1995 UK Open Competition

1995 UK Open Competition
Logo used on event banners
Winner(s)	La Machine The Master
Preceded by	1995 US Championship
Succeeded by	1996 European Tour 1996 US Championship

"Now the sport of Robot Wars originated in America, but the first battles on British soil were witnessed here, at this secret warehouse location. Unfortunately, the conflict was so indescribably brutal, it was immediately banned by the censors, and has never been shown before - that is, until now. So sit back, evict the faint-hearted and enjoy some highlights from the very first Robot Wars, when a handful of robots took on the wrath of the American champions in open competition."

— Craig Charles introduces the 1995 UK Open in Robot Wars: The First Great War

The 1995 UK Open Competition (also referred to as the 1995 UK Open; by Steve Carsey as the British Open Robot Wars Competition; and in the first Robot Wars Club newsletter as the 1995 British Robot Wars Championships) was an event filmed in late 1995 or early 1996 as a proof-of-concept for the original UK Series of Robot Wars.

Highlighted prominently during The First Wars and featured at the start of the video release Robot Wars: The First Great War, it involved a mix of combat and non-combat events in a specially-prepared 'diamond configured' arena. These would take place in a vacant warehouse adjacent to the BBC Television Centre in London, with the event as a whole being presented as a live evening show. Non-combat events incorporated similar elements to those of the Gauntlet, Stock Car and Football/Robotic Soccer events conceived for the television series.

Participating robots included three invited US Robot Wars competitors - Thor, The Master and La Machine - and a number of machines built by UK and international representatives. Publicly-released footage and roboteer accounts indicate that the competition was open to robots in multiple weight classes, an approach subsequently adopted by the First Wars.

The arena for the 1995 UK Open Competition, partially shown in media released for the UK Robot Wars series

The UK Open Competition was jointly organised by Profile Records, who provided financial backing for the original 1994-1997 Robot Wars US competitions created by Marc Thorpe, and Tom Gutteridge, founder and then Chief Executive of Mentorn, to pitch the show's concept to the BBC. Thorpe himself also attended in person as part of his consultancy role for the development of the televised UK Series.

Dominik Diamond, best known as the original host of Channel 4 entertainment show GamesMaster, was selected as both the main presenter and co-commentator. Diamond's presenting role was acknowledged both in the first Robot Wars Club newsletter (published and distributed to Club members in 1998) as well as a July 2021 Twitter post discussing his involvement with the UK Open.

Alongside over 300 specially-invited audience members, various journalists, news reporters and photographers were present for the event as a means to gather wider interest in Robot Wars as an upcoming TV show. To help encourage this, tapes of the resulting pilot episode were distributed and the event covered in a bulletin broadcast by the BBC's Newsround programme. As of 2024, no copies of the complete pilot tapings, nor the Newsround item covering the UK Open Competition, have been made available for public viewing.

Despite the UK Open Competition impressing BBC executives, who were especially taken by La Machine's performance in the Soccer event, it would take another three years for the televised series to become a reality.

Reported Dates

Conflicting information is available surrounding the timeframe and approximate dates for the UK Open Competition. Official Robot Wars media - including The Making of Robot Wars, American Robot Wars Final 1996 and Robot Wars: The Official Magazine - suggests "November 1995" as the precise year and month. The same information is also present in archived captures of the original US Robot Wars website, which was principally set up for the 1994-1997 competitions. Additionally, "1995" is given in televised highlights from The First Wars, the Robot Wars Club newsletter article, and in multiple written correspondences by eventual Classic Series executive producer Tom Gutteridge.

By contrast, Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports alternatively suggests that the competition took place in "January 1996" - two months later than the date specified in official media and the original Robot Wars website. A late-November 1995 episode of GamesMaster reinforces this suggestion, with a news segment on the US competitions informing viewers of an unspecified UK event planned to take place in "1996". In a 2021 Twitter post highlighting his involvement with the UK Open Competition, Dominik Diamond himself also states "1996" as the probable year it took place in.

Robots Competing

NOTE: This list only includes robots which were featured in the First Wars, video releases such as Robot Wars: The First Great War and publications such as Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, and may not contain the full roster.

US Competitors

	La Machine
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	Ramming Scoop Blade
	Defence	Steel
	From	California
Team: Gage Cauchois, Trey Roski & Greg Munson

	The Master
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	Interchangeable circular saw/lifter/ thwacking blade
	Defence	Industrial steel wheel hubs
	From	California
Team: Mark Setrakian

	Thor
	Weight	159.5lbs
	Weapons	Titanium spiked hammer/lifter
	Defence	Aluminium chassis & Kevlar shell
	From	California
Team: Tyler Schilling
Sponsors: Schilling Robotic Systems, GEC Alsthom

UK and International Competitors

	The Mouse
	Weight	20kg
	Weapons	None
	Defence	Unknown
	From	Maidenhead
Team: Derek Foxwell

	Grunt
	Weight	90kg (combined) 45kg (Individual)
	Weapons	None
	Defence	Clusterbot
	From	Coventry
Team: Matthew Dickinson

	Unknown Rabbit Robot
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	None
	Defence	Unknown
	From	UK
Team: Derek Foxwell

	Frog at Risk
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	None
	Defence	Unknown
	From	France
Team: Jean-Denis LeFeuvre

	Unknown box shaped robot with arms
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	Drill
	Defence	Unknown
	From	UK
Team: Derek Foxwell

	Unknown Mat Irvine featherweight*
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	Unknown
	Defence	Unknown
	From	UK
Team: Mat Irvine

	Unknown 'cheese wedge' robot**
	Weight	Unknown
	Weapons	None
	Defence	Unknown
	From	France
Team: Unknown

*Mat Irvine revealed in Issue 1 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine that he participated with an unidentified featherweight-sized robot, described as a 'radio controlled prop' he had built for another show.
**Described by Greg Munson as 'a French cheese bot shaped like a wedge', possibly similar to Hard Cheese, although this robot was not seen in any of the released footage.

Events

Battles

La Machine vs Grunt

La Machine throws Grunt into the air

La Machine slams Grunt out of the arena

The match started with both robots charging towards each other, quickly turning to face one another head to head, with La Machine getting underneath and Grunt launching over La Machine from such an attack. La Machine quickly navigated around Grunt and with a swift charge slammed Grunt out of the arena. La Machine then darted into the centre of the arena and spun around to celebrate its victory.

"British triumphs were few and far between. This is America's La Machine, celebrating another victory over the Brits."

— Craig Charles on the result of the match

Winner: La Machine

Grunt vs Unknown box shaped robot with arms

Grunt scoops underneath its opponent

The battle started ponderously as both machines slowly navigated the arena and swerved around each other. Eventually, Grunt charged into the box shaped robot and broke off the decorative arms as it got under it and toppled the robot over.

Winner: Grunt

Grunt vs Unknown Rabbit robot

Grunt prepares to perform a high-speed spin, while the "rabbit" robot (left) lays stationary in the background

Clips of this battle showcased Grunt driving into the centre of the arena and spinning at high speed, using a mix of arena-side and onboard footage. As the arena camera panned to focus on Grunt, the rabbit-themed robot was briefly seen sitting idle in the background. No information was provided in The First Great War about the battle's outcome, and it is undetermined which point the spin was performed.

Winner: Unknown

La Machine vs Unknown Rabbit robot

La Machine spins for the camera, having been drawn to fight the "rabbit" robot (right)

Similarly to the above match, the released footage focused exclusively on La Machine spinning in the centre of the arena. Again, the rabbit-themed robot was seen motionless, and it is unclear which point in the match La Machine performed its spin.

Winner: Unknown

The Master vs The Mouse

"The Mouse was unarmed and could inflict little damage itself, but the steep sides of the bodywork had the advantage that they were almost impossible to hit straight on. I can recall the mighty saw of The Master taking quite a few swipes at The Mouse, only to see it skid harmlessly off the sides."

— Mat Irvine on The Mouse's durability against The Master's circular saw

Very little information on this battle is available, but according to Mat Irvine in Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, The Mouse reportedly stood up well to repeated blows from The Master's circular saw. The outcome and eventual winner remain unknown.

Winner: Unknown

The Master vs Unknown Rabbit robot

The Master slams down on the Rabbit robot

The Master attacks the House Mouse

The Master charged out and swung down with the large sword arm, battering the much smaller opponent. The Master turned and managed to get its sword underneath the Rabbit robot and flipped it over, where it was unable to self right. The Master then attacked the House Mouse, smacking down with the sword.

Winner: The Master

Frog at Risk vs Unknown Rabbit robot

Frog at Risk bulldozes the Rabbit robot

Both machines charged into each other with the sloped sides of Frog at Risk allowing it to scoop up and push the Rabbit robot across the arena.

Winner: Unknown

Thor vs The Master

"We'll revisit the 1995 UK Robot Wars Championships in London, featuring two of the most powerful robots in the world today! The Master, built by Mark Setrakian, and Thor, designed by Schilling Robotics, both from America. What a night it was!"

— Jonathan Pearce (Series 1, Heat D)

The Master slices through Thor's armour

The Master's disc sheds upon impact with Thor

Regarded in official media as the main event, this battle is the most highlighted element of the competition, being shown during Heat D of Series 1 and concluding two VHS releases.

The Master initially turned to face Thor using its lifting panel, but Thor made no aggressive movements, and The Master bumped into it, before continuing to circle around Thor. After a sustained period of hostility, The Master made the first move and drove up the surface of Thor, burying its circular saw through the armour of Thor, which could only flail its weapon at no target in defence.

"Here comes the saw, and that's the first hit! And he's carving into it, now! Oh, they're locked in a deadly embrace!"

— Dominik Diamond as The Master sinks its saw into Thor's Kevlar armour (original audio, American Robot Wars Final 1996)

The Master's attack also caused Thor to start leaking fluids. The Master withdrew its saw, and bumped into Thor using its left wheel. After Thor retreated, The Master held off until it found the right moment to charge in with its saw, shearing a loose piece of armour from the top of Thor.

"And there, surely a killing blow! Smashing right to the heart of the hydraulic cabling!"

— Jonathan Pearce (Series 1, Heat D)

The Master attacks Thor's exposed wheel

With no saw remaining, The Master celebrates its victory

While Thor pushed back, The Master brought its saw onto the top of it, causing damage while shearing the circular saw in the process, creating a shower of dust. The Master continued to grind away in spite of the damage, cutting into the top of Thor's weapon, and briefly throwing sparks. The Master almost managed to drive up the side of the retreating Thor, but The Master brought what remained of its saw onto the front of Thor, creating a gash, before finally sacrificing the remainder of its saw to cut into a front wheel of Thor. This attack had immobilised Thor, and The Master won the battle.

"And The Master is surely one of the most powerful robots in the world, and for me, the star of the 1995 UK London Robot Wars!"

— Jonathan Pearce (Series 1, Heat D)

The Master vs La Machine

"The Master advanced to fight La Machine - and got scooped up by the motorised plow and pushed over the edge of the arena floor."

— Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports

During the battle, The Master initially managed to wedge underneath and pin La Machine. However, La Machine broke free, eventually succeeding in ramming, collecting and pushing The Master out of the arena boundaries.

Winner: La Machine

Robotic Soccer

For the Robotic Soccer (also simply referred to as 'Soccer'), The Mouse served as a "House Mouse" and "referee" for the match.

Grunts (Team UK) vs The Master & La Machine (Team US)

"The American robots even turned the gentle sport of soccer into absolute carnage. But while the British were licking their wounds, the Americans turned their attention to fighting each other."

— Craig Charles

La Machine score a goal but brings the whole goal post down

The two Grunts struggled to move from their position as La Machine darted across the arena, charging into the puck and in turn into its own partner The Master and one of the Grunt clusterbots, almost toppling the former. La Machine slammed the puck into the side wall at one point, which bounced the US machine upwards before turning around and pushing the puck away from the wall. The House Mouse crawled forwards as La Machine charged past and slammed the puck into the goal, and due to the velocity of the goal score, La Machine had accidentally toppled the goal on top of it, The Master and the House Mouse. Despite being victorious, La Machine turned against its partner and bulldozed The Master out of the way before toppling the House Mouse.

Winner: The Master & La Machine

Melee

The Master vs Grunts vs La Machine

Grunt gets under both The Master and La Machine

The Master attacks the remaining Grunt

The two Grunts split off as the two American robot charged into the centre with La Machine bashing past one of the Grunt clusters and The Master. La Machine then turned around and battered The Master some more before attacking one of the Grunts. La Machine attempted to depose of the other Grunt but was caught out by The Master who lifted it upwards slightly before being pressured further by Grunt who wedge both the American machines against the side wall, temporarily taking La Machine out of action.

"British robot Grunt takes a pounding from the American's The Master."

— Craig Charles

The Master swung its blade on top of the Grunt machines as La Machine managed to topple the other. La Machine then turned against the remaining opponents, slamming The Master wildly about and the other Grunt aside. Not much is known about the rest of the fight other than La Machine was victorious.

Winner: La Machine

Obstacle Race

Unknown Mat Irvine featherweight vs Thor

"I remember in particular that the small robot I'd bought along... although by far and away the smallest competitor (it was technically classed as a Featherweight), had the advantage in the obstacle race that it was fastest off the line."

— Mat Irvine recollects his participation in the 'obstacle race'

According to Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, this event involved at least two competitors racing against each other in an obstacle course-style challenge. Mat Irvine's description suggests that it likely incorporated elements later found in the Gauntlet and Stock Car stages of the First and Second Wars.

In an unfilmed 'trial run' for this event, Irvine's robot won against an unidentified opponent. However, during a second attempt which was recorded for the pilot, it was eliminated at the first corner after losing control, and was driven over by Thor.

Winner: Thor

Trivia

• The Mouse (later known as Eubank the Mouse) served as a "House Mouse" for some of the events, potentially making it the first House Robot ever seen at a UK Robot Wars event.
• The late 1995/early 1996 filming dates mark this event as one of La Machine's first appearances with its angled front scoop design, as later used in the 1996 and 1997 US competitions. Prior to this, it had debuted in the 1995 US event as a middleweight with a simpler wedge-fronted bodyshell.

"We go out to London on the BBC's dime to be part of this pilot. We're giving them ideas, and they're loving it. We play robot soccer. Trey is driving La Machine, and instead of just putting the ball in the goal, he picks up all of the other robots and puts them in the goal. The BBC executives were smiling, the Mentorn guys were grateful that Trey had done that awesome move. I don't know if it did, but that might have green-lit the show for them."

— Greg Munson on La Machine impressing the BBC executives during a Soccer event

• According to Greg Munson, La Machine performed an additional attack during the Soccer event in which it pushed all other robots into the goal instead of the ball/puck. Although La Machine was seen to have sandwiched The Master and one part of Grunt against the House Mouse, and performed a similar manoeuvre while causing the goal to topple, footage of this exact moment was not featured in The First Great War.
• Craig Charles' introduction in The First Great War suggests that the UK Open Competition was barred from being broadcast due to its violent content. However, it was actually the subsequent departure of Michael Jackson as controller of BBC Two - and incoming Director of Programmes Alan Yentob's disinterest in the Robot Wars concept - that delayed the arrival of the televised series.
• Future series Senior Technical Consultant Derek Foxwell built three of the UK robots in order to "round out" the competition; he and would-be Judge Mat Irvine were also involved in early proceedings to encourage the general public to build their own robots for the event.
• According to Steve Carsey, a total of six UK robots were built for the competition by the would-be members of the original series production crew.
• In the 'Making War' article from the inaugural Robot Wars Club newsletter, it is mentioned that the 'prototype assault course' was assembled using 'over five hundred tyres' from a nearby Kwik Fit service centre.
• Three differently-edited versions of Thor vs The Master are known to have been included in official media for the televised Robot Wars series:

• In Heat D of The First Wars, with TV series battle music, sound effects and commentary by Jonathan Pearce. Pieces of the original commentary featuring Dominik Diamond can be faintly heard in between Pearce's speaking parts, suggesting that the former was simply dubbed over.
• At the end of Robot Wars: The First Great War, with only battle music and a different arena ambience mix similar to those of the first four televised UK Series.
• At the end of the Robot Wars Club-exclusive American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS, with the original audio, battle music ("Der Laeufur" by Air Liquide) and Diamond's co-commentary left intact. Very brief highlights of this version, accompanied by the TV series theme in place of battle music, were also shown during Jeremy Clarkson's introduction in Series 1, Heat A.
  • Chinese airings of the Classic Series also contained clips from this battle in intro and outro sequences, interspersed with footage from the televised show and media not related to Robot Wars.