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

Witch Doctor is a heavyweight (formerly middleweight) robot which has competed in every BattleBots World Championship. It was originally built by Busted Nuts Robotics, now known simply as Team Witch Doctor, who entered the original middleweight into BattleBots IQ events.

Co-captains Andrea and Mike Gellatly both found their feet in BattleBots during its untelevised events. Andrea Gellatly (then Suarez) first competed in BattleBots IQ 2004 with a robot called The Kerminator as part of Team Mean n' Green, before entering a shell spinner named Category 5. From there, the middleweight Witch Doctor was designed and fought in three BattleBots IQ events, winning the Best Engineered and Coolest Robot awards as well as finishing first overall in the 2011 competition. Witch Doctor then briefly fought in RoboGames. The original middleweight was built by Adam Bercu, who fought in the 2007 event with middleweight Coincidence[1] before later branching off to form part of Overhaul and pilot his own 250lb BattleBots competitor, Brutus.

Witch Doctor 2015 photoshoot

Witch Doctor during World Championship I.

In all of its televised BattleBots appearances, Witch Doctor featured a potent vertical spinning disc which has been capable of causing major damage to opponents. It often featured small front wedges which could be replaced with a large steel plow to combat spinners. It was also accompanied by a 30lb minibot named Shaman in early seasons of the show. Shaman was a wedge robot designed to get behind the opponent and distract their drivers so Witch Doctor could go in for the kill. Shaman was not unarmed, as it was also equipped with a flamethrower to toast the underside of opponents it can get underneath.

In its debut season, Witch Doctor received a wildcard after losing to Bronco, but despite picking up a win against veteran builder Christian Carlberg, was eliminated from the tournament by Tombstone.

Shaman 2016

Shaman during the 2016 season.

For World Championship II, Witch Doctor was completely redesigned with a new double-sided spinning disc and a self-righting mechanism. Shaman also underwent a new design, now sporting with two flamethrowers instead of one and using green fire rather than its traditional colors. It started well in the 2016 season, but bowed out in a surprise defeat to Red Devil.

For World Championship III, Witch Doctor was again redesigned, with the 47lb weapon now sporting two teeth instead of one, and was able to hit speeds of 4000rpm, or 200mph. Despite initial CAD renders showcasing an upgraded Shaman, the minibot was ultimately retired in order to save weight on the main bot, which was redistributed to its ribcage armor and upgrades to its self-righter. This proved to be effective as Witch Doctor made the Top 16 before bowing out to eventual runner-up Minotaur. Witch Doctor was also the main focus of the second episode of BattleBots Resurrection, where issues with their motors smoking during fights and compromising the bot's reliability were explained in further detail.

WitchDoctorBB2019

Witch Doctor during World Championship IV.

Witch Doctor returned for World Championship IV with an updated design with cracks across the rib cage, a new flamethrower and custom rubber tires. Although Shaman still remained absent, the team added a little purple homage to the minibot on the self-righting arm. This version of Witch Doctor also featured a larger primary weapon for improved reach, bends in the wedge which protected the front wheels. This proved to be the most successful Witch Doctor build to date, defeating all of its opponents before falling just short in the Championship decider to Bite Force.

Witch Doctor again came back for World Championship V and appeared largely unchanged. Like Bombshell and Minotaur, Witch Doctor had a very rough run as last season's runner-up, going 1-2 in the qualifying rounds, but still made it into the Championship Tournament where it defeated Skorpios in the Round of 32 before losing a rematch to SawBlaze in the Round of 16. Witch Doctor redeemed itself for failing to make it to the Championship Finals again by becoming the second Legend to defend their Bounty by defeating BattleBots: Bounty Hunters bracket winner SubZero to earn a portion of the $25,000 prize.

Witch Doctor WC VI hero shot blue

Witch Doctor during hero shots for World Championship VI.

For World Championship VI, the team stated that Witch Doctor has been redesigned from the ground up, while still retaining the look it has been known for since World Championship III. Many of the upgrades revolved around weapon reliability, including the chassis being elongated slightly to accommodate a new motor assembly. Witch Doctor now utilized dual motors for its weapon for additional redundancy, and its belts had been repositioned to the outside of the discs. The team also added "bunny ears" which allows Witch Doctor to drive better and keep the weapon spinning while upside-down, and a modified self-righting mechanism which now has a near-180 degree range of motion. Witch Doctor's weapon is made from AR500 steel to prevent the discs from breaking, which cost the team in two of its fights last season. Witch Doctor opened its season with a win over Hal Rucker and DUCK! before suffering a loss by knockout to reigning champions End Game. After beating fellow fan favorite Rusty in the final episode of Fight Night battles, Witch Doctor's 2-1 record was enough to grant it the No.24 seed in the Round of 32. Following the shock withdrawal of Glitch, Mammoth was drafted in to be Witch Doctor's Round of 32 opponent, and the Gellatlys put it to the sword to again make the Top 16. After knocking out Copperhead and defeating Minotaur in highly controversial circumstances, Witch Doctor got revenge on SawBlaze but lost in the title decider to Tantrum.

Having beaten SubZero in BattleBots: Bounty Hunters to defend its title, Witch Doctor entered BattleBots: Champions, beating bracket winner Whiplash to advance into the Golden Bolt tournament. After ending rookie team Glitch's extraordinary unbeaten streak, Witch Doctor ultimately fell at the hands of End Game.

Witch doctor s7

Witch Doctor during hero shots for World Championship VII.

Ahead of World Championship VII, Team Witch Doctor revealed the latest build of their machine, opting to prioritize the single-disc configuration they found noticeable success with in the back end of the previous year's filming. Internally, Witch Doctor was reworked to promise 20% more more drive speed and 25% faster spinning weapon, now spinning at the maximum allowed 250mph.[2] In the off-season, the team experimented with brushless motors and speed controllers, and implemented this into their 2022 build. Witch Doctor also featured additional chain reduction stages for their drive. Witch Doctor picked up where it left off in the previous season, scoring consecutive wins against Ribbot, Fusion and Gruff before losing a Main Event to Minotaur. Entering the bracket, Witch Doctor scored dominant wins over JackPot and Lock-Jaw to reach the Top 8, but it was beaten by the undefeated HUGE in the quarter-finals.

The team also developed a YouTube series called Witch Doctor Junior, an educational program showcasing how to build and maintain combat robots on a smaller scale, and looks to encourage young people into the world of engineering.[3] Andrea Gellatly also published a BattleBots-themed alphabet book, called B is for BattleBots, with illustrations by Caleb Kempson. Proceeds went towards supporting the Witch Doctor Junior program. Andrea and Mike Gellatly co-hosted Tale of the Tape After Show alongside HyperShock's Will Bales, discussing each episode after it airs and often bringing fellow builders onto the show as special guests. However, this was discontinued after the 2020 season due to the time and effort required from both teams.

2020 version Witch Doctor May 2022

The 2020 build of Witch Doctor in May 2022.

To show behind the scenes and the lives of builders, Witch Doctor started a series called Pit Pass. Episode One shows the lead up and aftermath of their matchup with Ribbot. The next few episodes covered their brushless weapon motor testing and final robot assembly leading up to World Championship VII. They uploaded weekly a few days after the Thursday airings of the show, with the exception of the final episode covering their loss to HUGE.

The 2020 build of Witch Doctor was sold to BattleBots collector Lars Bakker in May 2022.

Robot History[]

BattleBots IQ 2010[]

Blue Flame fight
Please note that the order of the following fights is unknown, as documentation on the event itself is either limited or non-existent.
This is typically true of untelevised events such as BattleBots IQ and those sanctioned by the BattleBots name.

Witch Doctor vs. PanDEMONium

Witch Doctor Pandemonium

Witch Doctor kicks PanDEMONium onto its side.

Witch Doctor Pandemonium 2

Witch Doctor delivers one last hit that puts PanDEMONium on its back.

Witch Doctor fought University of Miami representative PanDEMONium. As the shell spinner attempted to spin up, Witch Doctor charged across the arena and punted PanDEMONium into the arena wall.

After several glancing hits upon landing, PanDEMONium was upside-down and Witch Doctor took a comfortable win by knockout.

Witch Doctor vs. BattleBear

BattleBear Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor grinds into the underside of BattleBear.

Witch Doctor BattleBear

Witch Doctor tosses BattleBear.

Witch Doctor fought Missouri State University representative BattleBear. When the match began, both bots met at the center of the arena, where Witch Doctor managed to grind the underside with its drum and toss the wedgebot upside-down. As BattleBear attempted to attack with its rear sawblade, the two bots circled around until Witch Doctor faced and attacked the sawblade, tearing off a piece of the rear end and tossing BattleBear back right-side up. Following this, Witch Doctor engaged in a pushing battle until BattleBear reversed to the left and spun near the wall. After reversing away from the wall and taking a bump to the side by BattleBear, Witch Doctor reactivated its drum and circled to the right giving chase. Once BattleBear turned right to face its opponent, Witch Doctor responded by grinding into the wedge and flipping BattleBear upside down once more. Witch Doctor followed up by shoving BattleBear into the wall and grinding into its rear end before kicking it onto its side, allowing BattleBear to slip away. After Witch Doctor backed into the wall, it appeared to be having problems with its right side drive. After BattleBear charged in with its rear end and got popped upwards by the drum, Witch Doctor tried to solve its drive issue by reversing into the wall, getting stuck in the process. In an attempt to free itself, Witch Doctor ground its drum spinner into the floor for over 40 seconds until a stoppage was called. It is unknown what happened after that, though photos of the fight suggest that Witch Doctor was unstuck and the fight continued.

Witch Doctor vs. Bear Tooth

Witch doctor bear tooth 2010

Witch Doctor leaves Bear Tooth's frame warped.

Witch Doctor faced Bear Tooth, who appeared stuck on the arena wall in the opening seconds as Witch Doctor slowly approached. Bear Tooth was freed and Witch Doctor delivered a hit which tore parts away from its opponent. With a side panel dangling loose, Bear Tooth opted to behave as a sit and spin bot, but Witch Doctor sent it flying into the air and across the arena. Bear Tooth suddenly stopped moving and was deemed immobile, giving Witch Doctor the victory.

Witch Doctor vs. Fuchsia Fusion

Fuchsia Fusion Witch Doctor Collision

Witch Doctor kicks Fuchsia Fusion across the arena.

Fuschia fusion witch doctor 2010 bbiq

Witch Doctor backs off as Fuchsia Fusion is counted out.

Next up for Witch Doctor was Fuchsia Fusion, who spun in its starting square as Witch Doctor approached. When the match began, Witch Doctor charged to the left of the opposite square and turned right to face Fuchsia Fusion in the corner. After both bots swerved right, Witch Doctor swiftly rotated left, but overran the turn and allowed Fuchsia Fusion to deliver a hit to the right side. Witch Doctor quickly responded by approaching its opponent head on and clashing weapon-to-weapon, kicking Fuchsia Fusion into the air and flipping across the arena, sacrificing its wedge in the process. Before Fuchsia Fusion settled down, Witch Doctor charged across the arena and delivered a glancing blow under the shell. Before Fuchsia Fusion could spin back up, Witch Doctor swiftly followed up by kicking the shell spinner upside down. Fuchsia Fusion spun up again, but with no attachment on top to help it self-right, it was counted out, and Witch Doctor advanced to the next round.

BattleBots IQ 2011[]

Witch Doctor vs. PanDEMONium

Witch doctor pandemonium 2011

Witch Doctor faces PanDEMONium as it recovers from a big impact.

Witch Doctor took on PanDEMONium for a second time in the 2011 event. As the fight began, PanDEMONium was quicker to spin up than in the 2010 event and dealt a few hits to Witch Doctor's front wedge. Sparks flew as the two bots continued to exchange glancing blows before Witch Doctor violently launched PanDEMONium high into the air. PanDEMONium landed on its wheels, but Witch Doctor landed another hit before the fight was temporarily paused after a false tap-out. The battle resumed and PanDEMONium was able to grind its shell against the underside of Witch Doctor before throwing PanDEMONium across the arena several more times. One last hit was enough to flip PanDEMONium over as Witch Doctor again won by knockout.

Witch Doctor vs. D-Mora-Lizer

D-mora-lizer Witch Doctor BBIQ 2011

Witch Doctor shoves D-Mora-Lizer around.

Witch Doctor also faced off against D-Mora-Lizer, and picked up another win, though little is known about the fight itself.

Witch Doctor vs. Grasshopper

Witch doctor grasshopper

Witch Doctor tears a panel from Grasshopper.

Witch Doctor faced a two-wheel drive middleweight called Grasshopper in the 2011 competition and was quickly on the aggressive, tearing a panel away from its opponent and twisting its chassis. Soon after, Grasshopper was immobile and Witch Doctor took the win.

Witch Doctor vs. Blue Flame

Blue Flame Vs Witch Doctor

The collision which overturned Witch Doctor.

Witch Doctor advanced to face undercutter Blue Flame, built by Victor Soto. Early on, Witch Doctor became caught on a floor seam, which appeared to have affected its driving. Blue Flame took advantage of this and hit Witch Doctor, damaging the wheels on that side. After Witch Doctor hit another floor seam, Blue Flame dished out one more hit to the wedge which sent Witch Doctor gyro-dancing out of control and onto its back near the wall, where its drum drove the robot the width of the arena before coming to a stop on the opposite wall. With Witch Doctor upside down on the wall with no way of self-righting, it tapped out, giving Blue Flame the win by TKO.

Witch Doctor vs. Blue Flame

Blue Flame Vs Witch Doctor -0

Witch Doctor and Blue Flame go weapon to weapon.

In the finals, Witch Doctor faced Blue Flame in a rematch. As the match began, both robots met at the center of the arena and clashed weapons. Sparks flew off of Witch Doctor's wedge as Blue Flame made contact, but it otherwise was not causing much damage. Blue Flame soon was kicked away in a weapon-to-weapon collision and kicked in the air before it could spin back up, flipping it upside down. After taking a shot from Witch Doctor again, Blue Flame tried to move away to get its weapon up to speed, before turning around and colliding weapon to weapon again. Blue Flame soon ran into a wall, stopping its own blade, when Witch Doctor came in and dished out shots to the front and the right wheel guard before Blue Flame got its blade back up to speed. However, Blue Flame made the mistake of swinging into the wall with the blade, leaving it vulnerable to a Witch Doctor attack. Blue Flame was first kicked in the air with a hit to the rear, then a weapon-to-weapon hit sent it flying and bouncing into a corner, leaving it with a still working but broken bar. Due to its weapon breaking in half, Blue Flame tapped out, giving Witch Doctor the win by TKO as well as the championship.

Witch Doctor vs. Fluffy DeLarge (Exhibition)

Witch doctor fluffy delarge 1

Witch Doctor and Fluffy DeLarge face off.

Witch doctor fluffy delarge 2

Fluffy DeLarge leaves Witch Doctor stranded.

Witch Doctor also took on Fluffy DeLarge in a grudge match between the Collegiate and Pro champions. The two bots went weapon to weapon early on, which resulted in Witch Doctor being flipped over. Witch Doctor attempted to run itself into the wall to right itself, but sparks flew as Fluffy DeLarge went in for several more glancing glows. Fluffy DeLarge then threw Witch Doctor into the air with its primary weapon, causing Witch Doctor to become stuck against the arena wall. Fluffy DeLarge took the win by knockout.

World Championship I[]

Witch Doctor vs. Bronco

Witch Doctor's first match as a 250lb heavyweight came against Bronco.

BroncovsWitchDoctor BB2015

Bronco flips Witch Doctor.

The side of Witch Doctor was immediately breached as it was quickly thrown into the air by Bronco. The vertical spinner landed inverted but reversed into the wall and managed to right itself against the BattleBox.

Bronco Witch Doctor WCI Flamethrower Shaman

Bronco becomes stuck on top of Shaman.

Briefly caught under the spiked barrier, Bronco suddenly became vulnerable. Witch Doctor struck the back of Bronco, and Shaman fired its flamethrower. This hit freed Bronco and allowed it to drive away to the middle of the arena. There, Shaman drove towards the back end of Bronco and scorched its underside, high-centering the flipper until Bronco fired its weapon and escaped.
"The little bot is doing a great job against that powerhouse, Bronco."
— Kenny Florian heaps the praise on Witch Doctor's minibot

Witch Doctor KO vs Bronco WCI

Witch Doctor is counted out.

Witch Doctor dealt two glancing hits to the side of Bronco, but was otherwise unable to capitalize on its opponent being stuck. Bronco recovered and wasted no time getting underneath Witch Doctor again, throwing it upside-down. This time, Bronco forced Witch Doctor into the screws where it was snagged and hauled onto the augers.


Witch Doctor was counted out, but was awarded one of four wildcards. This allowed Andrea Suarez and Mike Gellatly to advance to the Round of 16.

Witch Doctor vs. OverDrive

With an immediate chance at redemption, Witch Doctor took on Christian Carlberg and OverDrive in the Round of 16. The team forwent Witch Doctor's plow in favor of two smaller wedges.

Quick out of its starting square, OverDrive box-rushed Witch Doctor and slammed into Shaman. Witch Doctor looked to land a hit and chased Christian Carlberg's robot down until it drove into the wall. This allowed Witch Doctor to strike OverDrive's side, dangerously close to damaging its wheels.

WCI Witch Doctor vs Overdrive

Witch Doctor attacks OverDrive.

Witch Doctor and OverDrive returned to the middle of the arena, but the former Giant Nut winner was popped into the air and then flipped it over. An inverted OverDrive fled to the corner but became stuck on its side.

WitchDoctorvsOverDrive BB2015

Witch Doctor hits the left side of OverDrive.

Andrea Suarez and Mike Gellatly's robot attacked again, buckling and locking up OverDrive's left-front wheel. Witch Doctor dealt another hit to OverDrive's flank as Shaman looked to scorch its veteran opponent.
"OverDrive is taking a beating!"
— Kenny Florian

Witch Doctor vs OverDrive WCI KO

OverDrive is counted out.

With little over a minute gone, John Remar counted OverDrive out and Witch doctor continued in the tournament.

Witch Doctor vs. Tombstone

Now in the quarter-finals as the No.9 seed, Witch Doctor took on top seed Tombstone. The team fitted Witch Doctor with its wide plow in an attempt to deflect hits from its opponent's powerful weapon.

Both robots were hesitant in the opening seconds before Tombstone caught the edge of Witch Doctor's front plow. Whereas Witch Doctor remained grounded and spun away, Tombstone balanced precariously on its left wheel before digging its blade into the BattleBox floor and dragging itself towards the corner.

TombstonevsWitchDoctor1 BB2015

Witch Doctor upends Tombstone.

Witch Doctor gave chase, striking Tombstone with its disc in an attempt to keep the dangerous horizontal spinner unbalanced. Twice more, Witch Doctor led with its plow and sent Tombstone deflecting across the arena in an attempt to use its opponent's kinetic energy against itself.

TombstonevsWitchDoctor2 BB2015

Tombstone's spinning blade snaps in half.

On the next attack, Witch Doctor tanked yet another direct blow to its front, much to the delight of its team. However, as the robots came together again, this overturned Witch Doctor. Though this impact snapped the blade of Ray Billings' bot, its drive was still functional.

Tombstone Witch Doctor WCI KO

Witch Doctor is immobilized.

Witch Doctor was unable to right itself and it was being counted out. Tombstone won by knockout and Witch Doctor was eliminated from the competition.

Witch Doctor vs. Nightmare vs. Overhaul (Exhibition)

Witch Doctor returned for a three-way rumble at the end of the competition, where it took on Overhaul and Nightmare

Nightmare got the first hit of the fight, turning sharply to hit the front of Overhaul. Witch Doctor took advantage of the distracted Nightmare, attacking its right flank. Witch Doctor, whose team had added flat additional armor to its front for this battle, went weapon-to-weapon with Nightmare and knocked it back before striking its wheelguard.
"This rumble's off to a frantic start! I don't even know where to look."
— Chris Rose

Witch Doctor Overhaul Nightmare rumble WCI flip

Witch Doctor is sandwiched between Overhaul and Nightmare.

Overhaul attempted a lift on Nightmare, but Witch Doctor's minibot, Shaman, obstructed the team's view with its flamethrower. Witch Doctor honed in on Overhaul, but quickly found itself stuck between both opponents. Despite its bent front forks, Overhaul was able to lift and overturn Witch Doctor as Nightmare landed a shot on Shaman which tore into its fuel tank and peeled open its chassis.

Nightmare Witch Doctor Overhaul

Nightmare approaches Witch Doctor as Overhaul watches on.

With Witch Doctor incapacitated, Nightmare and Overhaul duelled in the middle of the arena. The blade of Nightmare, which proved a constant threat to Team JACD's robot, made contact with Overhaul's frame several times.

Nightmare Overhaul Witch Doctor WCI rumble

Nightmare destroys Overhaul's primary weapon.

Overhaul's bent forks rendered its lifting mechanism largely useless, though it still attempted to hook the uniquely-shaped frame of Nightmare. Soon after, however, Nightmare destroyed Overhaul's crushing mechanism, ripping the arm away from its weapon motor.
"Overhaul looks like he needs a nose job after that, Kenny!"
— Chris Rose

Witch Doctor pulverizer WCI vs Overhaul and Nightmare

Witch Doctor's team try desperately to right their robot.

While this was happening, Witch Doctor had been repositioned underneath the pulverizer by Shaman and its team used the hazard in a desperate attempt to flip it over and continue the fight. As per Rumble rules, Witch Doctor was not counted out despite being immobile for over a minute by this point in the fight.

NightmareOverHaul 3WayRumble

Nightmare rips off Overhaul's crushing arm.

Not long after, Overhaul had stopped moving and a double count-out began against both it and Witch Doctor, confirming Nightmare as the winner.

World Championship II[]

Witch Doctor vs. ROTATOR

WitchDoctorvsRotator BB2016

Witch Doctor rips off one of ROTATOR's wheels.

Witch Doctor's first match in the 2016 season was against newcomer, ROTATOR, built by fellow BattleBots IQ competitor Victor Soto. Shaman was omitted in this match to free up weight for their stronger front plow. The team replaced the front tires with two courtesy of Team HyperShock as their robot's scoop was scraping the ground during testing. In the opening moments, both robots started spinning their weapons but due to ROTATOR's wheel rims not properly gripping its tires, ROTATOR approached much more slowly. Witch Doctor gave ROTATOR a small hit from its spinning disc. After another small hit from its spinning drum, Witch Doctor went straight at the left side of ROTATOR and ripped a tire off. ROTATOR could not move properly and Witch Doctor moves to the center of the BattleBox. ROTATOR could only move in circles and was counted out and Witch Doctor won the match by knockout after just 27 seconds.

Witch Doctor vs. Red Devil

Red Devil Witch Doctor

Red Devil grabs a hold of Witch Doctor as Shaman shoots fire in front of them.

This win put Witch Doctor to the Round of 32 with a No.3 seeding, where it faced the No.30 seed Red Devil. For this battle, Witch Doctor underestimated Red Devil, who had come off a close win against walker bot Wrecks. It had its front plow removed, allowing Shaman to participate. However, this proved to be a costly mistake as Red Devil was able to grab hold of Witch Doctor just beside the drum and use its saw whilst dragging Witch Doctor to the pulverizer. During the struggle, Witch Doctor's batteries had become damaged and smoke began to pour out. Witch Doctor was then overturned by Red Devil whilst its self-righting mechanism was inoperable as the sprocket that the chain powering it went around had shattered. Witch Doctor, spewing thick smoke, was counted out and the No.30 seed Red Devil won by a shocking and impressive KO at 1:27. This surprising loss meant that Witch Doctor was eliminated from the main competition.

Witch Doctor vs. Wrecks vs. Bite Force

BB2016ShamanExplodes

Witch Doctor turns Shaman into a fireball.

BB2016WitchDoctorOOTA

Witch Doctor out of the arena.

Witch Doctor later participated in a three-way rumble with Wrecks and Bite Force. In the opening moments, Witch Doctor was taking damage from Bite Force. The 2015 season champion knocked Witch Doctor upside down and straight into Wrecks' spinning disc, which tore off part of its front scoop. Witch Doctor continued to take damage, eventually losing its self-righting arm and causing massive damage to Shaman, which resulted in a fireball. Regardless, it continued to attack, only to be sandwiched between Bite Force and Wrecks, whom together tossed Witch Doctor out of the arena. Although Shaman was still mobile, Bite Force then hit Shaman again, ripping off its wedge and remaining wheel, knocking Shaman out completely. Wrecks and Bite Force were left to fight alone, and Bite Force was ultimately declared the winner.

World Championship III[]

Witch Doctor vs. Yeti

YetivsWitchDoctor bb2018

Witch Doctor and Yeti collide.

Witchdoctorhitsyeti bb2018

Witch Doctor tosses Yeti into the air.

Yetiwitchdoctorpulverised bb2018

The immobilized Witch Doctor is pushed under the pulverizer.

Witch Doctor's first opponent in 2018 was Greg Gibson's Yeti. When the match began, things were about even between the two bots as there were hits but neither of them proving to be that damaging. However, Witch Doctor found itself being pushed into the screws, and lost a tire as a result. As the match went on, Witch Doctor retaliated by damaging Yeti's lifting forks such that the forks were bent out of alignment and one of the front prongs was torn off. Witch Doctor stayed face-to-face with its opponent, who clambered on top of it and tore one of the ribcage armor pieces loose. Witch Doctor continued to take hits and lost the same armor piece that was loosened earlier. Worse still, it found itself in the corner under the pulverizer and Yeti attacked it once more, causing Witch Doctor to stop moving. Smoke started pouring out from Witch Doctor due to its drive motors overheating and Witch Doctor was counted out, giving Yeti the win by KO.

Witch Doctor vs. Blacksmith

WitchDoctor hit Blacksmith

Witch Doctor peels back Blacksmith's armor.

Screws WitchDoctor

Witch Doctor trapped in the screw.

Witch Doctor's next opponent was Blacksmith. When the match began, Witch Doctor found itself being shoved into the wall by Blacksmith's front-mounted forks. Witch Doctor got away and started to get some hits on its opponent. Witch Doctor was seemingly taking control of the fight and continued to attack Blacksmith, whose hammer seemed to lose functionality. Witch Doctor continued to battle and lost its right rear tire. After some more maneuvering, Witch Doctor was fully on top of Blacksmith and was shoved up on top of the arena screws such that one tire was in between it and the arena barrier. Witch Doctor was being counted out but using its self-righting mechanism, managed to escape at the last possible second. However, by this point there was only six seconds left on the clock, leaving little chance to make any further attacks. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision in favor of Witch Doctor.

Witch Doctor vs. Ultimo Destructo

UltimovsWD

Witch Doctor destroys Ultimo Destructo.

Up next for Witch Doctor was Ultimo Destructo. In response, With Doctor removed the lip on the front of the scoop to have the weapon be Ultimo Destructo's first point of contact. The match was off to a great start for Witch Doctor as they evaded Ultimo's flipper and got underneath to cause damage. After another hit or two, it became clear that Ultimo couldn't move anymore as they'd lost wheels and their entire chassis had been split into two Ultimo Destructo was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO.
"OH! Break me a piece of that Kit-Kat bar, Ultimo Destructo has been split!"
— Chris Rose reacts to Witch Doctor disassembling Ultimo Destructo

Witch Doctor vs. Overhaul

Overhaul vs Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor dismembers Overhaul's right-armor plating.

Overhaul vs Witch Doctor pic

Witch Doctor lands a blow to the underbelly of Overhaul.

Witch Doctor was then drawn against Overhaul. If Witch Doctor was to enter the Top 16 bracket, it would need to surpass Overhaul. The match began and was underway, with both bots launching themselves at each other. Overhaul's lifter made contact with Witch Doctor's frontal wedge and attempted to lift it, but it was unsuccessful. Witch Doctor instantly gave chase to Overhaul, but it was halted by the arena, giving Overhaul an opening and allowing it to close in on Witch Doctor. But once again, Overhaul couldn't lift Witch Doctor. Witch Doctor, on the aggressive side, maneuvered to the right-hand side of Overhaul. Without warning, shrapnel was sent tumbling throughout the field as the armor of Overhaul was ripped of from its hinges. Witch Doctor had been quick to already dismantle Overhaul, who was on its side, flipped onto its back, and slammed onto the screws. Overhaul quickly self-righted, but was almost instantly on its back again, before self-righting again. Overhaul was weakened, but nevertheless, it pressed on while Witch Doctor's drum spinner continued to spin with increasing power. Overhaul kept its distance, but couldn't keep Witch Doctor at bay forever. Soon enough, sparks began to fly, as Overhaul was thrown through the air, before being shoved around the arena by its relentless opponent. Overhaul was then left motionless in a corner of the arena right next to the pulverizer with its lifting arm pointed towards the roof of the arena. The countdown began and Overhaul was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO. Witch Doctor did enough to enter the Top 16.

Witch Doctor vs. Minotaur

Minotaur Witch Doctor s4 2019

Witch Doctor and Minotaur go weapon to weapon.

Now in the main tournament, Witch Doctor faced Minotaur. In response, Witch Doctor opted to use a front plate which allowed their weapon to be Minotaur's first point of contact. However, Witch Doctor suffered drive issues almost immediately as one of their front wheels was bent inwards. As the match progressed, Witch Doctor lost the wheel that gave it drive issues and was able to continue fighting properly. However, when they next collided with Minotaur, they lost the other front wheel but still had a good deal of mobility left and a working weapon. Witch Doctor was then attacked by Minotaur and shoved into the corner where they lost one of the rear tires. After losing the final tire and getting flipped, Witch Doctor self-righted and caught fire. With all their wheels gone, Witch Doctor was counted out, eliminating them from the tournament.

World Championship IV[]

Witch Doctor vs. Shatter!

Witch Doctor Shatter fire

Witch Doctor and Shatter! come to blows.

Witch Doctor's first match of 2019 was against newcomer Shatter!. In response, Witch Doctor added more armor under the rib-cage to hopefully prevent or minimize damage from Shatter!'s weapon. When the match began, Witch Doctor was aggressive, tearing off chunks of Shatter's armor away. As the match progressed, Witch Doctor took advantage of a missed attack from their opponent and tore off their hammer head. Despite starting strong, Witch Doctor started to lose drive on one side and eventually its weapon. Making matters worse, as Witch Doctor pressed on, the smoke turned to fire and Witch Doctor seemed like it was going to get knocked out. With 10 seconds left, Witch Doctor managed to get some mobility left and the fight went the distance. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Witch Doctor.

Witch Doctor vs. Captain Shrederator

Shrederator Witch Doctor

Captain Shrederator gets kicked into the air by Witch Doctor.

Next for Witch Doctor was a match against Brian Nave and Captain Shrederator. For this fight, Witch Doctor removed their flamethrower to beef up their defenses against Captain Shrederator. When the match got underway, Witch Doctor took hits from Captain Shrederator but also sent Captain Shrederator flying into each side of the arena. Captain Shrederator began to have balance issues so Witch Doctor went in again, sending Brian Nave's robot flying once more. Captain Shrederator stayed upright, but its weapon was slow to get going again. This allowed Witch Doctor to hit it near the screws and flip it over. With Captain Shrederator unable to do anything else but spin its body, Witch Doctor took it to the pulverizer before Captain Shrederator was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO.

Witch Doctor vs. Whiplash

Whiplash Witch Doctor

Whiplash presses Witch Doctor against the BattleBox.

Witch Doctor was then placed against former semi-finalist, Matt Vasquez and Whiplash. Witch Doctor opted to use their flat front plates so that the weapon would be the first point of contact. This proved to work well as Witch Doctor began throwing Whiplash through the air multiple times, bending the left front plate of Whiplash in the process. Witch Doctor continued to attack, causing Whiplash to lose its right front tire. Witch Doctor then got Whiplash onto the screws where Whiplash was briefly stuck. Once Whiplash got down, Witch Doctor pushed it into the other set of screws on that side of the arena, but Whiplash escaped again. Witch Doctor was then flipped over, but quickly self-righted before Whiplash could take advantage. Witch Doctor managed to take out the spinner on Whiplash's lifting arm before being lifted into the air, causing Whiplash to lose the chain to its lifting arm too. Witch Doctor soon had smoke pouring out and was forced to spin down its weapon. This resulted in a pushing match that somewhat favored Witch Doctor, but time ran out soon after. The judges awarded Witch Doctor a unanimous 3-0 decision.

Witch Doctor vs. Gigabyte

Gigabyte and Witch Doctor fighting

Witch Doctor sends Gigabyte flying.

Witch Doctor looked to continue their winning streak by taking on Gigabyte. Witch Doctor started the fight by quickly reaching Gigabyte and throwing them into the air. Witch Doctor stayed on its opponent, tossing them over repeatedly but Gigabyte was equally quick to right itself. After about nine of these powerful hits, Witch Doctor's drum shut down, but it was clear Gigabyte's weapon wasn't working from the big tear on one side and the huge impacts. It became a pushing match, but Witch Doctor was able to push Gigabyte under the pulverizer, removing the hazard's protective cover in the process. Gigabyte had also lost a wheel during this final exchange and was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO as it became just the second robot to finish with an unbeaten 4-0 record.

Witch Doctor vs. Blacksmith

Witch doctor blacksmith s4 2019

Witch Doctor throws Blacksmith across the BattleBox.

With their recent success over Gigabyte, Witch Doctor was now in the Top 16 as the No.2 seed. Their first match in the regular format was a rematch with Al Kindle and the No.15 seed, Blacksmith. Witch Doctor had swapped out a weapon motor for one that could take the required power needed and thus not smoke. The match was going well for Witch Doctor as they were throwing Blacksmith through the air repeatedly but Blacksmith was able to take the punishment without taking much damage in return. Witch Doctor continued to control the fight, eventually getting Blacksmith up on the screws but Blacksmith was able to escape with smoke starting to pour out. Witch Doctor brought the fight near the pulverizer, throwing Blacksmith over but Blacksmith self-righted and was now on fire. Witch Doctor attacked a few more times until Blacksmith stopped moving and was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO and a place in the quarter-finals.

Witch Doctor vs. SawBlaze

Sawblaze Witch Doctor 2019 s4

Witch Doctor watches on as SawBlaze struggles to right itself.

Now in the final eight, Witch Doctor faced off against Jamison Go and the No.7 seed, SawBlaze. Witch Doctor started off fairly well, bending up the middle fork on SawBlaze's front. Witch Doctor was then shoved into the arena barrier, but managed to cause damage to SawBlaze's weapon arm before getting free. Witch Doctor then threw SawBlaze into the air but SawBlaze recovered. Witch Doctor then threw SawBlaze onto its back but SawBlaze self-righted again. After being shoved into the arena barrier again, Witch Doctor threw SawBlaze up on its nose where it was unable to escape as smoke began pouring out SawBlaze was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO and a spot in the semi-finals.

Witch Doctor vs. DeathRoll

DeathRoll Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor and DeathRoll collide.

Witch Doctor was now against DeathRoll from Australia, which had been on a winning streak since the event began. When the match began, Witch Doctor attacked DeathRoll, not causing any real damage. However, by the second or third hit, Witch Doctor had taken out DeathRoll's weapon due to a loose wire and continued its assault on their opponent. Even without a weapon, Witch Doctor still faced charges from its opponent so they flipped DeathRoll over and DeathRoll self-righted. As the match came down to the final 30 seconds, Witch Doctor stopped moving. Luckily, it managed to regain enough mobility to make it to the end of the fight. The judges awarded a 2-1 split decision to Witch Doctor, advancing it to the finals.

Witch Doctor vs. Bite Force

Bite Force vs Witch Doctor

Bite Force overturns Witch Doctor.

Bite force witch doctor s4 end 2019

Witch Doctor is immobile and counted out.

In the championship bout, Witch Doctor was facing two-time champion Bite Force. As the match got underway, Witch Doctor began strongly, tearing off Bite Force's front wedgelets removing its ability to easily get in underneath the reigning champion. However, as the match wore on, Witch Doctor's weapon stopped working, and began to struggle with its drive on one side, allowing their opponent to attack in retaliation. Witch Doctor could do little else by this point and eventually got flipped over, but self-righted. After being flipped again, Witch Doctor was now up against the arena barrier where it was unable to right itself. A count began, giving Bite Force the win and Giant Nut. Team Witch Doctor finished as the season's runner-up.

re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019)[]

Witch Doctor vs. Tombstone

Witch doctor tombstone remars 1

Witch Doctor's unique look for the Amazon event.

Witch doctor tombstone remars

Witch Doctor leaves Tombstone for dead.

Witch Doctor was selected as one of ten robots to compete for the Giant Bolt trophy in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of special livestreamed event. For this, it sported a unique wedge with "Don't Fear the Reaper" written across the front. Up first was Tombstone, driven by Ray Billings' son Justin for this competition. When the match began, Witch Doctor collided with Tombstone, sending both robots in opposite directions. Both robots recovered and took another collision, leaving Witch Doctor to lose part of its weapon and sending Tombstone into the arena barrier. This time however, Tombstone was only turning in circles but its weapon was still at top speed so it turned to face Witch Doctor again and was nearly sent out of the arena. After one more collision, Tombstone was no longer moving and started smoking. Tombstone was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO. Witch Doctor was selected by the audience to compete with Bronco for the Championship bout.

Witch Doctor vs. Bronco

Witch doctor bronco remars

Witch Doctor bullies Bronco for the bulk of the fight.

As the final got underway, Witch Doctor started the stronger as Bronco turned right into their weapon and lost a tire. Witch Doctor took advantage of Bronco's failed attempt to flip by it by tearing off another tire. Witch Doctor struck Bronco again and this time, Bronco's flipper tip had been bent up, rendering its primary weapon useless. Witch Doctor then tore off a third wheel and left Bronco dead near the screws. Bronco was counted out, giving Witch Doctor the win by KO, the Giant Bolt trophy and the title as re:MARS all:STARS champion.

World Championship V[]

Witch Doctor vs. Hydra

Hydra vs Witch Doctor

Both bots attack.

WitchDoctorHydra

Witch Doctor is sent high into the air by Hydra.

Witch Doctor's first fight in 2020 was a Main Event with Team Whyachi and Hydra. When the match started, Witch Doctor got flipped by Hydra on first contact. After a few more flips, Witch Doctor managed to hit Hydra on the right side and fling it. After this, Hydra landed an absolutely massive flip on Witch Doctor. When it landed, one of Witch Doctor's discs broke which left the weapon off-balanced, likely being reason why Witch Doctor started billowing smoke. Despite this, they did managed to do a bit more damage with their broken weapon, but Witch Doctor got flipped by Hydra and was stuck behind the screws. However, the screws reversed, saving Witch Doctor for the time being. Suddenly, Hydra could not move while they were in the blue square due to overheated speed controllers, and was starting to get counted out. Jake Ewert realized this and stopped moving in order to let them cool, and was able to get the bot running again with a few seconds left on the countdown. The time ran out shortly after and Witch Doctor lost by a 2-1 split decision,beginning the season with an 0-1 record.

Witch Doctor vs. Kraken

Kraken accidentally swallows Wally the Narwhal and explodes it to bits against Witch Doctor's spinner

Witch Doctor attacks the mouth of Kraken.

Witch Doctor was now up against Matt Spurk and Kraken. Witch Doctor started off very poorly as their weapon lost a tooth almost immediately as they were grappled and dragged across the arena. This left Witch Doctor with major control problems and pretty much no offense as well. Witch Doctor continued to fight and was grappled again before being released. After a third grapple, Witch Doctor got in some hits but only caused cosmetic damage to Kraken at best. Time ran out and the judges awarded Kraken a unanimous 3-0 decision and putting Witch Doctor to an unwanted 0-2 record.

Witch Doctor vs. SlamMow!

Witch Doctor dismantles SlamMow!

Witch Doctor eats away at the side of SlamMow!.

Now facing the possibility of going 0-3 and not making it into the Top 32, Witch Doctor had a must-win fight against SlamMow!. As a result, Witch Doctor was now armed with twin discs made from AR400 steel but started off somewhat poorly as they were unable to mount an attack and ended up being pushed into the arena barrier. After a big head-on collusion, Witch Doctor started to gain the upper hand as they damaged SlamMow!'s right clamping arm. SlamMow! then tried to clamp down on Witch Doctor's weapon but Witch Doctor completely disabled it instead. Witch Doctor then started to get to SlamMow!'s sides, ripping open the right wheel guard before taking off a wheel completely. With around a minute left, Witch Doctor went in for another attack but hit the arena barrier instead. However, SlamMow! was only driving in circles so Witch Doctor backed off. SlamMow! was counted out, giving Witch Doctor its first win by of the season.

Witch Doctor vs. Skorpios

Witch Doctor Skorpios 2020 s5

Witch Doctor and Skorpios go head-to-head.

Witch Doctor managed to break into the Top 32 with a relatively low No.23 seed. In the Round of 32, it went up against the No.10 seed, Skorpios. Witch Doctor started off well as they threw Skorpios into the air before nearly being pushed into the screws. Witch Doctor escaped and looked for an opening, eventually striking and disabling Skorpios' hammer saw. Witch Doctor continued to fight, unwilling to be bullied by their opponent and sent Skorpios flying again before attacking their right wheel. After taking a shot from the pulverizer intended for Skorpios, Witch Doctor sent its opponent flying twice more before time ran out. The judges awarded Witch Doctor a unanimous decision and a spot in the Top 16.

Witch Doctor vs. SawBlaze

SawBlaze Witch Doctor 2020 s5

Witch Doctor attacks SawBlaze head on.

Next up for Witch Doctor was Jamison Go and the No.7 seed, SawBlaze, a rematch from the previous season. SawBlaze started on the offensive, pinning Witch Doctor against the wall and landing a hit which cracked the rib cage. Witch Doctor retaliated, landing a few shots of its own to upend its opponent. SawBlaze used its three forks to great effect however, sliding underneath Witch Doctor's front to negate their vertical spinner and lift the front wheels off the floor. SawBlaze had the flamethrower activated by this point and landed another hit on the top of the rib cage. Witch Doctor retaliated by popping Jamieson Go's bot into the air, but SawBlaze again recovered to drive Witch Doctor across the box and tear a panel away. Now stuck under the pulverizer, SawBlaze capitalized on the fact Witch Doctor could not spin up, and landed a hit directly on their weapon. Witch Doctor retreated to the center of the box, now missing a front wedge. SawBlaze was not unscathed either, however, with its middle prong bent upwards from Witch Doctor's attacks. As the fight entered its final minute, SawBlaze landed several more shots to Witch Doctor's top and smoke began to pour from it. SawBlaze reversed into Witch Doctor, landing a weapon-to-weapon uppercut and jamming the two bots together momentarily. Witch Doctor was now immobile, and was officially counted out with just a second left on the clock. With SawBlaze exacting revenge on Witch Doctor for its 2019 season exit, this brought an end to Witch Doctor's Giant Nut hopes.

BattleBots: Bounty Hunters[]

Witch Doctor vs. SubZero

Bounty hunters witch doctor vs subzero

Witch Doctor leaves SubZero in a sorry state.

Witch Doctor also had its own BattleBots: Bounty Hunters episode, where eight robots competed for a chance to face the Gellatlys. SubZero had managed to win three consecutive fights, and earned the right to face Witch Doctor. The fight started with SubZero receiving some minor shots from the drum of Witch Doctor, before a shot to the side turned it over. Witch Doctor was able to drive underneath SubZero, slicing through its baseplate in the proces. Though SubZero was able to self-right, Witch Doctor delivered a similar attack, damaging its opponent's right front tire. SubZero was now struggling to drive properly, and Witch Doctor's next attack tore a whole section of the front of SubZero clean away. This impact also knocked Spitfire out, and SubZero began to smoke. With under a minute gone, SubZero was counted out and Witch Doctor was declared the winner.

World Championship VI[]

Witch Doctor vs. DUCK!

DUCK! Witch Doctor s6

Witch Doctor and DUCK! tussle in the BattleBox.

Witch Doctor's first fight of the 2021 season was against the redesigned DUCK!. As the fight began, they were allowed to get up to speed as DUCK! was tentative out of its square. Witch Doctor threw across the BattleBox in the opening moments and broke off one of their two hinged forks. However, as DUCK! tanked the assault, a front-on hit from Witch Doctor seemingly disabled their primary weapon. From that moment, DUCK! attacked with less fear, shoving Witch Doctor into the Upper Deck and attempting to get its lifting beak into play. Witch Doctor proved to have the superior drive power, bullying DUCK! into the Upper Deck as well, then landing several pulverizer shots on top of Hal Rucker's bot. With both bots mobile at the end of the fight, the judges ruled in favor of Witch Doctor.


Post-fight, Andrea Gellatly revealed that she purposely turned off Witch Doctor's weapon upon realizing it was slowing down, in order to prevent the motors smoking and giving a visual indicator to the judges that the bot had been hurt. Witch Doctor had also been running on only one weapon motor for the entire match.

Witch Doctor vs. End Game

End game vs witch doctor 2021 s6 1

Witch Doctor is thrown across the BattleBox by the defending champions.

End game vs witch doctor 2021 s6 2

Witch Doctor is left for dead.

Witch Doctor's second fight was a Main Event against reigning BattleBots champions End Game. The team ensured both weapon motors were now functional, which was not the case in their victory over DUCK!. The fight began with End Game pointing its weapon towards Witch Doctor as Witch Doctor was circling the champ, looking for an angle to attack. Both bots then attacked each other several times, causing sparks. Witch Doctor was able to bend up two of End Game's forks, but End Game wasn't deterred, continuing to keep its weapon pointed towards Witch Doctor. End Game then popped Witch Doctor in the air. Witch Doctor returned the favor by getting a pop on the champ. End Game then attacked the side of Witch Doctor. Both bots were hesitant on making their next move. End Game was then able to deliver a massive hit that not only sent Witch Doctor into the corner, but also removed Witch Doctor's left plow. Witch Doctor was able to self-right itself but End Game delivered another massive hit that sent Witch Doctor several feet in the air. End Game took Witch Doctor for a ride into the screws but Witch Doctor once again self-righted itself. End Game once again put Witch Doctor on its back and took it into the corner of the Upper Deck. End Game attacked Witch Doctor several more times to make sure it could not self-right again. Witch Doctor was counted out, giving End Game the win by knockout and pegging Witch Doctor back to a 1-1 record.

Witch Doctor vs. Rusty

Witch doctor rusty s6 2021

Witch Doctor takes down Rusty.

Witch Doctor needed a win to secure a place in the Top 32, and its third opponent came in the form of Dave Eaton's Rusty. For this fight, Team Witch Doctor decorated an upside-down bucket with "Rust in Pieces" across the front to resemble the bowl used to form part of Rusty's head. The robot itself sported a brand new frame after End Game retired it in their previous battle. Rusty scuttled around as Witch Doctor circled it in the opening moments. Witch Doctor then delivered an uppercut to the front of Rusty, knocking it upside-down, but it was able to self-right. Witch Doctor approached Rusty again and split the loaned steel plow through the middle, before attacking the vulnerable left-side tracks and knocking Rusty on its side. This time, it was stuck, and a count began on Rusty. Witch Doctor recovered to a 2-1 record and moved into the Round of 32.

Witch Doctor vs. Glitch (Withdrawal)

Glitch team forfeit

The Glitch team are forced to forfeit.

Witch Doctor's 2-1 finish was enough for the No.24 seed as it faced the 3-0 rookie team Glitch in the Top 32, looking to end their undefeated streak.

However, it was revealed that Glitch was suffering with issues concerning their main weapon. This led to the fight being pushed back in the filming schedule, but the team were unable to fix the problem in the allotted time. As a result, Glitch was forced to withdraw from the tournament.

Witch Doctor vs. Mammoth

Mammoth witch doctor

Witch Doctor removes a tire from Mammoth.

In light of this, Mammoth was drafted back into the competition to replace Glitch. However, Team Witch Doctor had not prepared for this opponent and in the opening seconds, targeted the left side to topple Mammoth over. Though able to right itself, Mammoth had lost a weapon chain and its left wheel appeared locked. Witch Doctor closed in for another attack and tore the right tire clean off, leaving Mammoth unable to move. Mammoth was counted out and Witch Doctor progressed to the Round of 16.

Witch Doctor vs. Copperhead

Witch doctor copperhead top 16

Witch Doctor looks on as Copperhead is eliminated.

Now in the last sixteen, Witch Doctor met the No.8 seed Copperhead. Both robots veered to the sides of the BattleBox to spin up before turning to collide. Witch Doctor came out of this initial exchange worse as it was sent into a backflip by Copperhead's drum. As it stuck the landing, Witch Doctor landed on top of one of Copperhead's snake minibots, disabling it completely. Copperhead chased Witch Doctor around the arena as Mike Gellatly attempted to drive into space, but was knocked over by its opponent's weapon. Witch Doctor doubled down on this attack and threw Copperhead across the center of the BattleBox before dealing smaller hits near the blue square's screws. After one more hit to the rear, a piece of Witch Doctor's disc had chipped away, but Copperhead suddenly stopped moving. Though its drum continued to spin, Copperhead had lost drive and was counted out, meaning Witch Doctor continued its run for the Giant Nut.

Witch Doctor vs. Minotaur

Minotaur forks

Minotaur equipped with its forks.

Minotaur Witch Doctor 2

Witch Doctor sends Minotaur onto the Upper Deck.

Witch Doctor vs Minotaur lost wheel

Minotaur loses a wheel as it clambers off the Upper Deck.

Minotaur WD halted

The fight is paused.

Now in the quarter-finals, Witch Doctor's next opponent was the No. 16 seed and fellow former runner-up Minotaur in a rematch from the 2018 season Round of 16. For this fight, Minotaur was fitted with twin AR450 steel forks to try and feed Witch Doctor into its drum. Both robots spun up as they exited their starting squares and Minotaur delivered the first hit of the fight to Witch Doctor's side, costing it some of its skeletal armor. Witch Doctor responded by going weapon to weapon, throwing Minotaur onto its back. After a second hit from the Gellatlys' bot, Minotaur was right-side up again. After buffeting one another, Minotaur then flung its opponent high into the air and it landed weapon-first into the floor and upside down. Witch Doctor bounced onto its wheels again but was thrown into the short corner after some aggressive driving from Daniel Freitas. Minotaur pinned it against the wall for several seconds, but its drum was not spinning to cause any real damage. Witch Doctor then chased Minotaur down again, but the Brazilian bot spun to face it and threw Witch Doctor again, costing it the left-side of their front plow. Undeterred by the damage, Mike Gellatly played matador for a moment before a blow from Minotaur overturned his bot once more. Witch Doctor self-righted quickly, but the gyroscopic forced of Minotaur's drum caused it to swerve onto the screws of the Upper Deck and eventually on top of the BattleBox hazard with help from its opponent. Minotaur was quick to react, but was only moving in arcs and its drum was no longer spinning. It eventually slid off the side of the Upper Deck, Minotaur's left-side wheel had suffered major damage and fell out of the robot. However, Witch Doctor had deflected off Minotaur and bit into the Upper Deck, where it was no longer able to escape. Both robots were incapacitated and the fight was temporarily halted.
Wd stuck

Witch Doctor jammed into the side of the Upper Deck.

"It's a joke... it's a joke!"
— Daniel Freitas reacts to the referees' decision to call for time out

Roski unsticks Witch Doctor

The crew unstick Witch Doctor.

This came much to the frustration of Team RioBotz, who had powered their drum up again and appeared ready to arc into Witch Doctor and attack their exposed rear wheels. Referee John Remar officially called for an unstick on Witch Doctor, and Trey Roski entered the BattleBox as it was deemed safe to do so. Roski successfully unstuck Witch Doctor and the fight resumed from there both robots left off.

Mike Gellatly immediately backed Witch Doctor away from the Upper Deck and into the center of the BattleBox to spin up and check on Minotaur's mobility in the short corner. With just one wheel remaining, Minotaur was able to gyro away into the red square with its primary weapon up to speed. Referee John Remar was unconvinced by Minotaur's movement, much to the annoyance of the Minotaur captain.
"It's showing control... Yeah, we are going for it, they are avoiding."
— Carlos Junior of Minotaur states his case to the referee
Minotaur Witch Doctor no engagement

Witch Doctor refuses to engage with Minotaur.

In the meantime, Witch Doctor remained distant with driver Mike Gellatly anticipating an official countout, knowing that any attack would reset the judgement of when Minotaur would be deemed immobile from.
"Are they gonna count them out or not?!"
— Mike Gellatly questions the reluctance to begin an official count on Minotaur
"We've got control. We're doing what you want... We've got control, we've got control! We have done this so many times."
— Carlos Junior continues his protest
Minotaur protest s6

Carlos Junior pleads his case to John Remar.

As a result, Witch Doctor circled Minotaur, who had by this point escaped to the center of the BattleBox with its drum spinning, flipping itself over and back with the gyroscopic forces of its own weapon. Mike Gellatly expressed his frustration over the lack of a count as Andrea discouraged him from engaging with Minotaur. For much of the final ninety seconds of the fight, Witch Doctor circled its injured opponent anticipating the referees to communicate an official immobilization or lack of to both teams. With four seconds to go, Witch Doctor did land a single hit to Minotaur's front and time expired on the battle. As Team Witch Doctor spoke among themselves, driver Daniel Freitas stated he had total control of his robot and worked the crowd.
"They know they lost, that's why they're acting like this."
— Andrea Gellatly reassures her husband as Team RioBotz initiate a Minotaur chant

Scorecards Minotaur Witch Doctor S6

The judges' scorecards.

The judges ruled unanimously in favor of Witch Doctor, though all three scored the fight 6-5. meaning it was incredibly close in spite of this mutual agreement. The live audience could be heard booing the decision, with hecklers making themselves known throughout Andrea Gellatly's post-fight interview. Irrespective of this, Witch Doctor advanced to the semi-finals and Minotaur was eliminated at this stage.

This proved to be one of the most controversial fights in BattleBots history, with criticism of the enforcement of unsticking and a lack of translational movement from builders and fans alike. Many drew inconsistencies between the previous episode's Round of 16 clash between Cobalt and Whiplash where the latter became stuck on the Upper Deck, but was not freed, and the subsequent judges' decision went against the Vasquez family. Others criticized Witch Doctor driver Mike Gellatly for refusing to engage after the restart, though this was the result of miscommunication as to whether Minotaur's movement was considered sufficient to satisfy the judges in the remaining 90 seconds of the fight. In a tweet posted during the episode's initial airing, BattleBots clarified their current rules regarding unsticks and stated they would reconsider rules on "controlled movement" ahead of World Championship VII.[4]

Witch Doctor vs. SawBlaze

Sawblaze witch doctor 1

Witch Doctor snipes a wheel early on.

Sawblaze witch doctor 2

Witch Doctor sends SawBlaze to the pulverizer after ripping the wheel off.

Sawblaze witch doctor 3 KO

Fire erupts within SawBlaze.

After a highly controversial win in their previous fight, Witch Doctor now faced Jamison Go and SawBlaze for the third consecutive season in the knockout rounds. Both robots had won a fight each with a place in the 2021 season semi-finals on the line. For this fight, the team boldly debuted a new weapon - a 45lb steel single-toothed disc. As Witch Doctor arced around its opponent, SawBlaze caught a seam in the floor as it tried to charge forwards. Jamison Go's bot was able to slide its right-side fork under Witch Doctor, but it drove away unharmed. However, as Witch Doctor spun around, a rare driving error from Jamison Go allowed Witch Doctor to slice the left-side tire of SawBlaze. This was followed up by a second hit which flipped it over. Despite using its hammer saw mechanism to right itself, Mike Gellatly took full advantage and snapped the wheel clean off, severely hampering its opponent's mobility. As it tried to escape, the pulverizer landed a blow on SawBlaze and Witch Doctor came in again, pushing against the side of its fork before punting its detached wheel away. The saw was not spinning at this stage and as SawBlaze looked to arc towards the Gellatlys' robot, turned into Witch Doctor's single disc and suffered damage to its remaining tire. Chunks of foam spread across the BattleBox floor as Witch Doctor slammed SawBlaze into the arena wall, sending it flying half the length of the arena. Jamison Go tried to get its flamethrower into play, but Witch Doctor assault continued, throwing SawBlaze over and buckling its forks. SawBlaze eventually burst into flames as it lay immobile in the middle of the floor and was counted out by the referees. Witch Doctor advanced to its second title fight in its last three seasons.

Witch Doctor vs. Tantrum

Tantrum witch doctor 1

Tantrum buckles Witch Doctor's baseplate early on.

Tantrum witch doctor 2

Witch Doctor lands on top of Tantrum's punching drum.

Tantrum witch doctor 3

Tantrum watches on as Witch Doctor struggles to move.

Tantrum witch doctor 4

Witch Doctor is counted out with seconds to spare.

Witch Doctor faced Tantrum for the 2021 season title. As the single disc was so effective in their previous win, Witch Doctor went into this battle unchanged. The Championship decider began with both robots attempting to circle the other, as had been Tantrum's tactic in their previous fights. Tantrum then turned into Witch Doctor and slid its forks underneath their front, but hardly engaging with their drum. Mike Gellatly turned to face Tantrum, who raised its fists in response. However, Witch Doctor was partially high-centered on part of their own baseplate, which had peeled downwards after this seemingly minor exchange. Unaware of the damage, Tantrum driver Dillon Carey took advantage and got to the rear of Witch Doctor, shoving it into the housing for the screws and balancing its opponent on its side. Witch Doctor recovered, landing on Tantrum's drum which saw sparks fly. Tantrum retreated as it became more clear that Witch Doctor's entire right side was off the BattleBox floor, before coming back in to attack. Tantrum was able to land several punches which broke parts of their skeletal armor before attacking the underbelly of Witch Doctor again. A chain then fell out of Witch Doctor, whose left-front wheel had now also been chewed up. Still wary of the 2018 season runner-up's primary weapon, Tantrum attempted to swing around to the sides of its opponent again, but got around to the back and punched the rear armor of Witch Doctor. Tantrum then used its momentum to ram it into the screws, which upended Witch Doctor momentarily. The Gellatlys self-righted, but found themselves back in the red starting square once more. Tantrum pinned its opponent against the wall and tried to bring its drum into play, but it appeared to be no longer spinning on its mechanism. As Witch Doctor tried to escape the wall, referee John Remar threatened to count them out if they could not show translational movement. With thirty seconds to go, Tantrum shoved Witch Doctor to the corner as it could only drive in arcs. Witch Doctor was counted out and was confirmed 2021 season runner-up as Seems Reasonable Robotics were crowned winners of the Giant Nut.

BattleBots: Champions[]

Witch Doctor vs. Whiplash

Whiplash Witch Doctor BB Champs gif

Witch Doctor is thrown onto the Upper Deck.

Witch Doctor Whiplash BB Champs KO

Whiplash is counted out.

Witch Doctor returned to defend its Bounty Hunters title in BattleBots: Champions and qualify for the Golden Bolt tournament. Standing in its way was the winner of its episode's bracket, Whiplash. In this battle, the Gellatlys again opted for the single disc which proved so damaging at the tail end of the 2021 season. From the opening seconds, Whiplash got underneath the side of Witch Doctor and pinned it against the wall. Witch Doctor's primary weapon 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 disc 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 disc of Witch Doctor was up to speed again, and dealt buffeting shots to the sides of Whiplash before knocking it upside-down. Smoke blew from the side which was hit in the final impact, but Whiplash was unable to self-right. The referee counted it out and Witch Doctor successfully defended its honor, advancing as the final Golden Bolt qualifier.

Witch Doctor vs. Glitch

Witch Doctor Glitch BB Champs Forks

Witch Doctor debuts its fork configuration.

Glitch Witch Doctor BB Champs

Witch Doctor prepares to strike Glitch.

Glitch Witch Doctor BB Champs 2 KO

Glitch's unbeaten run comes to an end.

After defending its crown, Witch Doctor moved into the Golden Bolt knockout tournament. In the first round, it faced Episode 3 winner Glitch who it was originally set to face in the 2021 season's Round of 32 prior to the team's unfortunate withdrawal. For the first time since its BattleBots debut, Witch Doctor sported a small pair of hinged forks at the front to help feed Glitch into its spinning disc. Both robots immediately got up to speed and bumped into one another, but neither spinning weapon made contact. Glitch turned to face Witch Doctor as it became caught on the killsaw slot momentarily, before skirting around Glitch to try and find an opening. Glitch remained in the center of the BattleBox and Witch Doctor circled its opponent, but Glitch suddenly strafed to the outside and attempted to take advantage of Witch Doctor steering right and then left. Glitch missed, however, and then oversteered, allowing Witch Doctor to slide its forks underneath the front of Glitch and push it towards the wall. This attack was interrupted as one of its forks became caught on the killsaw slot, and Glitch ultimately escaped. Glitch strayed closer to the slots but Witch Doctor's maneuverability showed, striking the side of Glitch and sending it back to the blue starting square. Glitch's left-side omniwheel was now not making contact with the floor and Mike Gellatly capitalized, striking the rear of the Berkeley team's bot and sending it twisting through the air in front of the judges. The 7-0 bot's left-side wheel was still spinning, but could not drive it away as Witch Doctor returned for another attack, sending Glitch onto the screws. As they held off, a count began on the rookie team and Witch Doctor moved on in the tournament.

Witch Doctor vs. HyperShock

Witch doctor hypershock bb champs 1

Witch Doctor jams its weapon up with HyperShock's tire.

Witch doctor hypershock bb champs 2

Witch Doctor recovers use of its primary weapon and goes on the offensive.

Witch doctor hypershock bb champs 3

HyperShock is counted out.

Next up for Witch Doctor was HyperShock, who had never fought before despite both teams competing in every reboot season since 2015. For this battle, the team removed Witch Doctor's forks and opted for a more traditional setup. As the fight commenced, Witch Doctor immediately arced to circle HyperShock, who gave chase in the center of the BattleBox. A sharp turn saw Witch Doctor drive into the weapon of HyperShock, losing part of its armor. HyperShock reversed to back away, but flipped itself over before throwing itself back upright. Witch Doctor took advantage of this rare driving error from Will Bales, tearing into the side and removing its right-rear tire. Foam flew from the wheel but in the same attack, the rubber tire became jammed behind Witch Doctor's single disc, preventing it from spinning. Unable to reverse the weapon, Mike Gellatly desperately looked for a way to free the tire, flapping Witch Doctor's self-righting mechanism to no effect. However, HyperShock was now down a tire and was not driving with the same accuracy as before. HyperShock threw itself at Witch Doctor again, and the gyroscopic forces saw it flip upside-down once more, landing a glancing shot on the front of its opponent. HyperShock was rammed into the wall by Witch Doctor, before it arced away from the barrier and self-righted. HyperShock then managed to pop Witch Doctor up into the air, before dealing a follow-up shot which flipped its opponent over. More importantly, however, this impact also loosened the tire which had been restricting the Gellatlys for much of the fight up to this point. Witch Doctor promptly recovered and circled around, looking for an opening. As it approached, HyperShock turned sharply into the 2021 season runner-up and sent it flying into the air. Although Witch Doctor landed on all four wheels, it appeared to have lost some of the tread on its rear wheels. Despite this, HyperShock flipped itself over again and Witch Doctor took full advantage this time, throwing HyperShock through the air before sending it to the short corner. In these attacks, Witch Doctor had managed to snap one of HyperShock's drive chains, which landed atop the Upper Deck. The drive motor on the other side shorted out after insulation on the phase wires melted.[5] As a result, HyperShock was no longer able to drive. Witch Doctor took the win by knockout and advanced to another tournament final.

Witch Doctor vs. End Game

End game Witch Doctor bb champs 1

Witch Doctor causes the first damage of the Golden Bolt final.

End game Witch Doctor bb champs 2

End Game gets the better of Witch Doctor in the short corner.

End game Witch Doctor bb champs 3

End Game is victorious.

In the Golden Bolt final, Witch Doctor had a rematch against the 2020 season Giant Nut winner, End Game. Whereas Witch Doctor again opted against their forks, End Game used the same configuration which saw them beat Tantrum in the previous round. Both robots spun up to speed as Mike Gellatly circled its opponent, evading End Game's forks to start. Witch Doctor delivered a shot to the side of End Game's frame, which separated one of its outermost wedgelets. The two robots went weapon-to-weapon as End Game recovered by driving Witch Doctor into the short corner, sending the two-time runner-up twisting through the air. Witch Doctor landed on its lid and was eventually able to right itself, but not before End Game dealt a few more hits which saw pieces fly from the Gellatlys' bot. It suffered another shot, this time to the right side of its plow, before reversing the situation and tearing End Game's loose wedgelet clean off. However, Witch Doctor struggled to assert dominance as End Game's forks breached its ground clearance and popped it up in the air. It landed on the disc of OYES Robotics' machine, losing part of its skeletal armor before being scooped back up by End Game. Despite its own fork being bent outward, End Game was still able to control its opponent into the screws. Witch Doctor landed upright, but was now no longer mobile. As Witch Doctor was counted out, End Game was confirmed as the first winner of the Golden Bolt.

World Championship VII[]

Witch Doctor vs. Ribbot

Eager to go a step further, Witch Doctor's season began with a fight against David Jin's Ribbot. The fight commenced and Ribbot quickly approached Witch Doctor. Both robots went weapon-to-weapon, but, neither vertical spinning disc had the reach to cause a big impact. As Ribbot turned, Witch Doctor tore away a wedgelet, followed by Ribbot's front-left tire.

Ribbot Witch Doctor WCVII

Witch Doctor and Ribbot collide.

Witch Doctor continued to attack and drove Ribbot back, pushing it across the arena as it grazed down the front of Ribbot's chassis. Mike Gellatly spun Witch Doctor around, landing a brutal uppercut to David Jin's bot which threw it upside-down. This was followed up by an equally big attack to its side that tore away the amphibious bot's shell and sent it twisting through the air. Ribbot was given no time to recover as Witch Doctor attacked its back end, but landed on its three remaining wheels.

However, its weapon was no longer spinning and Witch Doctor tore away Ribbot's other front tire. John Remar counted out Ribbot and Witch Doctor picked up its first win of the season.

Witch Doctor vs. Fusion

Next up for Witch Doctor were Reese Ewert and Fusion. Ahead of the battle, the Gellatlys opted to fit their machine with its anti-horizontal wedge; the first time this attachment was used since its 2019 re:MARS all:STARS encounter with Tombstone.

Witch Doctor vs Fusion WCVII

Witch Doctor and Fusion square off.

Witch Doctor initially maneuvered towards the bottom-most killsaws, proceeding to lure and circle around Fusion. However, upon driving into Fusion's two-toothed drum, it was thrown into a 360-degree backwards somersault, the attack being followed by another bump and spinner-to-spinner collision between the two competitors. Witch Doctor spun around as both robots separated; Fusion clipped the front-right of its feeder wedge to throw it onto its back. The one-toothed spinner of Witch Doctor clipped the floor, kicking the Gellatlys' machine back upright and allowing it to weave into Fusion's drum once again.

In the ensuing moments, Witch Doctor lured the slower Fusion across the BattleBox, only to take two more hits to its wedge from Fusion. The second attack launched Witch Doctor into the air again; however, it landed on its wheels while the drum of Team Whyachi's machine stopped spinning. Witch Doctor responded by bumping and hitting Fusion multiple times in rapid succession, while pushing it back towards the Upper Deck screws. Two more powerful blows sent Fusion spinning towards the screws behind the red square, though Witch Doctor itself was briefly deflected into the right-most screw mount in the process. Moments after circling around Fusion once more, Witch Doctor continued to exchange blows with the latter's triangular horizontal.

One such attack allowed Witch Doctor to deflect Fusion upwards and into an Upper Deck mount. Following another ram and deflection, the damage to its wedge and front-left tire became more noticeable, while the two competitors became more tentative in their movements. This was until Witch Doctor proceeded to absorb and deflect more blows from Fusion's horizontal spinner, itself having temporarily powered down. As a consequence, Witch Doctor's spinner lost functionality, while the wedge lost a large panel - then the entire left side - through Fusion's attacks. Persevering, it continued to take further damage from Fusion in its efforts to deflect, chase and push it across the BattleBox once more.

Wd fusion last few secs

Witch Doctor pins Fusion in the closing seconds.

Moments after the battle entered the second half, a head-to-head deflection allowed Witch Doctor to flip Fusion over. Witch Doctor capitalized on Fusion's halved mobility to pin and maneuver it into the bottom-left corner. Once Reese Ewert's machine restarted its horizontal spinner, Witch Doctor survived another barrage of blows from it while steering the whole machine into the paddle. Fusion broke free, quickly turning round to strike the front-right corner of Witch Doctor. However, this enabled Witch Doctor to indirectly deflect Fusion towards the spiked bumper, giving it the chance to slam its opponent into - and pin it against - the bumper itself. Team Witch Doctor held Fusion for up to 15 seconds before backing out, then pushing and ramming it a few more times. These attacks seemed to leave Fusion completely immobilized next to a pulverizer before the final buzzer sounded.
"This was an absolute brawl. If it ends 20 seconds earlier, maybe it's a win for Fusion. 20 seconds later, perhaps Reese's bot gets knocked out. Can't wait to see how the judges rule this one..."
— Chris Rose, over post-battle highlights

Witch Doctor Fusion post fight damage WCVII

Damage to Witch Doctor's front plow.

During post-battle replays, Chris Rose and Kenny Florian reflected on the even performance between both competitors along with the 'serious damage' inflicted throughout. While Fusion's stronger start and visible damage to Witch Doctor was noted by both, Florian also commented on Witch Doctor's perseverance and late flip on Fusion, which he felt would be especially crucial in the subsequent judges' decision.

The match ultimately ended in a split decision, with Fon Davis and Derek Young both scoring in favor of Witch Doctor, therefore securing its second Fight Night victory to cement a 2-0 record at this stage.

In Episode 5 of the Witch Doctor Pit Pass series, the team revealed Witch Doctor was several pounds overweight heading into the battle with its anti-horizontal configuration. Due to this, the team had to take weight out of its self-righter and eventually weighed in at 250lbs.[6] They also showed how Fusion managed to split the weapon hub and warp the central bulkhead.

Witch Doctor vs. Gruff

Witch Doctor forks for Gruff WC VII

Witch Doctor fitted with its forks for this bout.

Witch Doctor's next fight came against Gruff, who had a 1-1 record up to this point. The team again added small forks to the front plates of Witch Doctor, hoping to get underneath its opponent with greater ease.

Witch Doctor Gruff 2 WC VII

Witch Doctor and Gruff take out the signage.

Gruff immediately dashed towards Witch Doctor, driving their forks into its side but failing to get underneath. Witch Doctor turned to face Gruff and tore away some parts, including a front wedge. Gruff fired its flamethrowers, temporarily obstructing Mike Gellatly's view as it lifted the front of Witch Doctor up before dropping it. However, Sam McAmis left Gruff's rear exposed and Witch Doctor slammed into its back panel, following this up with a vicious slam into the housing for the screws. Gruff retaliated by hoisting Witch Doctor slightly, but the 2-0 bot escaped and immediately went back on the offensive.
"Shaky driving by Gruff. Sam has got to stay squared up..."
— Kenny Florian as Gruff starts on the back foot

Gruff Witch Doctor WC VII short corner

Witch Doctor tosses Gruff over.

Witch Doctor looked to keep Gruff against the rails, dealing several minor blows to its front and then tearing into its side again. By this point, Gruff's left side armor was showing visible damage and one of its forks had bent inward. Sensing a weakness in its opponent, Witch Doctor grinded its single disc against Gruff's armor before driving it into the rails, flipping it over and with the follow-up attack, throwing it into the screws. The Gellatlys pressed on, getting to the front of Gruff again and catching it against the rail. This hit saw Gruff thrown high into the air, landing upside-down and in the short corner.

Gruff Witch Doctor WC VII

Witch Doctor ruptures Gruff's fuel tank.

Gruff righted itself against the Upper Deck, but became a sitting duck as Witch Doctor charged into its side, rupturing a fuel tank and causing an explosion within Gruff. Still ablaze, Gruff began shooting fire sideways and Witch Doctor continued its assault, launching Sam McAmis' bot into the air several more times and eventually finding itself on the Upper Deck.
Kenny Florian: "That was a dismantling!"
Chris Rose: "Un-be-lievable!"
— Chris and Kenny react to Witch Doctor's dominant win

Gruff KO vs Witch Doctor WC VII

Gruff immobile on the Upper Deck.

After a series of devastating shots, Gruff lay inverted atop the Upper Deck, still on fire as a result of its damaged fuel tank. With just over half the match gone, referee John Remar mercifully counted out Gruff, confirming Team Witch Doctor's 3-0 status. Post-match, Trey Roski had to extinguish the beaten machine.
Kenny Florian: "Here's the big one... BOOM! Witch Doctor ripped open the gas tank. Wow, Gruff basically went supernova."
Chris Rose: "Mike and Andrea said they dialled the weapon speed down for this one, and that was the result. That is a scary, scary thought."
— Chris and Kenny over post-fight highlights

Witch Doctor vs. Minotaur

"Last year, that was a... crazy, crazy fight. It had a bit of everything... there was a lot of miscommunication between the refs. Bit of controversy, unfortunately."
— Mike Gellatly, referring to the previous Witch Doctor/Minotaur battle in a Discovery promotional trailer[7]

In the final Main Event of World Championship VII, Witch Doctor was pitted against Minotaur, in a rematch of their highly controversial World Championship VI quarter-final clash, which was also the third encounter between both bots since the 2018 season. In a series of promotional trailers, Mike and Andrea Gellatly addressed the 'miscommunication' and fan conflicts that shaped the previous encounter between these two machines. Regardless of those, Andrea openly stated that both Team Witch Doctor and Team RioBotz remained on good terms with each other, while sharing her enthusiasm towards fighting Minotaur once again.
"So, we have a ton of respect for each other. If there's any animosity, it's between the fans. I'm looking forward to another slugfest with Minotaur."
— Andrea Gellatly reiterates her support for Minotaur and Team RioBotz in another promotional trailer[8]
Witch Doctor Minotaur Will WCVII

Will pushes Witch Doctor out for this Main Event clash.

For this 'championship-level' match, Witch Doctor adopted a new front-end configuration, combining the solid wedge panels with twin hinged forks in a bid to nullify its opponent's center of mass advantage. Kenny Florian noted that the asymmetrical spinner was also tweaked to run at 75% of its maximum power, having operated at only 50% throughout all of its preceding World Championship VII matches. As a collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Team Witch Doctor were joined by 13-year old ALD patient Will. Fulfilling his wishes to meet them and appear on BattleBots, Will pushed Witch Doctor along on its cradle during its arena introduction, and pressed the team's "Ready" button prior to the match commencing.[9]
"...we know how badly these two squads want this, and I think this is less about last season's controversy, and more about showing definitively, who's got the best bot this season. They've had big KOs, three-minute brawls, and both of them have "Fight of the Year" candidates. When we talk about what it means to be a tournament team, these two are the gold standard. No one's going to complain when one of these teams takes that top seed, and I don't think anybody will be surprised to see one, or both of them, in the finals."
— Kenny Florian, during the build-up for the Witch Doctor/Minotaur rematch
Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 1

Witch Doctor begins on the back foot.

Both competitors started tentatively, though Witch Doctor was the first to reach the center of the BattleBox. As it met Minotaur at the inner-left perimeter, it took an early hit to the corner of its right-hand wedge piece. A second attack from Team RioBotz's machine flicked Witch Doctor upwards, after which it was carried and pinned against the spiked bumper nearby. Witch Doctor took further damage to its front-left corner, with Minotaur ripping apart the tire on that side. Repositioning itself, it absorbed another series of attacks from the Brazilian drum spinner. While doing so, Witch Doctor reversed backwards and exchanged a direct collision between both spinning weapons. Minotaur, unrelenting, charged into Witch Doctor's front-right corner, buffeting Mike and Andrea Gellatly's machine onto its rear wheels.
Chris Rose: "... Daniel Freitas dishin' out some punishment here to start. Tearin' up the front of Witch Doctor!"
Kenny Florian: "Those forks on Witch Doctor are gone!"
Chris Rose: "Mike Gellatly lookin' to reset..."
— As Witch Doctor loses both of its forks to Minotaur's drum
Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 2

Witch Doctor loses both of its forks.

Witch Doctor bounced back down, hitting Minotaur's drum again while being scooped upwards. However, it lost both of its front forks during this exchange. After driving over the top of Minotaur, Witch Doctor took another blow to its front-left corner.

Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 3

Witch Doctor counters, striking the side of Minotaur.

At this point, it started to become more aggressive, charging at and pursuing Minotaur diagonally across the arena. With a powerful blow from its asymmetrical disc, Witch Doctor flung Minotaur into the top-right pocket, flipping it upside-down.
Chris Rose: "Great shot there to the corner of Minotaur!"
Kenny Florian: "What a counterstrike by Witch Doctor! Brilliant stuff there from Mike Gellatly! Minotaur's reeling from that shot!"
— As Witch Doctor launches Minotaur into the top-right corner
Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII

Witch Doctor looks to take advantage as Minotaur rights itself.

The Gellatlys' machine put further pressure on Minotaur by briefly shepherding it deeper into the corner. However, Minotaur quickly backed away into a skid turn, driving forwards and self-righting using its own gyroscopic forces. Witch Doctor bumped into Minotaur's side once more, but could not get its spinner to connect.

Another weapon-to-weapon blow was exchanged by both robots, allowing Witch Doctor to flip Minotaur over again. Despite this, it became more apparent that Witch Doctor was struggling to maintain free movements, flicking its srimech and shuffling around on the fringe of the red square. After a few seconds, it repositioned itself and initiated another charge towards the blue square. However, it could not land another blow on Minotaur, which gyrated out of the way under instructions from captain Marco Meggiolaro. Shortly after this, Witch Doctor took another direct hit to its left wedge piece from Minotaur's drum, ironically causing the drum to suddenly lose power.
Kenny Florian: "...something's going on with that right-front tire on Witch Doctor. It's having trouble getting traction!"
Chris Rose: "And here's Minotaur taking advantage, pushing Witch Doctor across the BattleBox... PINNING it into the rail!"
— As Witch Doctor pressures, but gets pinned against the spiked bumper by Minotaur

Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 4

Minotaur pins Witch Doctor against the rails.

Witch Doctor attempted to chase Minotaur down, buffeting it towards the top-left corner and initiating another head-on collision. However, it too lost power to its own spinner. Smoke poured through the top ribcage as Minotaur pushed Witch Doctor back and pinned it against the control booth bumper. Witch Doctor spun its wheels and raised its srimech, unable to gain enough purchase to drive back. Minotaur reversed to release its opponent, just as the match reached half-distance.

Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 5

Witch Doctor finds itself held against the wall for a second time.

Both competitors attempted to spin up their weapons, though Witch Doctor's efforts caused it to smoke even more. An unsuccessful charge at Minotaur resulted in Witch Doctor getting flicked up and pressed against the control booth bumper a second time. Once the two robots became separated, Minotaur turned back into and flicked Witch Doctor upwards again. Witch Doctor retaliated with a shove, though neither spinner appeared to be fully functional by this point.
Chris Rose: "And there's a little bit of movement from Minotaur's drum spinner. But now it seems to be dealing with an issue on its left side!"
Andrea Gellatly [to her teammates]: "He's crab-walking, he's crab-walking!"
Kenny Florian: "Yeah, Minotaur's lost half of its drive. Witch Doctor's weapon is completely non-functional. Now it's a matter of who can score points in the aggression and control categories down the stretch. This is gonna be a pushing match!"
— As both robots - with drive and weapon issues - enter the final minute

Witch Doctor Minotaur WCVII 6

Witch Doctor shepherds Minotaur towards the corner.

With just under a minute left, Witch Doctor turned into and nudged Minotaur a few times, with Andrea Gellatly aware of its reduced mobility. However, it could not push its opponent back a substantial distance. As both robots clashed head-to-head within the inner perimeter, Witch Doctor was again edged back by Minotaur, this time towards the active bottom-left killsaws. Witch Doctor tried to push Minotaur around from the sides, eventually succeeding in pressuring it towards the bottom-right perimeter and the blue square. A final engagement in the closing ten seconds resulted in Witch Doctor being pushed back, before both battle-weary robots bumped and nudged each other just before time ran out. Witch Doctor raised its srimech and paraded across the lower perimeter, as the two competitors returned to their starting squares to prove their continued functionality.
"Kenny, fans across the globe had this match circled the moment this schedule was released, and it did not disappoint!"
— Chris Rose, at the start of the post-match replay sequence

Both robots survived to a judges' decision, which unanimously ruled against Witch Doctor. Regardless of this defeat, Team Witch Doctor and their machine were praised by Team RioBotz's Marco Meggiolaro, who also reiterated that there had been no animosity between either team since their World Championship VI match-up.
"...the best thing about this match, about winning against Witch Doctor, is because they are very good robots. They are very well-ranked robots. There's nothing to do with any personal grudge. We love them. Last year, they did all they had to do within the rules to win. They were trying to win, and within the rules they had. The rules this year are better. You used to get some more closure with a fight. I love that. You have to not confuse people - the bots from their builders. We want to "kill" Witch Doctor, but... we love and we respect a lot Andrea and Mike... you know? We'll never get personal with them about something that happened inside that Box, you know. What happens inside the BattleBox stays in the BattleBox. Thank you."
— Marco Meggiolaro praises Team Witch Doctor during his post-match speech

Following this close and evenly-fought battle, Witch Doctor rounded off its Fight Night schedule with a 3-1 record, guaranteeing itself a place in the main championship bracket.

Witch Doctor vs. JackPot

Witch Doctor made the Round of 32 as the No.3 seed, where it took on the No.30 seed JackPot. For this battle, Witch Doctor again sported small forks and opted run the weapon at 75% speed to maximise engagement - a tactic which worked to great effect in their win over Gruff earlier in the season.

Both weapons got up to speed as Mike Gellatly appeared to try and bait Jeff Waters into an early driving error. Witch Doctor turned sharply to face JackPot, and the pair went weapon-to-weapon. This exchange saw Witch Doctor get underneath JackPot, grazing its underside and tearing away its left-side lifting fork. The two-time runner-up struck the front of JackPot again, momentarily halting the dual diamond discs, which were slow to spin back up.

Witch Doctor JackPot WCVII hit

Witch Doctor throws JackPot onto the Upper Deck.

It then became clear that JackPot's primary weapon had been disabled, and Mike Gellatly took advantage. Witch Doctor delivered a hit which sent JackPot twisting through the air, landing inverted and atop the Upper Deck. JackPot was able to self-right and exited into the short corner, where Witch Doctor was patrolling. However, it was the No.3 seed which took a blow from the pulverizer before both robots escaped. Sensing defeat, JackPot drove head-on into Witch Doctor in an attempt to break its primary weapon, but upon colliding again, was thrown into a backflip.
"JackPot fighting from behind. They know they have to try and break Witch Doctor's weapon, and Jeff Waters' bot might be tough enough to do it!"
— Kenny Florian refuses to rule JackPot out yet
Witch doctor jackpot hit WCVII

JackPot runs into Witch Doctor's disc.

JackPot then drove back towards its opponent, again trying to break Witch Doctor's primary weapon. This resulted in JackPot being thrown upward, landing harshly on the housing for the screws.

JackPot Witch Doctor hit 2 WCVII

Witch Doctor pops JackPot up in the air again.

With its lifter, dual discs and drive now severely hampered, Witch Doctor sensed blood and attacked the exposed rear of JackPot, hurling the Vegas bot into the screws again. The wounded No.30 seed arced in place and with assistance from one of the [[paddles]], was shunted towards the center of the BattleBox.

Witch doctor jackpot KO WCVII

JackPot's season comes to an end.

Witch Doctor rammed JackPot into the Upper Deck before getting around to its side and driving the Vegas Combat Robotics robot across the arena and into the wall. This impact visibly buckled the frame of JackPot, who lay immobile in the blue square.
Chris Rose: "Look, JackPot is just bent in half!"
Kenny Florian: "WOW!"
Chris Rose: "That's 250lbs of twisted steel that now looks like an accordion."
Kenny Florian: "That's insane!"
— Chris and Kenny react to JackPot's mangled corpse
As a count mercifully began on JackPot, Witch Doctor hung back, celebrating its win and a place in the Round of 16.

Witch Doctor vs. Lock-Jaw

Now in the Round of 16, Witch Doctor faced off against No.14 seed, Lock-Jaw. Despite both teams competing in all seven World Championships up to this point, this marked the first time their robots had fought each other. During Team Witch Doctor's pre-match interview, Mike Gellatly brought up their struggles with optimizing the robot's new all-brushless system, revealing that it had been suffering from recurring electrical issues up to this point. Andrea Gellatly explained that Witch Doctor itself was now fitted with its heaviest top armor, along with the same front plow and fork configuration previously used against Gruff and JackPot.

"A win, not only to advance, would be amazing. But to defeat a legend like Donald [Hutson] would also be an honor."
— Andrea Gellatly
Witch Doctor Lock-Jaw WCVII 1

Witch Doctor gains an immediate advantage.

Both robots started by tentatively heading towards the center. Upon reaching the inner-right killsaws, Witch Doctor turned around and reversed, dodging an initial charge from Lock-Jaw. A head-to-head collision launched the two heavyweights into the air, with Witch Doctor sustaining a blow to its front-left plow from Lock-Jaw's bar spinner. Seconds later, Witch Doctor retaliated by striking the right-front wheel of Donald Hutson's machine, almost ripping the tire completely off its rim. It positioned itself close to Lock-Jaw as the latter spun around and threw the remains of its tire across the BattleBox. Witch Doctor used this opportunity to repeatedly attack the front of Lock-Jaw over the bottom-right killsaw slots, flicking it upwards while targeting its weapon assembly.
Chris Rose: "Ooh, what a move by Mike Gellatly to get the drop on Lock-Jaw!"
Kenny Florian: "Uh-oh!"
Chris Rose: "And oh no! Lock-Jaw... already with one of its wheels off!"
— As Witch Doctor causes Lock-Jaw to shed a tire in the opening moments
Witch Doctor Lock-Jaw WCVII 2

Both robots go weapon-to-weapon.

As Spitfire - Lock-Jaw's drone - tried to inflict an aerial flame attack, Witch Doctor flung Lock-Jaw into it, instantly downing and immobilizing Spitfire. Once Lock-Jaw landed and bounced back into the upright position, the Gellatly's machine immediately rammed it in the center, before again attacking its tire and baseplate. Another head-to-head exchange followed opposite the Upper Deck screws; sparks flying as Witch Doctor slammed into and sent Lock-Jaw recoiling back over the neighboring killsaw slots. These attacks were enough to dislodge the weapon belt for Lock-Jaw's bar spinner, rendering the Mutant Robots machine without a working weapon.

Witch Doctor Lock-Jaw WCVII KO

Witch Doctor lands one final blow.

Witch Doctor flung Lock-Jaw further into the top-left corner, where the latter quickly became immobilized after driving upside-down into the pocket bumpers. Shortly after Lock-Jaw took a blow from the pulverizer, Witch Doctor threw its already-incapacitated opponent against the hazard. Pieces of Lock-Jaw's top armor flew everywhere as it somersaulted back into the upright position. Witch Doctor, sensing that its opponent was fully immobile, slowly crept back towards the center. A full count-out for Lock-Jaw was performed by John Remar, gifting Team Witch Doctor a quick knockout win against the fellow BattleBots veterans. In post-match replays, comparisons were made between the attack on Spitfire, and Witch Doctor's similar incapacitation of it during its Bounty Hunters match against SubZero.
"The voodoo children in less than a minute! Witch Doctor's gonna advance to the quarter-finals!"
— Chris Rose as John Remar finishes his count-out for Lock-Jaw

Witch Doctor vs. HUGE

Having progressed to the quarter-finals once again, Witch Doctor now took on the currently undefeated No.6 seed, HUGE.

Mike Gellatly: "We're really gonna try to dismember their wheels, one at a time and immobilize them that way. The screws. the hammers, anything in the arena that can get stuck on, we can use that to our advantage."
Andrea Gellatly: "It's really difficult when you fight an undefeated robot because we can't look back and see how somebody's beat him - it hasn't been done. So if we're the first to do that [this season], we're gonna have to find our own way to do it, and that's extra exciting."
— Team Witch Doctor discuss tactics and the difficulty facing fighting an unbeaten robot pre-fight
HUGE Witch Doctor WCVII teaser

Witch Doctor approaches HUGE in the opening seconds.

Witch Doctor was able to get its weapon up to speed as HUGE gave chase, spinning to face the 2021 runner-up as it drove head-on into HUGE's S-shaped bar spinner. Mike Gellatly looked to show aggression early on as Witch Doctor drove underneath and slammed itself in the the Upper Deck's screws. The No.3 seed lost a weapon belt from these exchanges as a small plume of smoke came from inside, and HUGE then got its spinning bar caught in the ribcage armor of Witch Doctor.

HUGE vs Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor is thrown away by HUGE

This momentary sticking allowed Witch Doctor to drive HUGE across the BattleBox, ultimately delivering it to the screws. Jonathan Schultz was able to escape and landed another uppercut to the top of its opponent, whose primary weapon was no longer spinning.
Kenny Florian: "Chris, Witch Doctor's weapon looks to be disabled!"
Chris Rose: "And that is enormous in the eyes of the judges. Is your weapon working the full time? The answer is no."
— Chris and Kenny observe damage to Witch Doctor's weapon
HUGE vs Witch Doctor WCVII 2

Witch Doctor loses part of its ribcage armor.

HUGE began to attack without fear, driving over the top of Witch Doctor before throwing it through the air, peeling up its ribcage armor on the right side in the process. As it looked to recover quickly, Witch Doctor drove at its opponent again but Jonathan Schultz turned, forcing its opponent into the path of its dangerous spinning blade once again. This impact completely tore away the damaged ribcage armor, leaving their frame exposed on the right side as the self-righter also lay limp behind the robot.
"OHH! There goes the ribs off of Witch Doctor, see ya later! They are now vulnerable on that right side!"
— Kenny Florian as HUGE racks up the damage points
HUGE vs Witch Doctor WCVII 3

Witch Doctor suffers further damage to its frame.

Now reduced to a pushbot and with little option other than to try and disable HUGE's primary weapon, Witch Doctor suffered more damage to its frame as the blade of Jonathan Schultz's bot cut into its frame. However, just as Mike Gellatly was able to find the angles to push its unorthodox opponent, the blade of HUGE appeared to stop suddenly, leading Kenny Florian to question its functionality in the second half of this Round of 8 fight. Shortly after, HUGE found space and spun back up, now hitting downward as the unbeaten No.6 seed was inverted. After several more strikes with its blade, Witch Doctor's remaining ribcage armor had peeled up from the back and looked vulnerable.

HUGE vs Witch Doctor WCVII 4

Witch Doctor drives underneath HUGE, but struggles to control it.

HUGE continued to slam into the front of Witch Doctor, losing its right eye in the process. However, this proved to be the only damage to Jonathan Schultz's robot as the fight entered its final thirty seconds. By contrast, Witch Doctor's weapon had been disabled for much of the fight and it had suffered considerable damage to its frame and armor pieces. In the closing seconds, HUGE smothered Witch Doctor, not allowing Mike Gellatly to land any lasting impression on the judges.

Both robots survived the full three minutes, but the judges unanimously voted in HUGE's favor, ending Witch Doctor's title charge at the quarter-final stage.
Chris Rose: "As for Witch Doctor, the career accolades keep piling up, but it's another trip home without the Giant Nut. Are the voodoo children the cursed ones, Kenny?"
Kenny Florian: "I don't know! I think their time will come..."
— Chris and Kenny assess Team Witch Doctor as their season comes to an end

Results[]

WITCH DOCTOR
BattleBots IQ 2010
120lb Collegiate Championship
Champion
Winners Bracket vs. PanDEMONium Won
Winners Bracket vs. Bear Tooth Won
Winners Bracket vs. Fuchsia Fusion Won
BattleBots IQ 2011
120lb Pro Championship
Champion
Winners Bracket vs. PanDEMONium Won
Winners Bracket vs. D-Mora-Lizer Won
Winners Bracket vs. Grasshopper Won
Winners Bracket vs. Blue Flame Lost
NOTE: Despite losing this match, Witch Doctor moved on to the final in unknown circumstances
Final vs. Blue Flame Won
BattleBots IQ 2011 Exhibition Matches
Grudge Match vs. Fluffy DeLarge Lost
World Championship I
World Championship Tournament
#9 Seed, Quarter-Finals
Qualifier vs. Bronco Lost (KO)
NOTE: Witch Doctor received a Wildcard and moved on to the next round
Round of 16 vs. OverDrive (8) Won (KO)
Quarter-Final vs. Tombstone (1) Lost (KO)
Exhibition Matches
0-1
Rumble vs. Overhaul, Nightmare Lost (KO)
World Championship II
World Championship Tournament
#3 Seed, Round of 32
Qualifier vs. ROTATOR Won (KO)
Round of 32 vs. Red Devil (30) Lost (KO)
Exhibition Matches
0-1
Rumble vs. Bite Force, Wrecks Lost (KO)
World Championship III
Fight Nights
3-1
Fight Night #1 - Main Event vs. Yeti Lost (KO)
Fight Night #2 vs. Blacksmith Won (JD)
Fight Night #3 vs. Ultimo Destructo Won (KO)
Fight Night #4 vs. Overhaul Won (KO)
World Championship Tournament
#13 Seed, Round of 16
Round of 16 vs. Minotaur (4) Lost (KO)
World Championship IV
Fight Nights
4-0
Fight Night #1 vs. Shatter! Won (JD)
Fight Night #2 vs. Captain Shrederator Won (KO)
Fight Night #3 - Main Event vs. Whiplash Won (JD)
Fight Night #4 vs. Gigabyte Won (KO)
World Championship Tournament
#2 Seed, Runner-Up
Round of 16 vs. Blacksmith (15) Won (KO)
Quarter-Final vs. SawBlaze (7) Won (KO)
Semi-Final vs. DeathRoll (6) Won (Split JD)
Final vs. Bite Force (1) Lost (KO)
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019)
Champion
Qualifier vs. Tombstone Won (KO)
Final vs. Bronco Won (KO)
World Championship V
Fight Nights
1-2
Fight Night #1 - Main Event vs. Hydra Lost (Split JD)
Fight Night #2 - Main Event vs. Kraken Lost (JD)
Fight Night #3 vs. SlamMow! Won (KO)
World Championship Tournament
#23 Seed, Round of 16
Round of 32 vs. Skorpios (10) Won (JD)
Round of 16 vs. SawBlaze (7) Lost (KO)
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters
Bounty Hunters - Witch Doctor Bounty
Bounty, Champion
Bounty Match vs. SubZero Won (KO)
World Championship VI
Fight Nights
2-1
Fight Night #1 vs. DUCK! Won (JD)
Fight Night #2 - Main Event vs. End Game Lost (KO)
Fight Night #3 vs. Rusty Won (KO)
World Championship Tournament
#24 Seed, Runner-Up
Round of 32 vs. Mammoth Won (KO)
NOTE: Witch Doctor was originally drawn against Glitch, the #9 seed. Upon Glitch's withdrawal, Mammoth directly replaced it as a substitute.
Round of 16 vs. Copperhead (8) Won (KO)
Quarter-Final vs. Minotaur (16) Won (JD)
Semi-Final vs. SawBlaze (4) Won (KO)
Final vs. Tantrum (11) Lost (KO)
BattleBots: Champions
Sin City Slugfest V
Champion
Golden Bolt Qualifier vs. Whiplash Won (KO)
Golden Bolt Tournament
Runner-Up
Quarter-Final vs. Glitch Won (KO)
Semi-Final vs. HyperShock Won (KO)
Final vs. End Game Lost (KO)
World Championship VII
Fight Nights
3-1
Fight Night #1 vs. Ribbot Won (KO)
Fight Night #2 vs. Fusion Won (Split JD)
Fight Night #3 vs. Gruff Won (KO)
Fight Night #4 - Main Event vs. Minotaur Lost (JD)
World Championship Tournament
#3 Seed, Quarter-Finals
Round of 32 vs. JackPot (30) Won (KO)
Round of 16 vs. Lock-Jaw (14) Won (KO)
Quarter-Final vs. HUGE (6) Lost (JD)

Competitive Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 37
  • Losses: 15

Exhibition Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 3

Total Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 37
  • Losses: 18
Competition Wins Losses
BattleBots IQ 2010 PanDEMONium

Bear Tooth
Fuchsia Fusion

None
BattleBots IQ 2011 PanDEMONium
D-Mora-Lizer
Grasshopper
Blue Flame
Blue Flame
Fluffy DeLarge (Grudge Match)
World Championship I OverDrive Bronco
Tombstone
Nightmare (Exhibition Rumble)
World Championship II ROTATOR
Red Devil
Bite Force (Exhibition Rumble)
World Championship III Blacksmith (Undercard Match)
Ultimo Destructo (Undercard Match)
Overhaul (Undercard Match)
Yeti (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Minotaur
World Championship IV Shatter! (Undercard Match)
Captain Shrederator (Undercard Match)
Whiplash (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Gigabyte (Undercard Match)
Blacksmith
SawBlaze
DeathRoll
Bite Force
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2019) Tombstone

Bronco

None
World Championship V SlamMow! (Undercard Match)
Skorpios
Hydra (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Kraken (Main Event/Undercard Match)
SawBlaze
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters SubZero None
World Championship VI DUCK! (Undercard Match)
Rusty (Undercard Match)
Mammoth
Copperhead
Minotaur
SawBlaze
End Game (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Tantrum
BattleBots: Champions Whiplash (Main Event)
Glitch
HyperShock
End Game (Golden Bolt Final)
World Championship VII Ribbot (Undercard Match)
Fusion (Undercard Match)
Gruff (Undercard Match)
JackPot
Lock-Jaw
Minotaur (Main Event/Undercard Match)
HUGE

Honors[]

WITCH DOCTOR
BattleBots IQ 2010
Pro Championship Winner
BattleBots IQ 2011
Pro Championship Winner
Best Engineered Robot
Coolest Robot Award
Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge 2019
Winner
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters
Bounty Defend
BattleBots: Champions I
Sin City Slugfest Winner

Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]

"It do that voodoo that you do so well. Prepare to be spellbound by WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity, glippity goo! It just put a voodoo curse on you! It's the magical WITCH DOCTOR!"

"When it's through with you, you're gonna need a check-up from the neck-up. Here to cause some serious psychological damage, it's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity, glippity goo! The voodoo child is back for Season 2! It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity, glippity goo! I've got a case of deja-voodoo! She's got a prescription for demolition! Its WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Glippity glappity, glippity glee! The voodoo princess is back for Number 3. It sacrificed its young and now she's down to one. It's WITCH DOCTOR!".

"On Mardi Gras, this ragin' Cajun bot doesn't throw beads, it throws beatings. It's about to be Fat Bruise-day, WITCH DOCTOR!"

"She doesn't use Tarot cards or a crystal ball. This witch uses a spell to maul. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"*spooky voice* Break out your cauldron for a special potion. An eye of bot or pinch of steel. Rubber from a burned up wheel. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"This nasty fighter would survive being burned at the stake. Now she comes here to make your bots break. She's ready to screw you with voodoo. It's WITCH DOCTOR!" 

"This bot will send you to the morgue. You can run, but you can't formaldehyde. First it decimates, then it cremates. Victory isn't given, you have to urn it. WITCH DOCTOR!"  

"Ooh eeh ooh-ah-ah, ting tang walla-walla bing bang! You're dead! WITCH DOCTOR!"  

"If you're having bot problems, I feel bad for you son. I've got ninety-nine problems now this witch is one, which takes us to a hundred. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"If it were a TV host, it would be RuBrawl. It's the queen here to cut you to pieces. The hexing, perplexing, the bad juju concoctor. Say byyyye to WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Bippity boppity boo, it's the voodoo child at Seed #2. Think she can't win? Just watch her! WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Wooo... it's #2. The queen of bad juju. First it smoked Blacksmith, now it's coming after youyou. The high priestess of voodoo, it's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"You can't slamma this bad mama jama. She sent Blacksmith and SawBlaze home in a hearse. But this is going to be worse, because on you, she put a curse. You can ask her, but she won't tell, how do you do the voodoo that you do so well? It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Abracadabra, Alakazam, this bot's the jam! Seven times she was tested, seven times she prevailed. Just one victim left 'til the unholy grail. Here to seize the crown and take Bite Force down, its WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Fire burn, and cauldron bubble, Witch Doctor's here and you're in trouble. 'Cause when you meet this doctor eye-to-eye, life's a witch, and then you die. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"It wasn't Dr. Kevorkian and it wasn't Dr. Seuss. When you ask me who the killer is, you have to tell the truth. It wasn't Dr. Zhivago or Dr. Frasier Krane?. When they ask which doctor killed you, say “Yep, mm-hmm, that's the name!” It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Here comes a dark wizard who can't be ignored. She'll slitherin-to the BattleBox and leave the other bots Gryffin-sore. She's stronger than strong. She's tougher than Tufflepuff. She'll put you in your Grave-nclaw. Okay, okay, no more puns. That's enough! It's the Harry Potter of slaughter, WITCH DOCTOR!"

"There's a witch in our pits but this won't go down like Salem because anybody who tries to mess with her, she'll full on a-sail 'em. She's not riding a broom but she's reigning down doom. Real magic is no joke. There's gonna be a witch burning tonight but this time, it's you that's going up in smoke. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"From Miami, Florida, I don't care if you have an HMO or a PPO. This doctor will leave you TKO'd. Give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

"From Miami, Florida, sending you to the pharmacy for a 30 day refill of haunted squirrel paws, it's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"This doctor is a PSP which means Primary Scare Physician. It wants you in the mortuary. That's his one and only mission. It's a Hippocratic hypocrite. Your symptoms won't get better. The only ER you're going to is from really dead to more deader. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"This mistress of the dark arts get cocked in a potion as she rolled through the tournament and caused a commotion. The dark witch took pieces as she reduced victims to husk. She started with a broth brewed from Mammoth tusk. She tasted and thought "Not bad but it needs more bite", so she stole Copperhead's venom after she took his life. Now the cauldron was bubbling with concoctions bizarre. So she spiced it up right with some horn of Minotaur and needed a little more heat to truly amaze. So she cooked it over the flaming corpse of SawBlaze. The only thing missing is a little more meat. Perhaps the fingers of Tantrum, yes, that would be sweet. Then she'll drink it and transform magic like you've never seen as the wicked Witch Doctor becomes the BattleBots queen. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Like Elphaba, or Ursula, or Sabrina Spellman, this crazy voodoo conjurer will send you straight to hell, man. Many seasons, many fights, it's earned legend status. With brutal blade and a skeleton frame, she's a deadly apparatus. And when it puts a hex on you and leaves you in a ditch, with your dying breath, you'll realize you messed with the wrong witch. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"They're not a doctor like Dre, but they'll still lay a beat down, they're not a doctor like Jay, but they'll still slam you on the rebound. They're not a doctor like Pepper, but they'll still give you a pop. They're a doctor like Kevorkian, delivering the most lethal of shots. Give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

"From Miami Springs, Florida, the lean, mean, purple and green machine, give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

"She'll make you feel bad as hell like Lizzo in reverse. She'll make your death a reality and you know that truth hurts. Blame it on her juice, so speedy when she throws the switch, just took a DNA test, turns out she's 100% that witch. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"The winds whip wildly around this wicked witch of the East. There's a big storm coming and that's just fine for this vicious beast. Because she's stronger than a tornado and quicker than a twister. So, you better show heart, brains and courage or she'll drop a house on your sister. Dorothy, I don't think we're in the BattleBox anymore. Give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

"This doctor is strange. Her spells will put you in a sling, man. Marvel at her madness when she slaps you with her ring hand. She didn't come to bargain, she came to do some burying. She'll open a portal to the multiverse and slaughter all your variants. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"From Miami Springs, Florida. She's here to write you a prescription, 200 milligrams of kick your ass-pirin. It's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"From Miami Springs, Florida, it took the Hippocratic Oath with his fingers crossed, it's WITCH DOCTOR!"

"Captained by one of TV's greatest couples, who designed a killer bot that would show no love to Lucy or Ricky, put them in a different kind of plot. Zack and Kelly from Bayside, they died thanks to the beating that it gives. It rode all the way to Bel-Air to take out Uncle Phil and both Aunt Vivs. Give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

"They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But that's not totally true. Eat all the apples you want and this doctor will still take a bite out of you. She just wrote a prescription for pain and you're about to get tortured. You're going from the hospital to the morgue. That's just what the doctor ordered. Give it up for WITCH DOCTOR!"

Merchandise[]

Any appearances by Witch Doctor in merchandise are listed below:

Trivia[]

  • Both times Witch Doctor faced Tombstone, the winner ended up with a broken weapon.
  • Witch Doctor was the first HEXBUG RC toy to be re-released in Rivals packs with an updated version of the robot.
  • Outside of BattleBots, Andrea Gellatly designed a custom Mystery Machine themed car from Scooby-Doo to compete in Power Racing Series.
    • This is where Team Witch Doctor met Rick Pease, who would later became a member of their team for BattleBots.
  • Witch Doctor was the second BattleBots legend to defend its Bounty, along with Tombstone.
  • Witch Doctor's knockout win over ROTATOR was the fastest win of World Championship II.
  • Witch Doctor is the only robot in the reboot era of BattleBots to finish two seasons as the runner-up.
  • Outside of BattleBots, Andrea Gellatly wrote a book called B is for BattleBots, an educational book which features fights and competitors from World Championships III and IV. She also published a Witch Doctor Coloring Book in late 2022.
  • Witch Doctor is the only bot to have qualified for all seven World Championship tournaments to date.
  • Witch Doctor, ROTATOR, Minotaur, and Whiplash are the only four bots to have fought all five World Champions.
  • As a #24 seed in World Championship VI, Witch Doctor is the lowest seed to have reached a World Championship final. It is also the only #2 seed to have progressed further than the Quarter-Finals, achieving this in World Championship IV.
  • Witch Doctor's #3 seed in World Championship VII is the highest ranking of any bot to have lost a fight in the qualifying round.
  • After fighting a total of 12 times across World Championship VI and BattleBots: Champions, achieving a combined 9-3 record, Witch Doctor fought more times during 2021 filming than any other robot in BattleBots history. (This would later be surpassed by SawBlaze the following season, which competed in 12 matches for a combined 10-2 record.)

References[]

Navigation[]

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