash was able to push Son of Whyachi onto the screws before they escaped. Whiplash stayed on top of their opponent, but did not entirely stop Son of Whyachi's weapon. After another hit, Whiplash was able to move in further as Son of Whyachi's weapon had stopped working. This allowed Whiplash to finish what it started earlier as they flipped Son of Whyachi onto its head. Son of Whyachi was unable to right itself and was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by KO.
Whiplash vs. Witch Doctor Whiplash lifts Witch Doctor against the wall. Whiplash next faced off against 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. Witch Doctor had also taken 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 decision to Witch Doctor, putting Whiplash to a precarious 2-1 record.
Whiplash vs. Texas Twister Whiplash kicks Texas Twister into the air at the opening seconds. Whiplash was now placed against Fuzzy Mauldin and Texas Twister, serving as a rematch for when they beat Hypothermia a year prior. As the match began, Whiplash was quickly on Texas Twister and flipped them over. After a few hits, Texas Twister weapon motor caught fire and had to spin down its weapon, allowing Whiplash to move in for another round of hits. Whiplash then got Texas Twister on the screws, but Texas Twister was able to escape. Whiplash continued to dominate the fight, even using its lifter's spinner to cause damage and rip off the whole rear panel before Texas Twister was motionless. The countdown started while Whiplash tried to take down Spitfire the drone, but could not do so. Regardless, Whiplash won by knockout.
Whiplash vs. HUGE Whiplash manages to control HUGE with its lifter. Matt Vasquez is able to coerce HUGE into the arena barrier. Having secured a place in the Top 16 as the No.5 seed, Whiplash was placed against Jonathan Schultz and the No.12 seed, HUGE. Whiplash started off fairly well as they were able to use their lifting arm to attack while also being much lower than HUGE's body. Still, Whiplash managed to lose a tire, but this didn't affect them all that much. Whiplash maintained a lot of control over HUGE by pushing them around and avoiding further damage. Unfortunately, they were also not dishing out much damage either, but they maintained control of the fight until time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a 2-1 split decision and a spot in the quarter-finals.
Whiplash vs. Tombstone Whiplash collides with Tombstone's blade. Whiplash gets part of its right front rim shaved off. Whiplash found itself in a rematch against Ray Billings and 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 all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019)
Whiplash vs. Lock-Jaw Whiplash slams Lock-Jaw with its disk from behind. Whiplash was one of ten robots to compete in a livestreamed event at Las Vegas, Nevada to compete for the Giant Bolt trophy. Its first opponent was Lock-Jaw, a match the Vasquez family had been waiting for since the show's run on Comedy Central. The match was pretty even for both robots as there was no advantage gained either way. However, Whiplash started to take the better end of the collisions as they were thrown into the air by Lock-Jaw. The next few impacts were pretty minor but Whiplash soon lost its left rear tire and the left fork on its lifting arm was bent up. Luckily, the match turned in Whiplash's favor as the next impact disabled Lock-Jaw completely. Whiplash played with the dead Lock-Jaw by shoving it toward the screws and attacking with their lifting arm's spinner, mangling the top plate pretty severely. Lock-Jaw was counted out, giving Whiplash the win by knockout.
Whiplash vs. Bite Force Bite Force pressures Whiplash into the corner. Whiplash lays dormant underneath the pulverizer. Whiplash post-fight. Whiplash was then given a vengeance match against Bite Force to compete for third place. When the match began, Whiplash started to take punishment. As the match progressed, its left front scoop became slightly angled upward from Bite Force's attack. After the next attack, that same scoop was now deformed and left Whiplash with little defense. Whiplash then lost its left rear tire, which reduced its mobility and rendered its remaining intact scoop almost useless. Whiplash suffered more damage as its left scoop was torn off and then more pieces went flying as the two robots fought near the pulverizer. Whiplash was now down to two tires and few options so it tried to use its lifting arm's spinner, but Bite Force's remaining attacks took what little was left in its ability to fight. Whiplash was counted out, giving Bite Force the win by knockout. Whiplash therefore placed fourth during the event.
World Championship V
Whiplash vs. SawBlaze SawBlaze deals a devastating shot to Whiplash. Whiplash's first fight of the season was against the former quarter-finalist, SawBlaze. Ahead of the match, Whiplash went with the version with the spinner attached and swapped their wedgelets out for flatter but taller front plates, intending to protect the electronics from SawBlaze's attacks. As the match got going, Whiplash collided with SawBlaze before it started to get pushed around a bit. Whiplash tried to retaliate, but was shoved to different areas of the BattleBox and took attacks from SawBlaze instead. Finally, as Whiplash was being pushed towards the screws, it used its lifting arm's spinner to attack SawBlaze near the attachment point for the weapon's arm as well as SawBlaze's tire. Unfortunately, Whiplash lost the use of the spinning disk on its lifting arm, leaving it with little offense or defense against SawBlaze and started to get pushed around again. Whiplash then found itself on top of the screws, but had trouble getting down for a few seconds before being taken to another part of the BattleBox. After being shoved into the casing for the screws, Whiplash took two more shots to its side and stopped moving as a result of SawBlaze cutting through their right drive control. Whiplash was counted out, giving SawBlaze the win by knockout.
Whiplash vs. Gruff Whiplash pins Gruff as it emits smoke. Having just been battered by SawBlaze in their first battle, Whiplash was repaired and next faced Gruff. Whiplash started off well, getting lifts in and starting to control the match. However, Whiplash took the heat from Gruff's flamethrowers before attacking again, managing to flip Gruff over in the corner. However, the corner housed the pulverizer operated by Gruff's team and Whiplash took a hit before resuming its attacks from above and even below. Whiplash soon began to emit smoke and had to spin down its weapon, leaving only its lifter to attack and defend. This didn't hinder Whiplash much as they continued to control the fight, sending Gruff up and over the screws as Gruff began to also emit smoke and slow down its driving. Time ran out with Whiplash in total control and the judges awarded them a unanimous judges' decision to climb back to 1-1.
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie Whiplash lifts Valkyrie into the screws. Whiplash fought Leanne Cushing and Valkyrie, where it was armed with only its lifter and a stronger front scoop. This proved to be a good decision as while they took early damage from Valkyrie's weapon, they were able to disable it and begin controlling the fight. Whiplash took Valkyrie all across the arena, costing Valkyrie its decorative wheel guards in the process while sustaining little to no further damage. With 10 seconds left, Whiplash got Valkyrie up on the screws but was unable to get them out and disabled before time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a unanimous 3-0 decision.
Whiplash vs. HUGE Sparks fly as Whiplash grapples with HUGE. Whiplash made it into the Round of 32 as the No.8 seed and was given a rematch against the No.25 seed HUGE. Whiplash was armed similarly to its match against SawBlaze apart from adding longer forks with a tiny wedge on the lifter. Whiplash started off well as they absorbed impacts from HUGE's downward spinning bar before they started to control the fight, sending HUGE into the screws twice. HUGE escaped and Whiplash reset its lifter before moving in again, unwilling to let HUGE get its weapon going. Whiplash continued to control the fight, losing only small pieces in the process before time ran out. The judges awarded Whiplash a unanimous 3-0 decision and a spot in the Top 16.
Whiplash vs. Valkyrie Whiplash lifts Valkyrie in the air. Valkyrie is thrown into the screws by Whiplash. Up next for Whiplash was a rematch with Valkyrie from a Main Event earlier in the 2020 season. Like before, Whiplash ditched the spinner for its anti-horizontal spinner configuration. The fight started with Whiplash charging at Valkyrie, attempting to make the first attack before it could get up to speed. Valkyrie did however spin up, and delivered several glancing hits to Whiplash, the latter of which sent Valkyrie flying into the corner of the box. Now upside-down, Valkyrie was less manoeuvrable but persisted in attacking. The next impact saw a piece fly from Whiplash's lifter, however hits seemed to be unbalancing Valkyrie all the more, as it bounced across the arena. Whiplash then lifted Valkyrie directly into the air and due to the gyroscopic forces in play, was able to balance on the tip of Whiplash's lifter momentarily. Valkyrie found itself the right side up but struggled to escape the corner of the box. Whiplash got to its rear, shoving Valkyrie the length of the arena and getting it caught on the screws. Whiplash again managed to balance Valkyrie, still spinning, on its lifting arm and proceeded to push their opponent against the screws once again. Whiplash continued to dominate, even hooking its lifting arm in one of the weight-saving holes in Valkyrie's disk at one stage. The fight went to the judges, and Whiplash won unanimously.
Whiplash vs. Hydra Whiplash self-righting after a flip from Hydra. Next up for Whiplash was a third encounter with the Ewert family, this time against Hydra. For this fight, Whiplash was fitted with longer forks to get underneath Hydra. Both robots looked tentative in the opening seconds, as Whiplash teased a head-on attack, forcing Hydra to misfire its flipper. Whiplash then managed to slide its forks underneath its opponent's front and tip it over, forcing Hydra to self-right for the first time in its career. Unfortunately for Jake Ewert, it landed on Whiplash's disk and caught the underside of the bot. Hydra misfired once more, and Whiplash was able to lift from the front again, but this time not enough to topple it over. Hydra retaliated, landing a flip on Whiplash which forced them to have to self-right for the first time in the battle. Both bots jostled for an advantage in the middle of the box, before Hydra flipped Whiplash over again, but not with the same power as in previous fights. Whiplash was now pinned against the screws, but used its lifting arm and disk in tandem to attack Hydra from behind. Hydra's flips were temperamental for the remainder of the fight, and parts of its side skirts had come away. Hydra was able to pop Whiplash in the air several times as the fight entered its closing moments. But in the last 10 seconds, Jake Ewert exposed Hydra's rear to Whiplash, and the Vasquez family took full advantage, attacking with the disk and tearing a panel from its opponent. Whiplash itself was smoking with 3 seconds on the clock, but it went to the judges, who ruled in favour of Whiplash by split decision. Whiplash progressed to the next stage of the tournament.
Whiplash vs. Black Dragon Whiplash breaches Black Dragon against the wall. Whiplash overturns Black Dragon and pushes it around the BattleBox. Now in the final four, Whiplash faced Black Dragon for a place in the title fight. Both weapons spun up to speed, but it was Whiplash who started on the offensive. Having gotten underneath its opponent, Whiplash landed a hit which sent one of Black Dragon's wedgelets flying away. It then managed to lift it up, carrying Black Dragon to the side of the box and throwing it upside-down. Whiplash knocked the wheel and flipped the Brazilian bot over again. Despite their attempts to hit with the weapon, Whiplash maintained its aggression and tipped Black Dragon over once more, before it righted and Whiplash shoved it into the side of the box. Whiplash's right-side wedgelet had come off, temporarily beaching Black Dragon, but it managed to escape. After a few minor encounters, Whiplash then managed to tip Black Dragon onto its rear end, up against the wall. Stranded, Whiplash turned around and attempted to attack with the disk, using it as a hammer saw with the knowledge its opponent could not escape. This was unsuccessful however, as Black Dragon tried to spin up and tipped itself back over. With both bots now down a wedgelet and fork respectively, Whiplash hoisted its opponent onto the screws with 10 seconds to go, landing another hammer saw attack as the screws reversed. This left a lasting impression on the judges, who unanimously ruled in favour of Whiplash, taking the Vasquez family to their first-ever BattleBots title decider.
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. Whiplash advanced to the final, and only End Game stood between them and the Giant Nut. The fight started with Whiplash circling End Game, first clockwise then counter-clockwise, biding its time. End Game, less willing to play the patient game, took advantage of Whiplash steering onto their forks and dealt an uppercut to its lifting mechanism. With Whiplash held against the screws with its lifter raised, End Game stuck its disk between Whiplash's forks and pinned it momentarily. Whiplash pushed back, but rode over the top of End Game after dropping its lifter onto the New Zealand representative's vertical spinner. Whiplash drove away, but its disk was not spinning. End Game kept its front pointed at Whiplash as it again circled its opponent, but Whiplash oversteered, and End Game capitalised by flipping it over. Whiplash righted itself immediately, but its lifting arm was bent ever so slightly out of place and could not retract properly. Another hit saw Whiplash overturned again, and one final attack saw End Game send Whiplash over the wall and out of the box. This ended Whiplash's run for the Giant Nut, but confirmed a career best runner-up finish for the Vasquez family.
World Championship VI
Whiplash vs. Bloodsport Sparks fly as Whiplash and Bloodsport duke it out. Whiplash chases Bloodsport. Whiplash immobilizes Bloodsport on top of the Upper Deck. Whiplash began World Championship VI with a Main Event against Bloodsport. Whereas the Vasquez family were only denied the Giant Nut by End Game a season prior, Bloodsport was the only robot to beat the New Zealand team en route to their title win. Bloodsport had its tri-bar for this fight and just two inside wedgelets, whereas Whiplash opted for additional armor, sacrificing their disk spinner to remain under the weight limit. 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 occasional 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's second fight was another Main Event, this time against Skorpios. For this fight, Whiplash has once again ditched the spinner, opted for its wedgelets and added top armor to protect itself against the hammer saw of Skorpios. Its opponent opted for its traditional hammer saw but went with its Star Fighter armor configuration. Whiplash gained an advantage on Skorpios in the opening moments, using its arm to clamp and drive Skorpios into the screws. Skorpios fell behind the screws momentarily, before being spat out. However, Whiplash was ready to lift Skorpios back onto the arena hazard and allowed its teeth to chew the baseplate of its opponent. Whiplash then tried to clamp and drive it around the BattleBox, but Skorpios escaped. It then drove Whiplash back into the screws of the Upper Deck, but its own forks added for this Main Event prevented their hammer saw from making contact with Whiplash. Matt Vasquez continued to control the pace of the match, though Skorpios was able to get around to the back as Whiplash was stuck in the killsaw slot briefly, but could not land a meaningful hit. The fight ultimately went the distance, and Whiplash won on a split decision, putting them to 2-0.
Whiplash vs. Icewave Whiplash celebrates as Icewave is counted out. Entering the Top 32 undefeated and as the No.3 seed, Whiplash faced veteran Marc DeVidts and No.30 seed Icewave. For the third time in World Championship VI, Whiplash chose not to use their spinner, using the same configuration as proved successful against Bloodsport. Whiplash charged at Icewave as it tried to spin up, but became caught up on the floor as it tried to give chase, allowing Icewave time and space to spin up to speed. Whiplash met its opponent head-on which spun both robots around but more importantly for Matt Vasquez, halted Icewave's weapon as it tried to use its arm as a grabber. Whiplash tanked another hit directly to their front before Icewave found itself caught between its opponent and the screws of the Upper Deck. Icewave was snagged by the screws and eventually overturned by Whiplash. Without a self-righting mechanism, Icewave was counted out and Whiplash advanced to the Round of 16.
Whiplash vs. Cobalt Whiplash lifts Cobalt early on. Whiplash and Cobalt ready to square off in the BattleBox. Whiplash and Cobalt are both incapacitated. Next up for the Vasquez family was Cobalt in the Top 16. Whiplash once again ditched the disk, opting for the same configuration it used against Skorpios. This proved to be effective at first, as Whiplash was able to lift Cobalt multiple times, even making Cobalt have to right itself. However, Whiplash mistimed an attack and got one of its forks stuck in the side of the Upper Deck. Cobalt used this opportunity to strike, and was able to land multiple blows on Whiplash. One of these attacks led to Cobalt becoming stuck on the floor of the arena and the referees decided to pause the match. Although the show claimed that Cobalt's weapon could not be turned off, this has since been strongly refuted by Robotic Death Company and multiple attendees. Upon planning to restart, debris from Whiplash had obstructed the linked drive and weapon switch. "When attempting to shut off Cobalt, Trey could not shut off the weapon as there was some debris blocking the switch. What we had told Trey which was not heeded, was that our weapon and drive switch are linked, so the drive switch could've been shut off which would have powered down the whole bot. At no point was our spinner stuck on. Trey decided to simply count the whole thing as a double KO, and did the KO as seen filmed." — Derek Tran of Robotic Death Company clarifies the controversy Trey Roski determined that the fight could not be safely restarted, and a simultaneous knockout was declared. Cobalt got the judges' approval and advanced to the Top 8, meaning Whiplash was eliminated from the tournament in controversial circumstances.
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)
Whiplash vs. Blip Whiplash was one of eight robots selected to compete in the second re:MARS all:STARS Challenge in June 2022. In the first round of the bracket, it faced World Championship VI quarter-finalist Blip. For this fight, Whiplash sported its familiar disk, but sported a new front end and trialled a new brushless setup. Blip was able to throw Whiplash around the BattleBox as they struggled to drive as well as in previous main season battles. Whiplash ultimately finished the fight upside down on the Upper Deck, with their lifter gearbox broken and frame cracked. Whiplash was counted out and Blip took the win by knockout, eliminating the Vasquez family.
BattleBots: Champions I
Whiplash vs. HiJinx Whiplash immediately rides up the tail of HiJinx. Hijinx clashes with Whiplash. HiJinx is thrown onto the screws. Whiplash returned for BattleBots: Champions I, facing HiJinx in the first round of its bracket. The Vasquez family's robot was without its disk, instead sporting a C-shaped front plow to deflect hits from HiJinx's bar. As HiJinx led with its tail, however, Whiplash initially rode straight up it and became stuck momentarily, but escaped. Whiplash tanked several hits from the horizontal spinning bar before suffering a pulverizer shot from the their opponents, which pinned it in place. Whiplash then got its lifter into play, taking advantage of the width and ground clearance of HiJinx but struggling to take it to any hazards. It instead opted to reverse HiJinx into the screws, expertly utilizing its arm to clamp Jen Herchenroeder's bot in position as it racked up the control points. HiJinx spun up again, knocking Whiplash into the short corner before both robots fled to the center of the arena. Whiplash then took advantage of the flat front of HiJinx, getting in underneath and tipping it over, righting it and throwing HiJinx over once more. Matt Vasquez drove HiJinx to the screws positioned in front of the judges, eventually overturning it in front of Jason Bardis. HiJinx finally found space and time to spin its primary weapon, winning the ground game whenever it led with its tail. However, the blade slowed in the final thirty seconds of the fight and as both robots took killsaw shots in the closing stages, the fight went to the judges. Whiplash took the win by unanimous judges' decision and advanced in the tournament.
Whiplash vs. Ghost Raptor Whiplash overturns Ghost Raptor. Ghost Raptor lies unable to self-right. Next up for Whiplash was Ghost Raptor, who scored a win over Captain Shrederator in its first fight. Both robots met head on and Whiplash won the opening exchange, lifting the front of Ghost Raptor but failing to overturn it. With its lifter raised, Whiplash drove Ghost Raptor into the screws where it was pulled away from its opponent. Whiplash lowered its lifter and got underneath, successfully overturning Ghost Raptor. With no way of self-righting, Ghost Raptor was counted out and Whiplash moved on by way of a comfortable knockout.
Whiplash vs. Black Dragon Black Dragon becomes caught in the killsaw slots. Whiplash throws Black Dragon onto the Upper Deck. Whiplash and Black Dragon survive the three minutes. Now in the third round, Whiplash met Black Dragon in a rematch from the 2020 season semi-finals. Whiplash was immediately able to overturn Black Dragon, ramming it weapon-first into the casing for the screws which righted the Brazilian bot. Black Dragon was chased by Whiplash, whose hinged fork became stuck in the killsaw slot for a moment before reversing to escape and flipping Black Dragon again. Whiplash allowed its opponent to throw its eggbeater drum into its front as a weapon belt lay on the BattleBox floor. Black Dragon's "ears" which typically helped it run inverted while keeping the weapon spinning became caught in the killsaw slots. Whiplash continued to harass its opponent, slotting its narrow, spatula-like lifter in the gap behind Black Dragon's eggbeater and hoisting it in the air, dropping it onto the Upper Deck. Black Dragon escaped to the center of the BattleBox but was still upside-down and unable to spin its weapon again with much power. Whiplash again got its lifting arm into play, dropping Black Dragon between the Upper Deck's screws. Black Dragon was finally the right way up, but still found itself being hunted down by the Vasquez family's robot, before lifting it back onto its front forks. Whiplash took advantage of Black Dragon's wheels being off the floor and rammed it into the screws. The Brazilian bot spewed fire in retaliation and met its opponent head on, but found itself flipped over once more. Time eventually ran out on the match, and Whiplash took the win by unanimous decision and earned a rematch with gatekeeper Witch Doctor.
Whiplash vs. Witch Doctor Whiplash sends Witch Doctor onto the Upper Deck. Whiplash is flipped over and counted out. Whiplash took on Andrea and Mike Gellatly for the final spot in the Golden Bolt tournament. For this crucial battle, Whiplash was again armed with its hinged forks. From the off, Whiplash got underneath the side of Witch Doctor and pressed it against the barrier. Witch Doctor's disk got up to speed, but took a hit from the 100lb pulverizer and found itself in the corner. Witch Doctor escaped and dealt a shot which bent one of the forks of Whiplash up, rendering it useless. However, Whiplash remained aggressive and drove Witch Doctor towards the screws of the Upper Deck, launching it into a backflip. Mike Gellatly drove away and charged at Whiplash, but the remaining forks were long enough to prevent Witch Doctor's disk from making meaningful contact with the front of the Vasquez family's machine. Witch Doctor instead backed up and attacked head-on, but was driven towards the short corner and almost lifted over. Escaping to circle its opponent, Witch Doctor found itself caught on the forks and rammed into the Upper Deck again, but Whiplash could not capitalize and it was now Witch Doctor who looked to turn the tide. The disk of Witch Doctor was up to speed again, and dealt buffeting shots to the sides of Whiplash before knocking it upside-down. Whiplash could not right itself as its power switch had been torn out of the robot and lay next to it on the floor. A count ultimately began and Witch Doctor successfully defended its bounty, moving onto the Golden Bolt tournament at the expense of the Whiplash team.
World Championship VII
Whiplash vs. MadCatter Whiplash's first Fight Night opponent of World Championship VII was Martin Mason and MadCatter. For this match, SawBlaze captain Jamison Go joined Chris Rose and Kenny Florian as a guest fight analyst. For this match, Whiplash was equipped with its disk for the first time since its 2020 season finale loss to End Game. It also featured a single lifting wedge on its arm, positioned to the right of its disc. Whiplash lifts MadCatter. Both robots immediately drove at one another, with Whiplash quickest out of its starting square. Neither robot got a strong advantage from testing one another's ground game, so MadCatter retreated and Whiplash spun down its disc. Matt Vasquez positioned Whiplash and got to the side of MadCatter, lifting it momentarily before dropping it. Both robots locked horns in the middle of the arena, but Whiplash's disk was not spinning, unlike that of MadCatter. Calvin Iba chased down Whiplash as the lifting arm of MadCatter raised to allow for greater reach of its vertical spinner, landing a blow to its back panel which sent Whiplash tumbling over. Whiplash recovered and faced MadCatter again, dropping its lifter into the path of MadCatter's vicious vertical spinner. Whiplash and MadCatter square off. MadCatter then drove towards the center of the BattleBox and as Whiplash oversteered, landed a big hit which launched the Vasquez family's bot high into the air. Upon landing, Calvin Iba was able to scoop Whiplash up from the side and spin it around, all before driving it straight into the Upper Deck. This impact caused Whiplash to fly high into the air and tore out the speed controller for its weapon, which lay strewn across the Upper Deck. Whiplash post-fight. Whiplash itself landed in the short corner and was unable to move. MadCatter drove around the center of the arena in celebration as Whiplash was counted out.
Whiplash vs. HyperShock Keen to avoid an 0-2 record, Whiplash's second Fight Night opponent was 2022 re:MARS all:STARS champion HyperShock in a Main Event. HyperShock and Whiplash square off. Both bots circled and rushed each other with Whiplash gaining the early advantage, flipping HyperShock over. HyperShock then drove itself up onto the screws and Upper Deck in an attempt to self right, but to no avail. HyperShock then did a gyro motion to get itself back over and onto all fours. HyperShock took Whiplash to the corner of the arena, where its forks got stuck in the wall momentarily. Whiplash lays immobile. When it was free, HyperShock drove the center of the BattleBox, circling Whiplash striking it repeatedly with its weapon. These strikes caused Whiplash to begin smoking and damaged its chassis, causing its lithium polymer batteries to spill out and immobilizing Whiplash. The Vasquez family's bot was counted out, stretching its winless run to three fights.
Whiplash vs. Monsoon Whiplash's penultimate Fight Night opponent was the returning World Championship III quarter-finalist, Monsoon, in another Main Event. Now 0-2, the Vasquez family were desperate to not fall to an 0-3 record. Matt Vasquez initiated a box rush to begin the match, which resulted in Whiplash getting to the front-left side of the British bot and ramming it into the rails. "This is what they do best - dictate the action and control their opponents." — Kenny Florian Monsoon flips Whiplash over early on. As Monsoon escaped the short corner, Whiplash worked its forks underneath again, but could not achieve the same power behind its push as it got caught on the BattleBox floor. Both robots met in the center of the arena, and as Monsoon unbalanced, it pivoted weapon-first into the floor and bounced away. Whiplash gave chase, but suffered a blow to its front which overturned the 2020 season runner-up. Monsoon collides with Whiplash. Whiplash immediately self-righted before driving Monsoon into the screws, then achieving the same feat on the opposite side of the BattleBox. Matt Vasquez then drove the British bot into the short corner again, but its top panel had been peeled up from Monsoon's vertical spinner, and the disk of Whiplash was not spinning. Kenny Florian: "Now did Whiplash shut down their weapon, or was that the result of Monsoon's big shot?" Chris Rose: "Well, we know how big of an affect the loss of a primary weapon can have on the scorecards, so keep your eyes trained on that vertical disk of Whiplash. Very important." — Kenny Florian and Chris Rose assess the functionality of Whiplash's vertical spinner Monsoon escaped once more, driving to the opposite corner of the arena before it dealt a head-on attack to the front of Whiplash once more. Tom Brewster's bot bent up one of its opponent's front forks, but found itself driven back towards the short corner. Whiplash pins Monsoon against the rails as it suffers a blow from the pulverizer. With Monsoon unable to escape for the time being, the Vasquez family activated the pulverizer, which landed several shots to the top of the 1-1 robot. It eventually did retreat, but drove into a slot in the killsaws and saw its escape impeded. Monsoon peels up the armor of Whiplash. Monsoon then grazed its weapon against the front of Whiplash as the latter pushed back, forcing Monsoon into the Upper Deck. However, this attack cost Whiplash its right-side fork, which gave way as both robots now appeared to be suffering from drive issues. Late on, Whiplash powered up its vertical spinner to show functionality to the judges as the Main Event went the distance. "It's up to you - you're the captain." — Tim Rackley to Tom Brewster as Team Monsoon consider an Appeal Whiplash took the win by split judges' decision. Although Team Monsoon issued an Appeal, this was unsuccessful as judge Lisa Winter revised her score to make this a unanimous decision in Whiplash's favor.
Whiplash vs. Tantrum Whiplash's fourth and final Fight Night opponent was the defending champion, Tantrum, who sat at a similarly desperate 1-2. Before the match, Team Fast Electric Robots focused heavily on ensuring the functionality of their spinning disk, which had been all but a non-factor throughout the season. "Anything less than the improvements we are making now are not gonna be enough. I mean, we fought our with no spinner, really. So if we could add the spinner to that equation, I think that'll be a huge boost to our destructive potential." — Matt Vasquez explains just how crucial getting their secondary weapon working could be ahead of the fight Whiplash is punched towards the rails. When the battle began, Whiplash was quick to chase down its foe, eager to take the lead early. However, Tantrum's superior speed allowed it to get the better of the first exchange, maneuvering under Whiplash's forks and pushing it towards the wall. The 2020 runner-up was able to escape before any damage was dealt, responding with a ramming attack, but slammed into the wall instead. Tantrum was quick to capitalize, firing its punching drum into Whiplash's wheel twice, but this allowed Matt Vasquez to escape and look for a new opening. Whiplash overturns Tantrum. Undeterred, Whiplash continued to home in on the reigning champ, relying on its longer forks to keep Tantrum on the defensive. The orange machine retreated to the short corner behind the upper deck, but this only made it easier for the lifter bot to box in its adversary. Sliding under Tantrum from the side, Whiplash slammed the champ into the screws before using its spinner to throw the smaller robot over. "Yeah, Matty's so precise, looking to back Tantrum down here. Always has a great strategy, now he's able to get underneath and flip Tantrum!" — Kenny Florian narrates Whiplash's counter-offensive Whiplash celebrates as it secures the win. Whiplash quickly repositioned behind Tantrum, waiting to strike if it self-righted, but this proved to be unnecessary. Thanks to continued difficulty with its srimech, Tantrum could only wobble back and forth as it fired the puncher, unable to get back on its feet to continue the fight. The countdown soon followed, and Whiplash celebrated its knockout victory with some gyro-dancing acrobatics in the center of the arena as it finished the season at a 2-2 record. "All of our other fights, we've been having major spinner issues, spinner didn't even work. Thanks to a ton of other people, even some members of Team Tantrum, really helped us out. But that saved us because when I had him pinned in the corner and tried to lift him, I couldn't lift him for some reason. So luckily the spinner was working." — Matt expresses relief over Whiplash's spinner finally coming into play
Whiplash vs. Beta Whiplash ahead of the fight. Whiplash's late surge was enough to secure it the No.20 seed in the Round of 32, where it faced No.13 seed Beta. The Vasquez family forwent wedges and plows for this encounter, instead opting for a single fork at the tip of its lifting arm. Whiplash kept its disk for this configuration, which convinced Beta to adopt its anti-vertical spinner armor. "Beta is very, very tough. They don't play the ground game; they don't try to scoop us up. They have very, very tough armor so we're probably not going to damage them too much. We're probably just going to have to rely on controlling them and just try our best not to get hit..." — Matt Vasquez ahead of the battle Whiplash lifts its opponent, but Beta strikes back. Whiplash began the fight by arcing to the right, circling John Reid's robot before getting underneath and tipping it back. Beta swung its bladed hammer in retaliation, but Whiplash got another lift in before dropping the British bot. Beta is driven on top of the Upper Deck. As Whiplash retreated, Beta gave chase but drove into its opponent's spinning disk in an impact which spun the hammer-wielding robot around. Whiplash then got underneath the rear of Beta, tipping and ramming the No.13 seed into and on top of the Upper Deck. Whiplash celebrates an impending win. "Oh s**t." — John Reid shakes his head as Beta stops moving Beta is counted out. From there, however, Beta rolled onto the BattleBox hazard and suddenly had no drive power as its frame had warped in such a way that it had become high-centered. Though its hammer still worked, Beta had no mobility and was unable to escape the immobilization count. Whiplash took the win by knockout, and advanced into the Round of 16 once again.
Whiplash vs. Hydra Now in the Top 16, Whiplash met No.4 seed Hydra in a rematch from the quarter-finals of World Championship V. "I think what will tip the scales is how improved our spinner is from the last time we fought them. I know Hydra's armor is relatively the same; it only takes one or two hits on his wedgelets to bend him out of shape and once his front end is bent just a little bit out of shape, that means we can go to town on him and just get hit after hit after hit..." — Matt Vasquez pre-fight The team watch on as Whiplash enters a stalemate with Hydra. Both robots were tentative as they exited their starting squares, with Hydra's front wedges becoming stuck on the floor seams. Whiplash twice baited Hydra into misfiring its flipper, but drove directly up its front the third time and was thrown into the air as a result. Whiplash briefly gets under Hydra. Whiplash landed hard on its right side, falling back onto its wheels as Hydra got in a follow-up flip. The Vasquez family's robot momentarily got its lifter underneath the front of Hydra, but could not capitalize as the No.4 seed reversed free. Hydra missed another flip but landed its next, kicking Whiplash back as it landed inverted, forcing the 2020 runner-up to self-right against the rails. Whiplash tears off part of its own lifter as Hydra struggles for mobility. From this moment, Whiplash took a more offensive approach as it hooked its left-most fork under the corner of Hydra, driving it back. This burst of aggression appeared to have affected Hydra, however, as it was now struggling to drive straight. Hydra's knockout flip. Jake Ewert was able to position Hydra for a flip as the Vasquez brothers willingly led with the back of Whiplash, swinging the arm over to behave like a hammer saw. Whiplash struck the front of its opponent, but the hydraulic flipper got underneath and threw the No.20 seed over. Kenny Florian: "OHH! He's trying to attack from behind; he said he'd try this technique... Oh no!" Chris Rose: "Hydra with the quick counterstrike and Whiplash is on its head!" Kenny Florian: "This could be it!" — Chris and Kenny as Whiplash is immobilized Hydra watches on as Whiplash is counted out. With just over a minute gone, Whiplash appeared unable to self-right and a count began, ending the team's season at the Round of 16 stage.
BattleBots: Champions II
Whiplash vs. Fusion Whiplash pre-fight. Whiplash returned for BattleBots: Champions II, where it faced another Team Whyachi robot in Fusion during the second Sin City Slugfest bracket. For this battle, Whiplash forwent the disk weapon in order to armor up against Fusion's twin spinners. Fusion is flipped over and immediately catches fire. Whiplash initiated the box rush, driving plow-first into the drum spinner of Fusion. This saw Reese Ewert's robot deflect into the screws before it turned away to power up its horizontal spinner. However, it bounced off the left side of Whiplash's plow, overturning Fusion and initiating a noticeable fire within. Chris Rose: "Can Fusion even move, or is con-Fusion just confused?" Kenny Florian: "Well at least Fusion has been consistent... consistently on fire." — Chris and Kenny poke fun as Fusion bursts into blames again. Fusion is stacked against the corner. Fusion gathered itself before driving back to the center of the BattleBox, where Matt Vasquez gave chase. Whiplash then pinned Fusion against the rails, lifting its smoking opponent against the wall with its wheels off the floor. John Remar counted Fusion out, confirming a win by knockout for Whiplash in under a minute.
Whiplash vs. Malice "Malice has a big horizontal spinner on the front; hits pretty hard, is very reliable. So we're not gonna run our vertical spinner. We're gonna run just the lifter with the big plow on the front. That way we can just run straight into their weapon as hard as we want, whenever we want, not worry too much about damage and just... worry about controlling the fight. So if I drive well, we should just be flipping them over, pushing them into walls, slammin' them into the corners. And if we can do that for three minutes, we're gonna win." — Matt Vasquez outlines Whiplash's strategy Next up for Whiplash was a semi-final clash against Malice, which had defeated HiJinx to reach this stage. The Vasquez family team again opted to use its discless lifter and large plow configuration to counter their opponent's "drumstick" bar spinner, though Kenny Florian erroneously stated mid-match that Whiplash was fighting without an active weapon. "Have fun, Matt! Go get them! Good luck!" — Jeff Vasquez Whiplash slams Malice into the short corner. The match started well for Whiplash, which immediately attempted a box-rush. Two heavy collisions with Malice's spinner followed in quick succession; the first deflected Malice into the wall beneath the control booth, the second left it balancing for a few seconds on its rear panel. Whiplash quickly got underneath and pressed Malice against the wall bumper, absorbing more direct hits to its plow in the process. After a few seconds, it dragged, then rammed David Liaw and David Rush's machine into the middle screw bumper behind the blue square. Kenny Florian: "Matt Vasquez now takin' Malice for a ride!" Chris Rose: "Oh, man!" Kenny Florian: "And remember Chris, he doesn't have a weapon here, so he's gotta control... every thing!" — Kenny Florian as Whiplash builds on an aggressive start Malice buffets the plow of Whiplash. Malice retreated, though Whiplash gave chase and slammed it into the upper-left pocket. The impact was enough to temporarily stop the momentum in Malice's weapon, which had again churned against Whiplash's yellow plow. Whiplash shoved Malice directly under the nearby pulverizer, before turning around and pushing it into two of the BattleBox screw mounts. Both heavyweights separated, then engaged in another head-to-head skirmish as Malice tried to back out of the corner. Whiplash tanked another series of hits from Malice as a result, though its attempts to retaliate from the front resulted in its ground clearance being breached by Malice's forks. Whiplash pins Malice under the pulverizer. A large piece of yellow metal ricocheted across the BattleBox as Whiplash again shuffled, got underneath and pushed Malice against the control booth bumper. After a few seconds, it simultaneously drove and lifted Malice across the perimeter, before forcing its opponent to drive underneath the bottom-right pulverizer. Chris Rose: "Matt Vasquez putting a quick end to that rally... and tosses Malice over his shoulder!" Kenny Florian: "Beautiful counter, there!" — As a damaged Whiplash performs its first of two lifts on Malice Malice bounces off Whiplash's plow and becomes inverted. Matt Vasquez seized the opportunity to pin Malice in place as this happened, leading into a second lift against the nearby door buffer screen. With Malice landing on its back end, Whiplash shoved it against the bumper and broke free. Another head-on collision followed; the impact with Whiplash's plow was forceful enough to turn Malice onto its side. Whiplash closed in as Malice tried to re-right itself, causing its opponent to flip over on top of its plow. Chris Rose: "And now Malice is inverted. Certainly can drive this way, but doesn't like having its weapon up high. Would rather have it down low." Kenny Florian: "And another issue with being inverted, Chris, is that it negates their forks. Whiplash should be able to dominate the ground game, while Malice is upside down." Chris Rose: "Well, Whiplash has been in control for most of this fight. Let's see if Matt Vasquez can close the deal here..." — As Whiplash continues to pressure Malice after flipping it over Malice becomes stuck on the BattleBox. Whiplash, like before, deflected Malice into the bottom-left paddle. While backing up for another charge, it narrowly avoided a hit from the red square pulverizer, before another chase and series of weapon deflections ensued. As the battle passed the 90-second mark, Whiplash maintained its pursuit to pressure Malice against the red square screws. This resulted in Malice being pulled up the screws, then beaching itself against the middle mount while trying to escape. "Wow, right on the corner of the rails! And Whiplash is waving goodbye! Once again taunting its opponent saying "I'm off to the finals! You're off to the off-season! Beat it, kid!"" — Chris Rose as Malice ends up being stranded Bunny Liaw and Debbie Vasquez embrace one another post-fight. Sensing that its opponent was now incapacitated, Whiplash turned around and kept its distance, raising its lifter in triumph. In celebration, Jeff Vasquez drummed against the control booth Lexan, as Whiplash waved the lifter a few more times and John Remar counted Malice out. The Vasquez family thus secured their place in the second Slugfest final in dominant style; Jeff and Debbie Vasquez exchanged hugs with Team Malice's Bunny Liaw as a sign of appreciation for their defeated opponents. In an Instagram post by Bunny Liaw, it was revealed that Malice had broken two of Whiplash's drive chains during the fight.
Whiplash vs. Black Dragon In the final, Whiplash took on Black Dragon for the third time since their first encounter in World Championship V. The Vasquez family reintroduced Whiplash's spinning disk ahead of this Golden Bolt qualifier, accompanied by a single fork at the end of their lifter, and hinged forks either side of the primary weapon. Both robots meet head-on. Whiplash was the faster of the two robots to escape its starting square, charging Black Dragon down and asserting itself as the lower robot early on. Meeting head-on, Black Dragon and Whiplash engaged in several brief pushing battles, which resulted in the Brazilian bot getting in underneath and buffeting the underside of its opponent. Whiplash pushed Black Dragon into the corner, but the Brazilians push back. Black Dragon initiated another shoving match again, but Whiplash got around to its side and drove it back to the center of the BattleBox. The eggbeater drum spinner of Black Dragon pushed back, with sparks flying as the hinged forks of Whiplash bounced against the Brazilian bot's primary weapon. Whiplash, however, then bent back the right-side wedgelets of Black Dragon and was able to slide its lifter underneath, but Gabriel Bertozzi drove it away from danger. Black Dragon is overturned. Both weapons spun as the pair went head-to-head again, but Black Dragon came off worse as Whiplash used its disk to overturn Black Dragon. Matt Vasquez maintained the pressure, flinging it over and pinning the former Desperado Tournament champions momentarily. Black Dragon fled in an attempt to find space to right itself and a tap from the disk of Whiplash did the trick. "Nice little clip there! Three, four good hits by Whiplash in a row..." — Chris Rose as Black Dragon is righted Black Dragon pops Whiplash into the air as it escapes the corner. As the fight approached the halfway point, both bots duelled in the short corner. This led to Whiplash pinning Black Dragon against the Upper Deck before landing a lift which tipped it back, but failed to overturn Black Dragon again. The primary weapon of Gabriel Bertozzi's robot was back up to speed, but Whiplash landed another lift after getting around to its back end, followed by a strike to the rear-left wheel of Whiplash from Black Dragon. Black Dragon rams Whiplash into the rails. Black Dragon continued on, beating against the frame of Whiplash again as the Brazilians sought to dictate the final minute of the Slugfest final. It breached the hinged forks of Whiplash again, driving it towards the rails near the Vasquez family's pulverizer. While the eggbeater on Black Dragon appeared non-functional, the right-side drive of Whiplash was similarly affected. "They have a major issue with their drive. What sort of impression will that leave on the judges in the final 30 seconds? And for Black Dragon, it looks like they've lost function to their weapon. That's also gonna have a huge impact on the scorecards. Both bots limping to the finish line!" — Chris Rose summarizes the state of both robots as seconds tick down Both finalists limp to a judges' decision. With both robots hurt, Black Dragon suffered a hit from the killsaws as the Slugfest final entered its final seconds. Black Dragon pushed Whiplash from the side as the Vasquez family kept their disk spinning. The finalists retreated post-fight as the referees asked both teams to demonstrate drive and weapon functionality. Whiplash was declared the winner by unanimous judges' decision following a close-fought bout, confirming their place in the Golden Bolt tournament. Team Uai!rrior appealed this decision, but were unsuccessful and the decision stood.
Whiplash vs. JackPot Whiplash pre-fight. Whiplash fought in the Golden Bolt tournament as champion of the second Sin City Slugfest bracket. There, it took on the winner of the fourth bracket, JackPot, in Round 1. Whiplash was without its spinner again for this battle, but sported hinged forks either side of its lifting arm rather than the plow seen in its Slugfest win over Malice. Whiplash chases down JackPot. Whiplash rushed towards JackPot in the opening seconds, giving chase as JackPot looked to get its heart-shaped disk up to speed. Matt Vasquez drove Whiplash's forks under the right flank of JackPot but failed to make the most of this attack as the Vegas bot escaped. JackPot then struck the front-right wheel of Whiplash, shearing the bolt holding it in place as the wheel came away in the opening thirty seconds. JackPot strikes a three-wheeled Whiplash. In spite of this, Whiplash was able to control its opponent, pinning it near the drivers' booths while tanking glancing shots to its front. Matt Vasquez backed up on to Ace, but fled before the minibot had a chance to high-center his robot. JackPot's weapon was halted momentarily as Whiplash again charged face-first into Jeff Waters' entry, opting to then drive it into the short corner. Whiplash pinned JackPot again, but failed to lift as Kenny Florian questioned the functionality of its primary weapon. "Starting to wonder if there may be something wrong with the lifter arm on Whiplash. Matt Vasquez has had plenty of changes to use it, and so far, we haven't seen it move." — Kenny Florian Whiplash forces JackPot into the screws. The fight returned to the middle of the arena as JackPot's vertical spinner, by contrast, appeared unaffected from Whiplash's attacks as the fight passed the halfway mark. JackPot struck the frame of Whiplash again, peeling up its top armor on the right side. In retaliation, Whiplash managed to force JackPot into the screws behind the blue starting square, tipping the Vegas bot onto its face. JackPot self-righted, but was pinned by the visibly wounded Whiplash. The Vegas Combat Robotics machine fled to spin up again but the 2020 season runner-up gave chase. Both bracket winners avoided shots from the pulverizer and Whiplash drove JackPot weapon-first into the spiked barriers, overturning it again. JackPot was now missing the tip of its right fork as its lifter appeared warped. "Listen, being a pushbot for this entire match is gonna hurt him in both the Damage and Control categories, but he's doing about as much as he can to give Jeff Waters a fight here" — Kenny Florian as the fight enters its closing stages JackPot chips away at Whiplash despite being pinned. Whiplash continued to hold JackPot against the arena in bursts, but the damage began to mount up against the Vasquez family with under thirty seconds remaining. JackPot's weapon continued to deal damage, buckling the remainder of Whiplash's top armor as JackPot was held under the pulverizer in the final seconds. A split decision was announced following another close encounter. With two judges voting in its favor, JackPot was deemed the winner, ending Whiplash's run for the Golden Bolt trophy at this stage.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 28
• Losses: 14

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship III	Hypothermia (Undercard Match) Mecha Rampage (Undercard Match) Warhead (Undercard Match) Yeti Bronco	Tombstone (Main Event) Bite Force
World Championship IV	Minotaur (Main Event) Son of Whyachi (Main Event) Texas Twister (Undercard Match) HUGE	Witch Doctor (Main Event) Tombstone
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019)	Lock-Jaw	Bite Force (Third Place Play-Off)
World Championship V	Gruff (Main Event) Valkyrie (Main Event) HUGE Valkyrie Hydra Black Dragon	SawBlaze (Undercard Match) End Game
World Championship VI	Bloodsport (Main Event) Skorpios (Main Event) Icewave	Cobalt
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)	None	Blip
BattleBots: Champions I	HiJinx Ghost Raptor Black Dragon	Witch Doctor (Main Event)
World Championship VII	Monsoon (Main Event) * Tantrum (Undercard Match) Beta	MadCatter (Undercard Match) HyperShock (Main Event) Hydra
BattleBots: Champions II	Fusion Malice Black Dragon (Main Event) **	JackPot

* Whiplash was declared the winner of this battle on a split judges' decision. Team Monsoon appealed this decision, but were unsuccessful and the decision was revised to be unanimous.

** Whiplash was declared the winner of this battle on a unanimous judges' decision. Team Uai!rrior appealed this decision, but were unsuccessful and the decision stood.

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"If this bot wrote a book, it would be called Fifty Shades of Slay. 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. 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 bot's 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 'out-kill 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 Covenant 'cause bots melt when they see him. This fighter's a legend; he belongs in a museum. It's WHIPLASH!"

"He'll twist you, crack you and make you say 'Ouch!' This bot is worse for you back than sleeping on the couch. He'll cause you problems of the spinal type, make no bones about it, this will be your final fight. It's WHIPLASH!"

"This bot cracks the whip like he's taming a lion, but you won't need a trapeze to go flying. He'll run three rings around you and make you look like a clown, call your funeral 'The Greatest Show: Six Feet Underground', it's WHIPLASH!"

"Hey, everybody, Faruq Tauheed here. Look, I just wanted to take a second to talk to you guys about the importance of family. See, it's imperative that we spend time with our loved ones to create memories that will last forever. Whether that's a family game night, or a time you went to Disneyland, or the time y'all built a 250lb murderous robot with a variety of deadly weapons and entered into a series of competitions where it dominated... Because when you think about all the robotic killing and maiming and torturing, that's what family's all about, damn it! Please make it loud for the family robot, WHIPLASH!"

"Forget what anyone's told you. This is the ultimate driving machine. Fastest thing on four wheels since the young Lightning McQueen. But it's also a killer. so even though the driving skills are beautiful, they can go real slow in the procession when they're driving to your funeral. Give it up for WHIPLASH!"

"The family that slays together, stays together no matter the weather. And building murderous robots is how they spend quality time together. They have a mom, a dad, a couple of kids, but don't you dare get cocky, or they'll have a giant group hug over your dead body. Please welcome the family robot, WHIPLASH!"

"From Thousand Oaks, California, watch your back cause this bot turns vertebrae into hurt-ebrae. It's WHIPLASH!"

"Matt Vasquez is still a student of the game but he's no longer in school. He'll sign your casket like a yearbook. Have a great summer. Stay cool. He'll divide your ribs and add two black eyes. Subtract your arms and legs. He'll get an A+ in murdering bots and celebrate with two kegs. It's WHIPLASH!"

Merchandise

Any appearances by Whiplash in merchandise are listed below:

• Whiplash/HEXBUG

See Also

• Whiplash (RoboGames)

Trivia

• Whiplash was the first robot to flip Hydra over and force it to self-right in World Championship V.
  • This was later achieved by Glitch in the following season.
• In each of its seasons, Whiplash has never missed the Round of 16, making it one of the most consistent bots in the reboot.
• Whiplash has fought in a record 10 Main Events in its five seasons of competing: Tombstone in World Championship III, Minotaur, Son of Whyachi, and Witch Doctor in World Championship IV, Gruff and Valkyrie in World Championship V, Bloodsport and Skorpios in World Championship VI, and HyperShock and Monsoon in World Championship VII.
• Whiplash is the second bot to beat the same opponent twice in the same season. The first was Lock-Jaw, who achieved this against Bombshell in 2018.
• Matt and Jason Vasquez 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 World Championship V.
• 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.
• Whiplash was originally scheduled to fight HyperShock for its third Fight Night battle in World Championship VI, before both robots were limited to two fights after going 2-0 in their respective battles up to that point. This fight would eventually happen a year later.
• In the full untelevised World Championship VI Round of 16 fight against Cobalt, Whiplash received an introduction but its opponent strangely did not.
• Whiplash, Minotaur, and Witch Doctor are the only three bots to have fought all five World Champions.
• Whiplash is the fourth robot to defeat the same opponent three times, after End Game against Tantrum, Bite Force against HyperShock and Lock-Jaw against Bombshell.