Overview[]
Minotaur is a robot that was built by the Brazilian Team RioBotz which competed in Season 2 of ABC's BattleBots reboot and two seasons on Discovery and Science. It is armed with a deadly 12,000 RPM spinning drum that was reduced to just under 10,000 RPM for competing.
Minotaur was based around Touro Maximus, a robot that previously won the STEM Tech Olympiad in 2014 and RoboGames in 2015, as well as finishing 3rd in the next Robogames. Since Touro Maximus was also made by Riobotz, it and Minotaur shared a lot components and design elements, with most of the upgrades being used for the armor, the drum and the skids.
Minotaur is considered one of the great BattleBots of it's time, in every single one of its appearances never failing to land a spot in at least the Top 8. It is famed for its terrifying weapon power and incredible driving ability, bolstered by team driver Daniel Freitas. Minotaur has previously won awards for destructiveness and a silver medal in the 2018 season of BatleBots.
Team RioBotz's Daniel Freitas announced that Minotaur would not compete in Discovery Season 5 due to travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minotaur was confirmed to be participating in 2021 season of BattleBots. However, Team RioBotz captain Marco Meggiolaro would not be attending due to conflicting schedules. Captaincy was handed over to teammate Carlos Junior while Daniel Freitas returned as Minotaur's driver, despite suffering personal tragedy in the off-season, losing both his mother and grandmother to COVID-19 in a short space of time. The robot now has more options to help feed opponents into its primary weapon, including longer hinged forks. Aesthetically speaking, the top and rear armor now sported new sponsor logos and the drum itself also sported the logo of AGVs, one of the team's main sponsors for Season 6. The team began their fourth BattleBots year with a rough loss to SawBlaze in the first televised fight of the 2021 season, before chalking up an emotional first win of the season against rookie team Dragon Slayer. Entering the bracket, Minotaur defeated Bloodsport before managing to dethrone End Game in the Top 16, guaranteeing a brand new Giant Nut winner for the 2021 season. However, Minotaur was eliminated at the hands of Witch Doctor in one of the show's most controversial battles.
Design[]
Minotaur as it appeared for the 2016 season of BattleBots.
Minotaur was based heavily off of Team RioBotz's live scene heavyweight Touro Maximus, a boxy, two wheeled drum spinner with small feeder forks at the front. For their first two seasons, Minotaur was essentially a repainted Touro Maximus. It also had a few feeder attachments to counter specific types of ground clearances.
Minotaur as it appeared for the 2018 season of BattleBots.
For Season 2, Minotaur sported an incredibly powerful 12,000 RPM spinning drum and unique LED lights in the eyes of the painted minotaur on its top plate. In Season 3, Minotaur's weapon speed was lowered to 10,000 RPM and it lost the LED lights, as well as recoloring the drum. In its last match of the season, a fatal flaw was exposed in that Minotaur had been using faulty metal from China in its armor (similar to the issue that plagued Gigabyte) and the metal fractured in its final against Bite Force.
Minotaur as it appeared for the 2019 season of BattleBots.
For Season 4, Minotaur was completely overhauled, with a sleeker profile, better metal, and a brand new heavier drum. This drum proved to be the main source of Minotaur's issues over the year, whether it was the weapon dragging on the floor or motors lacking the power to spin the drum.
Minotaur as it appeared for the 2021 season of BattleBots.
Robot History[]
BattleBots World Championship II[]
Minotaur launches Photon Storm.
Minotaur's first fight was against entry Photon Storm. The fight started off in Minotaur's favor, with Minotaur getting in a hit on Photon Storm, destroying its left wing. Afterwards, Photon Storm managed to get a grip inside the opening for one of Minotaur's wheels before releasing it. However, Minotaur then lined up a shot and got a good hit with its drum, causing one side of Photon Storm's welds to fail. This took out both of its drive motors and damaged the battery while also damaging the hydraulic line that powered the weapon. Photon Storm was left unable to move and spewing hydraulic fluid around the BattleBox, giving Minotaur the win by KO at 1:41. This win put Minotaur to the round of 32 with its No.7 seeding, where it faced the No.26 seed Blacksmith.
Minotaur rips off Blacksmith's wedge.
Things started out poorly for Minotaur as Blacksmith not only withstood the attacks from Minotaur but it was able to push Minotaur around. However, Minotaur started to take notches out of Blacksmith's wedge, eventually completely ripping it off. Minotaur then tore off the top plate but Blacksmith kept coming. Minotaur flipped Blacksmith but Blacksmith self-righted. Eventually, Blacksmith's weapon motor caught fire and Blacksmith stopped moving. However, there wasn't enough time to count out Blacksmith so it went to a judges decision, where Minotaur won on a unanimous 3-0 decision to advance it to the round of 16, where it faced the No.23 seed Warhead.
Minotaur decapitates Warhead.
When the match started, both robots made contact with each other, but no damage was done. However, on the second collision, Warhead's spinning dome was ripped off by Minotaur's spinning drum and landed on the BattleBox floor. Minotaur continued attacking Warhead and ripped off Warhead's right side armor. Minotaur pushed Warhead under the pulverizer and Warhead was having driving issues. Minotaur backed away and went straight at the left side of Warhead, which ripped off the left side armor and flipped it onto its side. Warhead couldn't self-right and it was counted out. Minotaur won by KO at 1:11 and advanced to the quarterfinals, where it faced the No.2 seed Bronco.
Minotaur takes off Bronco's final wheel.
Minotaur came out at Bronco, whom faced forward and sparks went flying. Both robots circled for a bit, allowing Minotaur to get its weapon up to its maximum allowed speed. Minotaur made contact with one of the wheels and damaged it. Minotaur continued to attack while Bronco continued to circle to try and find an opening. Minotaur began attacking the wheels and flipper of Bronco, tearing off wheels and leaving Bronco's weapon useless. More attacks left Bronco with only one side of wheels remaining and driving in circles. Finally, Minotaur ripped off the remaining wheels and Bronco was counted out, allowing Minotaur to advance to the semi-finals where it faced No.19 seed Bombshell.
Bombshell gains the upper hand.
The match started out fairly evenly for Minotaur as neither robot gained the upper hand. However, Minotaur eventually managed to tear off Bombshell's left side and send it into the overhead lights, bringing one of them down to the floor. Several seconds later, Minotaur started taking hits from Bombshell, including a big hit that flipped it over and dislodged a drive train. Minotaur used its drum's gyroscopic forces to help steer but Bombshell kept coming. However, Bombshell's weapon had lost one of its teeth and a wiring problem similar to its match with Red Devil had occurred, forcing Bombshell's driver to shut down the weapon, but Minotaur also stopped moving due to a minor cut in the bottom panel from one of Bombshell's attacks, causing the working wheel to no longer touch the ground. Minotaur was counted out and Bombshell advanced to the next round, eliminating Minotaur from the tournament.
BattleBots World Championship III[]
Minotaur charges underneath Tombstone.
Minotaur's first match of the tournament was against Tombstone. In this battle, Minotaur got its weapon up to speed but started taking repeated hits from its opponent. Minotaur continued to attack and after being flipped, righted itself using its drum's gyroscopic forces and resumed the battle. Damage to Minotaur was racking up as Minotaur could no longer get its drum up to top speed thanks to the initial impact with Tombstone, which sheared bolts holding the chassis together. Additionally, this prevented Minotaur from righting itself using the drum's gyroscopic forces. After the repeated impacts, Minotaur's drum eventually stopped working, leaving it with little other choice than to use its own body to attack. These attacks also affected Tombstone's frame, causing it to warp, leaving Tombstone's bar to pull up pieces of the floor due to the bar now spinning at an angle. Unfortunately, Minotaur eventually found itself high-centered on one of these damaged areas of the arena floor where it couldn't move. Minotaur got its drum spinning again and desperately to use its vibrations to free itself but to no avail. As a result, Tombstone was given the win by KO at 2:22.
Minotaur tears into the underside of Hypothermia.
Minotaur's next opponent was Hypothermia. For this match, Minotaur opted for a slower drum speed in order to lessen the gyroscopic forces of the drum and added its new feeder wedge in hopes of preventing Hypothermia from getting any control of the fight. When the match began, the fight was surprisingly even as while Minotaur landed the first hit, it did little damage, only managing to bend the front wedge of Hypothermia up a bit. Minotaur continued to attack, each time flipping Hypothermia over but Hypothermia wasn't giving up and right itself each time it was flipped. Eventually, Minotaur tore off the bottom plate of Hypothermia and tore into one of the double wheels Hypothermia had opted to use for the fight. Smoke began pouring out of Hypothermia but the match went to a judges decision and in the end, Minotaur won on a 3-0 decision.
Minotaur and Blacksmith collide, sending each other flying.
Up next for Minotaur was a rematch with Blacksmith. In response, Minotaur's team opted to spin the drum up to only 60% in hopes of having the lower ground clearance when it came to head-on impacts. This proved to be effective as they were able to stay on the arena floor as the match got underway, Minotaur took shots from Blacksmith's hammer but they weren't doing much damage so Minotaur pressed on. Minotaur managed to get underneath Blacksmith and shove it against the arena barrier, causing sparks along the way. Blacksmith then got one of its front forks stuck in the slot for the killsaws so Minotaur dished out another hit. Unfortunately, the lower weapon speed and Blacksmith's armor were not allowing Minotaur to deliver the big hits it was known for but it pressed on anyway, taking Blacksmith to the screws. Blacksmith fought back with its hammer but still wasn't able to cause any major damage and started to seemingly catch fire briefly. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Minotaur.
Minotaur eviscerates SubZero.
Minotaur was next against SubZero as part of a last-ditch effort to hopefully make the top 16. The match was off to a good start for Minotaur as SubZero had miss-timed their flip and allowed Minotaur to move in underneath. Minotaur continued to stay aggressive and took advantage of another miss-timed flip from its opponent. Since SubZero was still moving around, Minotaur caused more damage, bending up the front of SubZero's flipper and pushing in part of the side armor. Minotaur threw SubZero onto its back before helping it back up. Minotaur's drum then spun down briefly before it was back up to speed and resuming its rampage. Minotaur got underneath SubZero and pushed it almost to the arena barrier but SubZero got off. Minotaur threw SubZero over once more and SubZero was unable to self-right and was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO. Minotaur did enough to make the top 16 as the No.4 seed, where it faced No.13 seed, Witch Doctor.
Minotaur and Witch Doctor make weapon contact.
For this fight, Minotaur added a new drum with more teeth in hopes of getting in more hits on its opponent. When the match began, Minotaur was the aggressor, causing sparks on Witch Doctor but causing drive issues for Witch Doctor. When they collided again, Minotaur managed to take off the wheel that was giving Witch Doctor trouble, allowing it to continue. Minotaur continued its attacks and took off the other front wheel. Witch Doctor was still mobile so Minotaur took its rampage to the arena barrier where Witch Doctor lost one of its rear tires. Minotaur made one final attack and removed the last tire, then flipped Witch Doctor over. Witch Doctor self-righted and caught fire but had no way to move around the arena and was counted out, allowing Minotaur to advance to the quarterfinals where it faced No.12 seed, Monsoon.
Minotaur digs into the front of Monsoon.
Both robots came at each other and Minotaur seemed to struggle to do much to Monsoon despite having their weapon at full power. Still, Minotaur managed to get underneath Monsoon and shove it across the arena. Monsoon recovered and tried to deliver some hits but Minotaur was staying aggressive and managed to take off Monsoon's weapon belt. Finally, Minotaur got Monsoon up on its side where its drive wheels were off the ground and took it to the arena barrier where it couldn't move. By this point, Minotaur had only one belt driving the weapon and to avoid further damage, Minotaur opted not to free Monsoon and Monsoon was counted out, allowing Minotaur to advance to the semifinals where it faced No.9 seed, Lock-Jaw.
Minotaur and Lock-Jaw collide as sparks fly.
Minotaur went into the fight largely unchanged from its fight with Monsoon and was intending to attack the wheels and go for the knockout. When the match began, things were pretty even as both robots hit but not much damage was caused. However, Minotaur was on the attack and started to get the better of the collisions, getting underneath Lock-Jaw and shoving them around a bit. Minotaur continued to attack, throwing Lock-Jaw into the air and causing minor damage to the wheels. Eventually, Minotaur hit hard enough to flip Lock-Jaw over. Lock-Jaw still boldly pressed on but after two final hits, Minotaur had knocked Lock-Jaw out. Lock-Jaw was counted out and Minotaur advanced to the championship finals where it faced No.3 seed, and former champion, Bite Force.
Minotaur pops Bite Force.
When the match began, Minotaur seemed to have the edge as both robots were thrown backwards but Bite Force had lost one of its front wedgelets. Minotaur continued its assault but started to be on the receiving end of its opponent's hits, losing its left side rail. Even so, Minotaur had enough power to continue the hits, throwing Bite Force into the air once again. Both robots were now without a working weapon so it became a pushing match with Minotaur seeming to have the slight edge. However, Bite Force's weapon came back to life and now Minotaur was taking more damage, losing the left side rail as both side rails were also manufactured in China and thus were quite brittle. Minotaur stopped moving not long after was counted out, giving the win and the championship title to Bite Force.
BattleBots World Championship IV[]
Minotaur started 2019 with a match against good friends in the Vasquez family and Whiplash. This match also served as a rematch to the fight in the 2017 RoboGames. When the match began, Minotaur had trouble getting its weapon up to speed, both from its own issues and from Whiplash's countermeasures. Minotaur tried to run away and get its weapon going, but Whiplash wasn't letting them get far. Minotaur tried to go weapon-to-weapon and Whiplash did lose use of their lifter. However, Whiplash continued to have control using its spinning weapon so Minotaur was still struggling. Both robots took a shot from the killsaws before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision to Whiplash.
Minotaur and Gigabyte reel from a collision.
Next for Minotaur in 2019 was against veteran Gigabyte. For this fight, Minotaur went with a new silver drum that was hopefully going to perform better, especially with only two teeth. However, as the match got underway, it became apparent that Minotaur's weapon was struggling to maintain speed, as Gigabyte managed to damage the support poles that held up Minotaur's drum, causing it to dig on the ground. Unfortunately, with their weapon not doing what it was meant to do, Minotaur struggled to get a big hit on Gigabyte and generally ended up riding up Gigabyte's shell. Minotaur eventually managed to get in a particularly solid hit that took out Gigabyte's weapon but this resulted in mostly a pushing match that didn't favor Minotaur at all. Both robots went the distance but the judges awarded Gigabyte a unanimous 3-0 decision. This also marked Minotaur's second straight loss in a row so far this season.
Lucky's flipper arm lands perfectly behind Minotaur's drum.
Having had no success, Minotaur entered the Desperado Tournament. As the No.1 seed, it faced Desperado runner-up and No.8 seed, Lucky. A match that also served as a rematch for an incredibly tense and close fight between Touro Maximus and Lucky. The team had previously spent long hours grinding down the teeth so that the drum could get to the speed it's known for in previous seasons. As a result, they went with the lighter three-toothed drum and when the match began, Minotaur got its weapon up to speed and tore off Lucky's rear right wheel. Lucky tried to retaliate, but Minotaur stayed on them, causing sparks and shoving them around the arena. Smoke came out of Minotaur every now and then as its belts weren't gripping tightly. Minotaur then took advantage of Lucky's drive issues by throwing them upside down near the arena barrier. Lucky self-righted by Minotaur got in the way to deliver another hit. Lucky was no longer able to move and was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO to advance to the semi-finals.
Next for Minotaur in the Desperado Tournament was Jack Barker and No.4 seed, End Game. In response, the team went with Minotaur's heavier drum. As the match began, Minotaur first drew only sparks, but eventually ripped off one of End Game's front wedgelets. Minotaur continued to maneuver, getting back over, throwing End Game into the wall and ripping off the other three wedgelets of End Game. Minotaur then pushed End Game on top of the screws when it righted itself. End Game remained on the screws for a few seconds, but was released soon after. Minotaur began a winding path towards End Game and got a hit on their side, but that pushed the New Zealand spinner straight into the drum, flipping Minotaur over. Minotaur took a bit to right itself and then proceeded to throw End Game under the pulverizer. Eventually, End Game stopped moving, was counted out, and Minotaur won by KO. In the finals, Minotaur took on fellow Brazilian and No.3 seed, Black Dragon for the Giant Bolt trophy and automatic qualification to the round of 16.
Minotaur and Black Dragon meet face-to-face.
For this match, Minotaur added front wedgelets and went back to the drum used in the first match to hopefully win the battle for low ground clearance. The match started off with both robots meeting weapon-to-weapon, sending lots of sparks flying. Minotaur continued to attack, but after taking off one of Black Dragon's front wedgelets, they began to face pressure from their opponent. Minotaur struggled to get away from Black Dragon, but still delivered hits when possible. Soon, Minotaur was up against the arena barrier, causing sparks to fly. Minotaur powered down its weapon and escaped, but was then shoved onto the screws, which eventually released it. By this point, Black Dragon was having weapon problems, but Minotaur was still having trouble getting an advantage as they were hit hard into the arena barrier before time ran out. The judges awarded Black Dragon a unanimous 3-0 decision, the Giant Bolt trophy and the first spot in the round of 16.
Sparks fly as Minotaur hits Shatter!
Fresh off a loss in the Desperado Tournament, Minotaur was now against newcomer Shatter! and was back to its three toothed drum and regular wedgelets. As the match began, Minotaur wasn't able to cause much damage, sending only sparks and one piece of Shatter's armor flying. Minotaur took a big hit from Shatter's hammer before getting in underneath, pushing the Brooklyn bot back while breaking one of its two hammer chains. From that point, Minotaur took light hits from Shatter's weapon that got weaker and slower. Eventually, Minotaur got under them and shoved them into the arena barrier, grinding into the front wedge a bit and causing a huge shower of sparks on two occasions. Minotaur continued to attack, but still couldn't get underneath Shatter! again until they got a lucky break and threw Shatter! onto its back. Shatter! wasn't able to self-right due to its slip discs burning up and was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO.
Minotaur has difficulty with Cobalt's steep wedge.
After such a rough start, Minotaur was now a battle away from reaching the Top 16 but had to face Dave Moulds and Cobalt. In response, Minotaur was back to its more traditional look with its front feeder wedges and three-toothed drum. The match was off to a good start as Minotaur ripped off Cobalt's wedge and brought down pieces of the lights from the ceiling. Minotaur continued to attack but struggled to gain much of a bite on Cobalt's chassis, causing only sparks. Minotaur was then flipped over and managed to right itself using its drum's gyroscopic forces. Both robots traded attacks before Minotaur threw Cobalt high into the air and nearly out of the arena but now had no working weapon. Luckily, Minotaur still had lots of pushing power so it used that to the best of its ability until time ran out. The judges awarded Minotaur a unanimous 3-0 decision and a spot in the Top 16.
Minotaur clips the back of Hydra.
Entering the Top 16, Minotaur was placed against Team Whyachi and Hydra. Minotaur had worked hard to get its feeder wedges as sharp as possible to win the ground clearance battle. When the match began, that's what they did as they immediately tore off a piece of Hydra's flipper. Minotaur then started to go around to the sides and ripped off Hydra's silver side skirt pieces. Minotaur continued to control the fight for a bit longer until Hydra was no longer moving. Hydra was counted out, giving Minotaur the win by KO and a trip into the quarterfinals.
For the quarterfinals, Minotaur faced off with Death Roll from Australia. Both bots started out pretty evenly but Minotaur seemed to have the advantage, throwing Death Roll through the air a few times. Minotaur was then flipped and took another hit from Death Roll in return. As the match wore on, Minotaur's weapon stopped working as it had lost a belt on impact. Minotaur was now left with its pushing power, but Death Roll's weapon was still working at top speed. Minotaur tried to continue fighting, but found itself inverted and high-centered on the lip for the arena barrier. Minotaur was unable to move and was counted out, giving Death Roll the win by KO and a spot in the semifinals.
BattleBots World Championship VI[]
After a season away from BattleBots, Minotaur made its return during the 2021 season and their first fight was against SawBlaze. The fight began with Minotaur popping SawBlaze up as it tried to charge, flipping it immediately. SawBlaze was able to right itself, but had to tank several smaller hits from Minotaur's drum spinner. The tides then turned as Minotaur was slammed into the arena barrier and overturned.Stuck on the front forks of SawBlaze, Jamison Go landed a few big hits on Minotaur's vulnerable underside. The second hit sliced through the baseplate and ruptured a lithium polymer battery, causing Minotaur to burst into flames. Keen to maintain their control of the fight, SawBlaze kept their disc lodged deep inside Minotaur and drove them over to the screws protruding from the Upper Deck. Minotaur rode up the screws, followed by SawBlaze, and the hazard saw its first use. Not knowing what to do with Minotaur, SawBlaze drove off the platform and Minotaur was freed. This only allowed Jamison Go to spin the disc up once again as it landed several more shots to the underside of the Brazilian bot, whose own weapon was still spinning, but was nowhere near as effective as that of SawBlaze. Desperate not to take further damage to its thinnest armor, Minotaur retreated to the corner of the BattleBox to right itself through gyroscopic forces from the drum spinning. SawBlaze attempted to drive Minotaur back to the Upper Deck and swing its weapon down, but the chain driving it snapped on impact. Minotaur's drum was no longer spinning either, so SawBlaze spent the remainder of the fight trying to KO its opponent, taking it to the pulverizer and several sets of screws. The fight went the distance despite their best efforts, and SawBlaze won by unanimous judges' decision.
Minotaur's second fight was against newcomer Jordan Neal and Dragon Slayer, fresh off a win over veteran DUCK! in the previous episode. Surprisingly, the rookie team were quickest out of their starting square as Minotaur dodged their opponent. The two exchanged several weapon-on-weapon hits, which proved to be too much for the disc of Dragon Slayer, as it was no longer spinning after this. Minotaur then landed an uppercut to its opponent, flipping it over and pushing it to the screws of the Upper Deck. Dragon Slayer was able to right itself, but was now without an active weapon. Despite this, it was still able to get underneath the Brazilian bot and push it around, but Minotaur quickly regained control of the fight and shoved Dragon Slayer under the pulverizer. Minotaur used its drum spinner to overturn Dragon Slayer again, who seemed to be struggling for drive, and then delivered a shot which fired it against the barrier. Team Riobotz gestured to Dragon Slayer to ask whether they were knocked out, and Minotaur held off as a result, as a count began on the rookie team. Dragon Slayer were deemed immobile, and Minotaur hauled itself back to 1-1 for the season.
Minotaur rounded out its Fight Night battles against Team Overboard and their giant bar spinner Deep Six. As the fight began, Minotaur approached as Deep Six remained within its starting square and positioned itself. Both weapons were up to speed and as the two made contact, Deep Six was launched high into the air. It landed upside-down and was able to demonstrate its functional self-righting to get back onto its wheels, but not before Minotaur landed some glancing hits. The Brazilian bot dealt another shot to the front of Deep Six, who fell backwards across the paddle nearest the judges. Minotaur watched on as Deep Six's weapon was jammed behind the rails and despite calls for it to hit Deep Six again, Minotaur honed in on the rear stabilizers and cut one away completely. Deep Six was counted out, and Minotaur finished Fight Night with a 2-1 record.
Team RioBotz broke into the Top 32 with the No.16 seed, and Minotaur faced Justin Marple and No.17 seed Bloodsport in the first knockout round. Both robots immediately spun up as they evaded each other in the opening seconds. Minotaur then landed a shot on Bloodsport which popped it into the air. Upon landing, it became apparent that Bloodsport's weapon had buckled upward on one side and a piece had come off as it drove away. Despite being unbalanced, Bloodsport spun up again but shook as it did so and was stopped as soon as it hit Minotaur. This happened several times over with Bloodsport unable to cause damage to the frame of the 2018 season runner up. Bloodsport finally got its weapon back up to a high speed and made contact with Minotaur, but again came off worse and was shoved into the Upper Deck. They escaped, but Minotaur attacked from the front and ripped away its single wedgelet. The Brazilian bot remained aggressive as it smothered its opponent, pressing it against the arena barrier. As time wore on, Bloodsport suffered several pulverizer hits but survived as the fight went to the judges. Minotaur took the win by unanimous decision, eliminating Bloodsport from the competition.
Next up for Minotaur was the defending champion and No.1 seed, End Game, in a rematch from the Desperado Tournament during the 2019 season. Early on in the fight, both robots exchanged small hits as they went weapon-to-weapon. However, it was Minotaur who dealt the first big impact, sending End Game twisting and landing on its disc. End Game was able to right itself, but lost one of its long forks in the process. In response, End Game smothered Minotaur as it rammed the Brazilian bot against the screws of the Upper Deck before releasing. Both weapons got up to speed again as End Game spun into the killsaws and became stuck momentarily, though freed itself shortly after. End Game turned straight into the drum of Minotaur, who knocked the reigning champions back before End Game landed a big hit of its own, popping Minotaur up into the air. End Game dealt another glancing blow which unbalanced its opponent and flipped it upside down. Minotaur attempted to use gyroscopic forces from its spinning drum to self-right as it had done many times in the past, but ended up being chased by End Game as it drove on one wheel. Minotaur did finally right itself in the short corner and escaped before End Game could capitalize. The drum of Minotaur then bested End Game's forks again and threw it over, but End Game bounced back onto its wheels. However, it had lost both longer forks now and one of the innermost forks had bent upwards. Both robots engaged in a pushing match before Minotaur's drum made contact with the front of End Game, and sparks flew as it grinded against their frame before throwing the champs against the Upper Deck. End Game gave chase but found itself pinned beneath the pulverizer controlled by Team RioBotz. End Game escaped and landed a glancing shot to Minotaur before the Brazilian team returned the favor in the closing seconds. Minotaur chewed the underside of End Game as time ran out, and the judges awarded the win in their favor, dethroning the 2020 champions and allowing Minotaur to progress to the Top 8.
Having guaranteed a new Giant Nut winner for the 2021 season, Minotaur's next opponent was fellow former runner-up and No. 24 seed Witch Doctor in a rematch from the 2018 season. For this fight, Minotaur was fitted with twin AR450 steel forks to try and feed Witch Doctor into its drum. Both robots spun up as they exited their starting squares and Minotaur delivered the first hit of the fight to Witch Doctor's side, costing it some of its sketal armor. Witch Doctor responded by going weapon to weapon, throwing Minotaur onto its back. After a second hit from the Gellatlys' bot, Minotaur was right-side up again. 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. Undetered 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.
- "It's a joke... it's a joke!"
- — Daniel Freitas reacts to the referees' decision to call for time out.
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.
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.
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 amongst themselves, driver Daniel Freitas stated he had total control of his robot and worked the crowd.
- "They know they lost, that's why they're acting like this."
- — Andrea Gellatly reassures her husband as Team RioBotz initiate a Minotaur chant.
The judges 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 Vazquez 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 Discovery Season 7.
BattleBots World Championship VII[]
Although everyone's Fight Night schedule has been published, no information about World Championship VII's fights will be revealed until two months after the final episode has been aired and a champion has been crowned.
Results[]
| Series | Event | Round | Opponent(s) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BattleBots World Championship II (Seeded 7th) |
Episode 2 | Qualifiers | Photon Storm | Won |
| Episode 4 | Round of 32 | (26) Blacksmith | Won | |
| Episode 7 | Round of 16 | (23) Warhead | Won | |
| Episode 9 | Quarter-Finals | (2) Bronco | Won | |
| Episode 10 | Semi-Finals | (19) Bombshell | Lost | |
| BattleBots World Championship III (Seeded 4th) |
Episode 1 | Fight Nights | Tombstone | Lost |
| Episode 5 | Hypothermia | Won | ||
| Episode 13 | Blacksmith | Won | ||
| Episode 16 | SubZero | Won | ||
| Episode 18 | Round of 16 | (13) Witch Doctor | Won | |
| Quarter-Finals | (12) Monsoon | Won | ||
| Episode 20 | Semi-Finals | (8) Lock-Jaw | Won | |
| Grand Final | (3) Bite Force | Lost | ||
| BattleBots World Championship IV (Seeded 14th) |
Episode 2 | Fight Nights | Whiplash | Lost |
| Episode 5 | Gigabyte | Lost | ||
| Episode 8 | Desperado Quarter-Finals | Lucky | Won | |
| Desperado Semi-Finals | End Game | Won | ||
| Desperado Final | Black Dragon | Lost | ||
| Episode 12 | Fight Night | Shatter! | Won | |
| Episode 14 | Play-in | Cobalt | Won | |
| Episode 15 | Round of 16 | (3) Hydra | Won | |
| Episode 16 | Quarter-Finals | (6) Death Roll | Lost | |
| BattleBots World Championship VI (Seeded 16th) |
Episode 1 | Fight Nights | SawBlaze | Lost |
| Episode 6 | Dragon Slayer | Won | ||
| Episode 9 | Deep Six | Won | ||
| Episode 11 | Round of 32 | (17) Bloodsport | Won | |
| Episode 13 | Round of 16 | (1) End Game | Won | |
| Episode 14 | Quarter-Finals | (24) Witch Doctor | Lost | |
| BattleBots World Championship VII | TBA | Fight Nights | Tantrum | TBA |
| TBA | Free Shipping | TBA | ||
| TBA | Cobalt | TBA | ||
| TBA | Witch Doctor | TBA |
- Wins: 19
- Losses: 9
Trivia[]
- Minotaur is one of the most consistent overall performers in the reboot era of BattleBots, yet to fail in making at least the Championship quarter-finals in four seasons so far.
- The sound of Minotaur's drum used in its battles for the ABC reboot is from outside when the drum was running as the sound of of the drum inside the arena wasn't as good.
- Ironically, Minotaur's HEXBUG toy accurately reflects the damage it received during its Championship match against Bite Force, as one of the side wheelguards was ripped away.
- Touro is Portuguese for "bull", which has been a common theme for the team's drum spinner robots for over a decade.
- The Minotaur in Greek legend is a mythological half-man half-bull, with its name deriving from Minotauros, otherwise known as “Minos's Bull”.
- Two of the robots Minotaur beat in it's debut season (Warhead and Bronco) would then both get beaten by Whiplash in the following season.
See Also[]
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