Behind the Bots

This week we will recap the Robot Rampage World Cup event from February with our very own Team USA! Henchmans Sam & Colin, Johnny Tsoumpas, and Corey Nason are joined by special member Aki to recap how America’s own Jump Rope, Spartan 30, Riposaw, and Synthesis 30 joined Bad Blood to compete in four days against top machines from New Zealand, Australia, and Brazil in a unique nation-vs-nation 5-a-side team match! Let us know what questions you have for Team USA! Also check out the Robot Rampage Youtube channel to rewatch each night of the four-night spectacle and follow Team USA’s road to silver medal! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams where it will be shared to all of the audio apps the following week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PlayerFM, and all the other podcast places. Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week we will recap the NHRL February event with members of University of Illinois's iRobotics team! We'll talk about their experience with 30lb entries quack., FSH, and Killswitch and other famous entries from the team like Undertaker and Goose! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams where it will be shared to all of the audio apps the following week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PlayerFM, and all the other podcast places. Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

Alex has been steadily honing Pinevictus all year. Though Pinevictus has been around since November 2021 during his days at UMD as a Leatherback, 2025 is the year where the robot has been on a meteoric rise. It started the year strong by reaching the Semifinals at February NHRL with a Judges Decision loss to Silent Spring followed by solid runs at Motorama and Hive Hysteria. After designing and debuting a new version only two weeks out from Finals, it was a gamble that paid off to win the distinguished Golden Brett at the NHRL World Finals! Let us know what questions you have for Alex! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on every other Thursday at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

Liam has been on a tear this year with Buzzzz-kill recently capturing the 12lb crown at November NHRL! Now the overall 2nd seed behind only Slam Plan, Liam looks poised for a deep run at Finals. Outside of 12lbs, Liam and the rest of Leatherbacks have been racking up wins in the insectweights at events like Water's Edge, MACRO and had a close fight with top bots like Mako at November NHRL with his 3lb Zenith. To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on every other Thursday at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week!

Dima has launched onto the scene over the past year with her brother Julian as one of the most dynamic siblings at NHRL! First piloting the very kindly Turbofriend before helming the lethal TurboFIEND to a golden dumpster in October 2024, Dima has proven a very capable robot driver whose quick reactions and skills remain on display throughout the northeast robot scene. With a pedigree of professional gaming and now as a robot combat commentator Dima’s dynamism only grows!

Jack has been known for years as the driver and co-captain of End Game, winner of Battlebots World Championship V and the Golden Bolt! End Game not only brought the top trophy of robot combat with them to New Zealand, but the whole sport with them in the form of Robot Rumble! Give it a listen!

Behind the Bots 234 Interview with Team Whiplash Captain Matt Vasquez! Matt has been building and competing in combat robots all his life with machines like Whomper, Lil Lash and Whiplash! Known as one of the best drivers in the sport, he’s qualified for NHRL Finals, won the Robot Combat Championship and mostly recently took part in Open Sauce! Let us know what questions you have for Matt! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on every other Thursday at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

Zoe and Team Honey Cracked have been perennial competitors at NHRL with entries like Minun & Plusle, BeeForce, HoneyBombers, and many more! Honey Cracked recently hosted the 2nd Hive Hysteria event on July 26th where 3lb & 12lb bots from near and far competed! Today we ask her about the team, the event, and her goals for the future! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on every other Thursdays at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

Alex has been a perennial competitor at NHRL with Floor Letter Word and a member of the Brett Breakers! He's also well known for event organizing GSCRL whose season championship will be coming up on August 2nd! Let us know what questions you have for Alex! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on Tuesday, June 17th at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast we will be Glenn Boxell, member of team 2 Hot 2 Handle builder of Caldera 12 and recent 3lb Golden Dumpster winner Caldera ! Let us know what questions you have for Glenn! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast we will be interviewing Eli Davis of Team Sawblaze while looking forward to the June NHRL event! We’ll talk about Eli’s experience with Sawblaze and his cool robot designs ! Let us know what questions you have for Eli! To watch the podcast live check out https://www.youtube.com/@jakemaximizer/streams on Tuesday, May 27th at 7pm EST! Otherwise, it should be available on all the podcast places later in the week! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast Jake and Brandon will be interviewing Kezia Skye of Sleepy Anime Girl Club about their recent (and very first!) Golden Dumpster with perennial hard-hitting 3lb robot Chainsaw Kitty! After numerous events at NHRL, Chainsaw Kitty made an undefeated run through the bracket culminating in a decisive victory over fellow powerhouse Glenn Boxell and Caldera. We're excited to talk about this extremely well-earned victory! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, Chris, Lindsay, Luke and Kyle say goodbye with one final AMA. We’re handing off the show into the very capable hands of Golden Dumpster winners Brandon Bennett Young and Jake Hoffmann, who will take the show into a new era. We talk about why, and take all of your questions (and very kind comments) in our final AMA as a group. This episode was recorded live and has only been edited lightly to maintain the livestream feel. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with longtime friend of the pod Lars Elliott, builder of IMPAKT and Jet Lag. In March (spoilers) he won his first career Golden Dumpster, becoming the youngest NHRL beetleweight champion to date. We learn more about his robots, his parents, his friends, and his favorite competitions. Robots around the World: https://youtu.be/uVcBa6NXAbk?si=f2DsMUqNtjcRF_IK Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re gearing up for March 2025 NHRL with two-time Golden Dumpster winner Brian Boxell. Brian made his NHRL debut in July 2020 with his hard-hitting beetle Eruption. Over the next 4.5 years, he’s grown into a perennial favorite in the weight class, completing 90 career fights across 22 competitions. He’s a multi-time Golden Dumpster winner, with wins in 2022 and 2024. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re recapping all the action from Motorama 2025, with Havoc Rundown cohosts, NHRL Pit Control members and our dear friends, the Hunter brothers! Ryan and Justin served as judges and announcers at NERC’s Robot Conflict at Motorama 2025, and got a front-row seat to all the action. We break down this weekend’s winners, and top moments from one of the best (and longest-running) robot fighting competitions in the United States. Recipe for Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Logs: https://beyondthenoms.com/pizza-stuffed-pretzel-logs/ Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with Georgia Tech engineering student and ChonkIV team lead Daniel Vail. ChonkIV is the most effective shell spinner competing today, with two Golden Dumpsters within the last 12 months, and taking home second place at the 2024 NHRL Championship. We learn what it takes to build a killer 30-pounder, how Team RoboJackets works, and answer obscure questions about student life on campus. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing the February 2025 NHRL qualifier (Feb. 1 in Norwalk, CT!) with Pramheda builder Zack Knight. We learn about the Pennsylvania Bot Mafia, BotsIQ, and why he loves the 12-pound weight class. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re diving into all things Chainsaw Kitty with builder Kezia Skye. We get a closer look at what’s inside CSK, and what’s ahead for the bot in 2025. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re go-ing deep with multi-time NHRL champion/Giant Nut winner Jamison Go, with a series of insightful questions from the fans. Curious about this week's Robot Around the World? Don't say we didn't warn you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HQ84TVcbMw Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re ringing in 2025 with your robot fighting predictions for the coming year. What’s this year’s NHRL meta? Where is the sport of combat robotics headed over the next 12 months? Is BattleBots returning in 2025? We discuss all this (and more!) Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with (SPOILERS!) 2024 NHRL Champions Ryan Lu and Peter Garnache, who ran the beetleweight multibot Repeater through a nearly flawless day. We talk about their journey to the Championship, what they learned along the way, and what’s next. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with Brandeis University student Dan Dischino for a preview of the 2024 NHRL Championship, happening this Saturday, Dec. 7 in Norwalk, CT and livestreamed on YouTube. Dan is one of the preeminent experts on the league, and we debate who’s in, who isn’t, and who we think will make deep runs in the competition. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with the Business Cat himself, Brendan Steele, builder of Ram Plan and Slam Plan. Brendan served on the BattleBots crew for HUGE in Season 7, and in October won a Golden Dumpster at NHRL with his 12-pound version of HUGE. We learn what it takes to build a mini HUGE, and how he’s preparing for the 2024 NHRL Championship. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with MIT students Anhad Sawhney and Ryan Duarte to learn what it took to rebuild their school’s combat robotics team post-COVID, and how to build a Golden Dumpster-winning 30-pound robot in Ares. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re poring over the 2025 NHRL ruleset with Maximizer captain Jake Hoffmann. Are the new rules good actually? We explore them live! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with brother-and-sister team Julian and Dima Papasian, who started as rookies at NHRL last year, and climbed the hill faster than most—Julian taking second place at September NHRL, and Dima winning a Golden Dumpster in October. What sets their bots, Mako and TurboFiend apart from the competition? We learn it all (and more) on this episode! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with longtime NHRL referee Gwen McGuire, who is making her NHRL debut this Saturday with a brand-new robot, Jackalope. We go behind the scenes to learn what really happens cageside, memorable fights she’s called, and whether reffing 1,000+ matches informed her design decisions heading into this competition. Other topics include vampires, the origin of the HPV vaccine, and unarmed wrestling. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with giant pumpkin farmer, combat robotics veteran, exotic pet shop owner, dad, and friend of the pod Chad New! Chad took home his fourth career Golden Dumpster in September with his 30-pounder Yahoo, and is gearing up to enter BattleBots FaceOffs later this week as part of Group D. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re going behind the scenes at NHRL with broadcast producer Neil Sullivan. Neil works in the production room on event day to help the livestream run smoothly. Super interesting discussion from an expert on live sports productions. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re catching up with September 2024 Golden Dumpster winner Peter Garnache from Repeat Robotics. Peter is a former HEXBUG designer, Horizon pit crew member on BattleBots, robot hobby shop owner, and (now) a Golden Dumpster winner. Oh! And a new dad! Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re recapping September 2024 NHRL with 12-pound Golden Dumpster winner Liam King, who qualified his second bot of the season: Buzzzzz-Kill. We talk about his journey in the sport, his winning strategy, and what it feels like to win a Golden Dumpster on your 21st birthday. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing BattleBots Fall Faceoffs, with BattleBots co-creator Greg Munson. There’s been a lot of recent changes with BattleBots, so we’re catching up with Greg to get an update on what’s on the immediate horizon for the show. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, previewing the fifth NHRL qualifier event happening on September 14th! We take a deep dive on the bots across the 3, 12, and 30lb brackets and discuss some of the new, terrifying, and/or experimental robots coming your way. We also talk to Aria Bravo builder J Lee about their penchant for mecha style bots (and how to build a motorcycle out of chainsaws). Don't miss it! Parent advisory: some NSFW topics discussed during Robots Around the World Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

The trilogy concludes with our third and final (??????) hot takes episode. Things get a little silly. Check the behind-the-bots discord channel for competition details! And thanks again for sticking with us for five long years. <3

We keep the hot take train rolling. Now with more advocating devils! Pt. 3 dropping soon......

Catch the NHRL Teams event on June 1st! Get your tickets at https://www.nhrl.io/events

You submitted over 100 hot takes. We discuss, and occasionally roast them. Pt. 2 dropping this month! Thanks for 5 wonderful years. <3

This week on the podcast, we’re recapping the April 2024 qualifier event, which minted 12 fresh invitations to the Finals later this year. We’re breaking down the action with the teen phenoms on Team Stamina, a group of teenagers who have more experience in the box than most people twice their age. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing April 2024 NHRL, which will feature some big changes to the House of Havoc. We’re joined by guest cohost and friend of the pod Zoe Lambert, captain of Team Honey Cracked at NHRL, robotics mentor, and pit crew member on Team Mammoth on BattleBots. Together, we’ll break down all the action to look for this weekend in Norwalk, CT. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’ve got a returning guest from the earliest days of the pod, RailGun Max captain Elaine Wu! She was on the pod aaaaall the way back in August 2019, just months before the pandemic shut down the globe. In March, she returned to the U.S. for the first time since 2019, to compete at NHRL and visit BattleBots Destruct-a-Thon. We’re catching up with her at the tail end of her two-week trip to learn more about the Chinese combat robotics scene, and get her thoughts on NHRL. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing March NHRL, plus talking about our experience at Motorama 2024. Note: Unfortunately, Kyle's audio wasn't saved by our recording program! Apologies for any continuity/audio weirdness this may cause. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing Motorama 2024 with Northeast Robotics Club officer Jon Durand. Motorama is the flagship event of the year at NERC, with several thousands spectators over a very long, often cold, weekend at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. We preview the action happening this weekend, and reminisce over Amish Hot Pockets. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing the 2023 NHRL All-Stars event, Dec. 5, 6, and 7 on YouTube. We’re catching up with NHRL Henchman Sam who will give us an inside look at what to expect. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re recapping the 2023 NHRL Championships, which saw Emulsifier take home first place in the 30-pound weight class, Full Court win in the 12’s, and Booty Brigade take home the Golden Brett in the beetles. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast, we’re previewing the 2023 NHRL Championships, which will be held this Saturday in Norwalk, CT and livestreamed live over YouTube. We’re joined by our good friend Chris Moran, who is in charge of social media growth at NHRL, and is a walking encyclopedia of NHRL’s top builders and bots. We also recap the most recent episode of BattleBots Champions. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on the podcast we have two very special guests! Jeff Waters of Supreme Ruler and JackPot-Battlebots and Jason Woods the innovator behind cam lifter style robots and Tracer - Battlebot. We're excited to talk to Jeff and Jason about the Golden Bolt tournament and discuss the intricacies of cam lifter supremacy. Buy Jackpot Merch!! https://vegascombatrobotics.com/index.php/product/jackpot-tee/ Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on Behind the Bots, we’re reviewing season 2 episode 3 of The Golden Bolt tournament, AKA Sin City Slugfest, AKA BattleBots Champions with special guests Brad Hanstad and Shea Waffles Johns! Brandon Young joins Kyle as a guest host for the rest of the month! Buy Triton and Deep Six Merch! https://www.teamoverboard.com/store.html#/ Check out Send Cut Send: https://sendcutsend.com/ Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!

This week on Behind the Bots, we’re reviewing season 2 episode 2 of The Golden Bolt tournament, AKA Sin City Slugfest, AKA BattleBots Champions with special guest Matt Vasquez! Brandon Young joins Kyle as a guest host for the rest of the month! Check out Team Fast Electric Robots Merch and Ebay store! https://www.ebay.com/usr/whiplashbattlebot?_trksid=p4429486.m145687.l151931 https://www.redbubble.com/people/teamwhiplash/shop Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/behindthebots Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Tell a friend about the show; we really appreciate your support!