Rocky-Bot-Boa (also spelt as Rocky Bot Boa) was an American competitor robot that fought in the second season of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors. It reached the Grand Final of the US Championship, losing to Tricerabot 3.0 on a close judges' decision, before winning the Tag Team Terror competition, paired with Top Secret Robotics' other Season 2 entry, Black Widow.
The robot's name is a pun on Rocky Balboa, the titular boxer from the Rocky movie franchise. Adding to its theme, Rocky-Bot-Boa's driver, Douan Bingham, also dressed up and acted like the Sylvester Stallone character throughout his onscreen appearances, wearing a gumshield and towels around his neck and slurring his speech during interviews. Bingham could also be seen punching the air or jumping up and down whenever he was onscreen.
Design
Douan Bingham, out of costume, in the pits with Rocky-Bot-Boa
Rocky-Bot-Boa was an invertible, thickly armoured box-shaped robot with four-wheel drive and equipped with front and side static spikes and a horizontally-mounted rear chainsaw. It is notable as being the last robot in any series of Robot Wars until Series 9 to feature a chainsaw as a weapon, although it never saw much use in combat. Instead, Rocky-Bot-Boa relied on its speed, durability and impressive pushing power to ram other robots, a tactic which contributed heavily towards its exceptional performances in Extreme Warriors.
Robot History
Season 2
- "Looks like he's got a breakaway saw on that thing, and let's hope it's a little more effective than his [Douan Bingham's] accent."
- — Stefan Frank expresses reservations about Rocky-Bot-Boa's chainsaw
Rocky-Bot-Boa breaks off one of The Bat's wings
Rocky-Bot-Boa immobilizes Medusa Oblongotta
Rocky-Bot-Boa first fought in the US Championship, facing The Bat and Medusa Oblongotta in the first round. It immediately rammed into The Bat, causing one of its wings to fall off, before pushing it near an angle grinder as Medusa Oblongotta tried to join in as well. Rocky-Bot-Boa then pushed Medusa Oblongotta into Sergeant Bash's CPZ as The Bat hit the latter with its flywheel, with Medusa Oblongotta becoming imobilized after Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed it again. Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed Medusa Oblongotta across the arena once more, before slamming The Bat into it, and getting launched into the air by The Bat's flywheel as it made another charge. The impact dislodged Rocky-Bot-Boa's top panel, causing it to fall off, but Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed The Bat against the wall, leaving it immobile as Refbot counted it out and Medusa Oblongotta was attacked by Sir Killalot. Even so, Medusa Oblongotta was deemed to have been immobilized first, allowing Rocky-Bot-Boa to progress the second round along with The Bat.
- Mick Foley: "You remind me of myself in my prime!"
- Douan Bingham: "At least you had a prime, Mick!"
- — The start of a recurring joke
Rocky-Bot-Boa pushes Manta into Shunt
Rocky-Bot-Boa and Manta are attacked by Sir Killalot as time runs out
In the second round, Rocky-Bot-Boa faced Manta. Both robots started evenly, with Rocky-Bot-Boa driving up Manta's sides and Manta pushing it into Shunt's CPZ. Manta's blade appeared to have stopped working, allowing Rocky-Bot-Boa to ram it several more times while Manta kept pushing it around in retaliation and pressed the pit release button. More ramming and shoving ensued, with Rocky-Bot-Boa pushing Manta into Shunt, who axed Manta's top panel, before both robots slammed into each other again. This allowed Rocky-Bot-Boa to push Manta into the same CPZ that Shunt vacated, pinning it against the wall as Sir Killalot came in to attack Manta. Manta escaped to meet Rocky-Bot-Boa in the middle of the arena again, and steadily pushed and slammed into Rocky-Bot-Boa numerous times as both robots started losing speed and battery power. Rocky-Bot-Boa retaliated with another few shoves, with both robots close to losing mobility as it rammed Manta one last time before 'cease' was called. The battle went to a judges' decision, which ruled in favor of Rocky-Bot-Boa on a split decision, as it showed more signs of mobility towards the end.
- Douan Bingham: "Yeah, we love you, Mick! Yeah!"
- Mick Foley: "You mean that in a rugged, masculine way?"
- Douan Bingham: "Yeah."
- Mick Foley: "Thanks, I need love."
- — Doaun Bingham's reaction to Rocky-Bot-Boa's victory
Rocky-Bot-Boa pushes The Bat onto the flame pit
In the Heat Final, Rocky-Bot-Boa faced The Bat for the second time. It charged straight into The Bat, avoiding its flywheel and pushing it side-on across the arena into an empty CPZ. Shunt came in to axe The Bat, with Rocky Bot Boa ramming it into the wall and into Sir Killalot's CPZ. The Bat escaped after a few rams from Rocky-Bot-Boa, catching fire as it drove over a flame jet, but was rammed again by Rocky-Bot-Boa, who pressed the pit release button before twice pushing The Bat onto the Flame Pit.
Rocky-Bot-Boa edges The Bat towards the pit
- "Rocky-Bot-Boa is not giving up here! We haven't seen much action out of that saw, though we haven't needed to, because Bot-Boa's been on the attack from the beginning."
- — Stefan Frank
Rocky-Bot-Boa steered The Bat away from the Flame Pit, before eventually nudging its smoldering opponent into the pit. This convincing victory allowed Rocky-Bot-Boa to progress to the Grand Final.
- "Well, we're gonna go out there, and we're gonna try an' do somethin' to these guys that we've never had done to them before. We're gonna try an' take 'em out, we're gonna flip 'em over, and we're gonna smash 'em, smash 'em, smash 'em, until they just cry!"
- — Douan Bingham explains to Carol Grow his strategy against Tricerabot 3.0
In the first round of the Grand Final, Rocky-Bot-Boa faced Tricerabot 3.0. Both robots charged into each other in the opening seconds, with Tricerabot 3.0 getting under Rocky-Bot-Boa and ramming it into the wall and Sergeant Bash's CPZ. Rocky Bot Boa was grabbed by Sergeant Bash's pincers, and flipped over the Flame Pit by Tricerabot 3.0 as it made another charge. Both robots bumped and pushed each other as Tricerabot 3.0 pressed the pit release button, before Rocky-Bot-Boa used its spikes to push Tricerabot 3.0 around the arena and force it to retreat into Sergeant Bash's CPZ again. Rocky-Bot-Boa escaped as Shunt axed and lifted Tricerabot 3.0 onto its back, with Tricerabot 3.0 appearing to be noticeably slower after this attack. It pushed Tricerabot 3.0 over the Flame Pit, setting fire to its top fur, then into an angle grinder, where Tricerabot 3.0 backed away and drove itself onto a flame jet. Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed Tricerabot 3.0 into the CPZ again while the latter smoked and continued to shed embers of its burning fur, before Shunt axed Tricerabot 3.0 again as the battle drew to a close. The fight went to a judges' decision, which went in favor of Tricerabot 3.0, eliminating Rocky-Bot-Boa from the US Championship.
Partnered with Top Secret Robotics' other machine, Black Widow, Rocky-Bot-Boa also fought in the Tag Team Terror competiton. Their first round battle saw them facing Joker and The Falcon Mark 2, with Black Widow and Joker fighting first. Black Widow immediately slammed into Joker and pushed it across the arena, withstanding blows from Joker's disc and flails in the process before activating the Disc of Doom. As the two robots backed away, Rocky-Bot-Boa came out of its corner to assist Black Widow, before riding up The Falcon Mark 2's wedge as it pushed it across the floor. In return, Joker rammed Rocky-Bot-Boa close to a CPZ, before Rocky Bot Boa drove over The Falcon Mark 2's wedge again and pressed the pit release button. Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed Joker and The Falcon Mark 2 side-on, before getting underneath Joker and driving it around before driving into a CPZ and getting attacked by Shunt and Dead Metal. All four robots eventually converged in the middle of the arena as Dead Metal attacked them, with Rocky-Bot-Boa nearly being lifted onto its side by The Falcon Mark 2 as Joker pushed it around. Rocky-Bot-Boa recovered by pushing Joker back in retaliation, with all four robots surviving to the end as Rocky-Bot-Boa buffeted Joker and shoved The Falcon Mark 2 again in the dying seconds.
- "These two teams are really evenly matched. I wouldn't have thought that from the beginning."
- — Stefan Frank
The battle went to a judges' decision, which despite premature celebrations from Joker and The Falcon Mark 2, went in favor of Rocky-Bot-Boa and Black Widow.
Rocky-Bot-Boa falls into the pit with General Chompsalot 2
In the second round, Rocky-Bot-Boa and Black Widow fought The Termite and General Chompaslot 2. Again, Black Widow started first along with General Chompsalot 2, with General Chompsalot 2 immediately grabbing hold of Black Widow and pushing it around the arena. As before, Rocky-Bot-Boa left its corner to ram both robots, but was unable to stop General Chompsalot 2 from pushing Black Widow into Sir Killalot. Rocky-Bot-Boa pressed the pit release button, and bumped into The Termite before General Chompsalot 2 grabbed hold of it, allowing both robots to fall into the pit when Rocky-Bot-Boa tried to push it in.
- "And immediately Chompsalot gets backed in by Rocky-Bot-Boa, and they both almost sacrificed themselves - well they both maybe committed to the pit, that's for sure!"
- — Stefan Frank as Rocky-Bot-Boa and General Chompsalot 2 fall into the pit together
Black Widow and The Termite were left to fight each other alone, with Black Widow ramming The Termite and dislodging the drive chain for its drum as the battle went to another judges' decision. Again, the judges voted in favor of Rocky-Bot-Boa and Black Widow, putting them through to the final.
Rocky Bot Boa and Black Widow shove Sir Force A Lot into Matilda
There, Black Widow and Rocky-Bot-Boa faced G-Force and Sir Force A Lot. Once again, Black Widow started first along with Sir Force A Lot, with the two robots pushing each other in the opening moments as their partners immediately came out of their corners. Rocky-Bot-Boa pushed G-Force onto the Flame Pit, before both robots circled round and rammed each other, with Rocky-Bot-Boa pushing G-Force into Sergeant Bash's CPZ. It then rammed Sir Force A Lot into Matilda along with Black Widow, with Sir Force A Lot pushing the inverted Black Widow out and re-righting it. Rocky-Bot-Boa pressed the pit release button as G-Force impaled itself against the wall, with the three remaining robots bumping and pushing each other.
- "But meanwhile, Sir Force A Lot is right up against Black Widow, and Bot Boa comes in to save her! Great bit of husband and wife driving here!"
- — Stefan Frank as Rocky-Bot-Boa and Black Widow team up on Sir Force A Lot again
Rocky-Bot-Boa and Sir Force A Lot finished the battle by continuing to ram each other around the arena, with Black Widow deciding to stay out of the action as 'cease' was eventually called. Once again, the battle went to a judges' decision despite G-Force's lack of activity, which ruled in favor of Rocky-Bot-Boa and Black Widow, making them the Season 2 Tag Team Terror champions.
- Mick Foley: "You remind me of myself in my prime!"
- Douan Bingham: "At least I've got a prime now, Mick!"
- — The interview finally changes
Results
| ROCKY-BOT-BOA - RESULTS | ||
| Season 2 | ||
| US Championship Grand Final, Round 1 | ||
| Heat B, Round 1 | vs. The Bat, Medusa Oblongata | Qualified |
| Heat B, Round 2 | vs. Manta | Won |
| Heat B, Final | vs. The Bat | Won |
| Grand Final, Round 1 | vs. Tricerabot 3.0 | Lost |
| Tag Team Terror Competing with Black Widow, Champion | ||
| Round 1 | vs. Joker & The Falcon Mark 2 | Won |
| Round 2 | vs. The Termite & General Chompsalot 2 | Won |
| Final | vs. Sir Force A Lot & G-Force | Won |
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 6
- Losses: 1
Series Record
Rocky-Bot-Boa, armed with lifting forks
| US Series | Rocky-Bot-Boa Series Record |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not enter |
| Season 2 | Grand Final, Round 1 Entered with Black Widow |
| Nickelodeon | Did not enter |
Outside Robot Wars
Rocky-Bot-Boa also competed as a Super Heavyweight at the North Carolina Street Fight in 2002, replacing the chainsaw with a pair of lifting forks. Douan Bingham also competed in the second season of Robotica with Zero while his wife Tanya of the Black Widow team fought with PSHHHT! in the third season.
Trivia
- Rocky-Bot-Boa was the most successful competitor in any series of Robot Wars to use a chainsaw.
- Rocky-Bot-Boa was the only US Championship Grand Finalist (excluding Manta, who is deemed a Semi-Finalist) to have won any form of side competition in Extreme Warriors.
- Top Secret Robotics and Mick Foley had a recurring joke, which appeared in most interviews between the two. Mick Foley would tell Douan Bingham "you remind me of myself in my prime", to which Bingham would respond with "well at least you had a prime, Mick!". This was turned on its head after Rocky-Bot-Boa won the Tag Team Terror, where Bingham claimed that he was in his prime.
Honours
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