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Pro-AM was a superheavyweight robot built by Mike Konshak of Team Robot Dojo that competed in the final two seasons of Comedy CentralBattleBots. It was completely rebuilt between each of its appearances.
The Season 4.0 version was a very light robot (100 pounds below the limit,) modeled after the teams Robotica entry and Season 2 champion Flexy Flyer, sharing many parts in common with it. Pro-AM featured a "cowcatcher" scoop, and boasted a 1000lb force lifting arm and an additional axe[1]. Pro-AM would differ in being slightly faster, having foam filled tires and boasting stronger armour. This version would lose a close judges decision to Swirlee.
The Season 5.0 was a small compact four wheel-drive box with a spinning blade (which was machined by Team Force) and a leaf-spring steel wheel guard. This version drew inspiration from its previous version and the team's Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors entry Diskotek. This version performed rather well in BattleBots, reaching the Round of 32.
Team Robot Dojo would also build heavyweight Kumite, which looks very similar to Pro-AM, which would win Mechwars 4.0.
According to Mark Joerger, Pro-AM was dissasembled around 2011[2].
Pro-AM's only opponent in Season 4.0 was Swirlee. Swirlee spun up and Pro-AM hit him, and the impact sent one of Pro-AM's wheels flying. Pro-AM slammed Swirlee up into a wall, but Swirlee came off the wall and took out another wheel, this time with the motor still stuck to it! The 2-wheeled Pro-AM learned from this mistake, sticking to Swirlee like glue, not letting the spinbot spin up, and pushed him around. Pro-AM tried to use its weapon on Swirlee but it could not position it right, possibly because it was missing half his drive train. Just as the match ended, Swirlee got away and spun up again, but time ended before he could deliver another wheel-ripping hit. The judge's came down with a 23-22 decision, with Pro-AM the clear winner on aggression, and the split on strategy, but Swirlee scoring even stronger on damage, sealing it the victory. This knocked out Pro-AM from the tournament.
Pro-AM pushes Swirlee into the spikestrip.
As a consolation, Pro-AM came in second in a tie for the Giant Screw Award for this fight.
Pro-AM after its match
Season 5.0[]
Pro-Am vs. Strike Terror
Pro-AM's first opponent this time was Strike Terror, but Strike Terror was barely able to damage its opponent and eventually was knocked out. This win put Pro-AM to the next preliminary round, where it faced The KillDozer.
Pro-Am vs. The Killdozer
Pro-AM won by KO and advanced to the final preliminary round, where it faced Road Rage.
Pro-Am vs. Road Rage
Pro-AM won on a 38-7 judges' decision and advanced to the TV rounds, where it faced Gyrax.
Pro-Am vs. Gyrax
After Pro-AM pushed Gyrax against the screws, the time eventually ran out and Pro-AM won on a close 23-22 judges' decision.
Pro-AM pushes Gyrax against the screws.
This win put Pro-AM to the Round of 32, where it faced former superheavyweight champion Vladiator.
Pro-Am vs. Vladiator
Vladiator flips Pro-AM.
Pro-AM slices into Vladiator's spatula for the first time.
Pro-AM kicks Vladiator onto its back.
Pro-AM rocks Vladiator with a strike to the spatula.
When the buzzer sounded, Pro-AM charged head on and immediately went over Vladiator's flipping paddle. Pro-AM went at Vladiator again, this time turning to the left to slip past Vladiator's spatula. Afterward, Pro-Am engaged in a battle for position until Vladiator suddenly charged out of the corner and slammed head on, lifting Pro-AM at an angle. Pro-AM proceeded to advance towards Vladiator across the middle of the arena and delivered a shot to the left side of the spatula as Vladiator drove into the screws. After getting back to position, Pro-Am dodged a head on charge and a reversal by Vladiator, before running head on into the spatula and getting popped into the air. Pro-Am tried again and charged straight at Vladiator, this time finding fortune as Vladiator fired its spatula too early, allowing Pro-AM to take advantage and kick Vladiator onto its back.
"Pro-AM is game and he flips Vlad!"
— Tim Green as Pro-AM kicks Vladiator upside down
Pro-AM tried and failed to follow up by getting to Vladiator's right side, and immediately got rammed into its own right side by Vladiator's rear end. Pro-AM went straight at Vladiator again and ran right over the spatula. Pro-AM came in for another run and managed to land a direct blow to the left side of the spatula, rocking Vladiator in the process. After moving around in open space, Pro-AM came in for another head on clash, this time getting caught on the spatula and driven into the screws behind it.
"They certainly don't appreciate that damage done to their spatula."
— Tim Green as Pro-AM gets slammed into the screws by Vladiator
Pro-AM gets scooped up and driven into the screws by Vladiator.
Pro-AM then immediately ran right over Vladiator's roof and got slammed into the spikestrip at the opposite end by Vladiator's rear.
"Woah! Vlad with that vintage ride across the BattleBots floor, we've seen that before."
— Tim Green as Pro Am gets manhandled into the corner by Vladiator
Pro-AM gets slammed into the spikestrip by Vladiator.
Both bots continued their battle for position until Pro-AM got bumped on the left rear corner as it tried to avoid a Vladiator charge. Pro-AM proceeded to maneuver to the rear of Vladiator, where it managed to drive its vertical disc right through Vladiator's rear bumper. Pro-AM took full advantage of its position, slamming Vladiator into the wall and repeatedly shafting it.
Pro-AM thrusts its disc into Vladiator's rear end.
Tim Green: "There goes Mike Konshak driving Vlad right into the spikes!"
Bil Dwyer: "Mike's a great driver. He's a champion vintage dirt bike racer."
— As Pro-AM drives Vladiator into the wall from the rear
Pro-AM pins Vladiator against the spikestrip.
Following this, Pro-AM proceeded to run Vladiator face-first into the screws, popping it upwards.
Tim Green: "Woah, and now he's taking Vlad into the pulverizer."
Bil Dwyer: "He's turning this match around now."
Tim Green: "And into the screws! Pro-AM in control now."
— As Pro-AM rams Vladiator into the screws.
Pro-AM shoves Vladiator into the screws.
Pro-AM pushes Vladiator under the pulverizer.
After letting the Pulverizer strike the spatula, Pro-AM pushed Vladiator over another set of screws from the right side and took Vladiator back to the pulverizer for another shot to the top. Pro-AM pushed Vladiator head on into the screws one more time before Vladiator fired back by running Pro-AM across the arena and body slammming it into the spikestrip, afterwards taking both bots over the killsaws in the process.
Tim Green: "Now Vlad comes back. He pounds Pro-AM!"
Bil Dwyer: "Up and over the killsaws!"
— As both bots bounce off the spikestrip and get sent over the killsaws
Pro-AM and Vladiator rides over the killsaws.
Afterwards, both bots slowed to a stop. Unseen in the TV edit, a timeout was called in order to have crewbots walk into the arena and separate Pro-AM's disc from Vladiator's rear. When the match was resumed, Vladiator turned and ran off to a far corner, while Pro-AM started to have problems with its right front drive wheel, seemingly crippled from the killsaw shot. Vladiator tried to take advantage by charging from the left side and missing. After getting hit by the killsaws, Pro-AM immediately countered by striking the rear end again, kicking Vladiator upwards and digging the underside with its disc as Vladiator landed on the killsaws. After a long period of running around the box, Pro-AM ran into Vladiator from an angle and scored a hit to the right side of the spatula as it got popped upwards.
Pro-AM kicks up and grinds the underside of Vladiator.
Bil Dwyer: "Pro-AM with a lot of power packed into that bot huh? Not as much speed as Vladiator..."
Tim Green: "Nope, but he racked up a lot of points when he had Vlad in the corner with the screws and the pulverizer."
— As Pro-AM clashes with the spatula once more
Pro-AM delivers a blow to Vladiator's spatula.
Pro-AM turned for another charge and ran over its opponent. Pro-AM prepared for one last head-to-head collision and scored a big dent on Vladiator's spatula before getting lifted up and over the side of the roof, getting its disc spinner disabled in the process. Pro-AM proceeded to get slammed into the left side by Vladiator's rear end as the time ran down.
Pro-AM gets lifted up by Vladiator after dealing a major shot to the spatula.
Bil Dwyer: "Pro-AM having his way with Vlad, tossing him around the battlebox, scoring some big points I think."
Tim Green: "And getting under Vlad, you don't see that often."
Bil Dwyer: "And then, Vlad sensing he might be down, coming back and starting to push and shove Pro-AM"
— Post-fight recap
In the end, Vladiator won on a controversial 25-20 judges' decision (The crowd, especially Pro-AM builder Mike Konshak, unanimously didn't like the outcome of the decision.) This meant Pro-AM was eliminated from the tournament once again.
Bil Dwyer: "Whoa! Listen to that! It sounds like Barry Bonds taking the field at Dodgers Stadium. Carmen, what's going on down there?"
Carmen Electra: "Controversial decision. Mike Konshak is definitely not happy, and neither is the audience."
— In reaction to the audience's disapproval of the judges' decision
"Well we think it was obvious that we won. I mean, they must've saw a different fight than we did, and I think everybody else kind of agrees with that."
— Mike Konshak in regard to the judges' decision during the post-fight interview with Arj Barker
