I punched a TechCrunch reporter in the face, and I liked it (video)

Sometimes, you just have to throw down against the competition, and sometimes that means climbing into a giant motorized robot that specializes in fisticuffs.

That’s essentially what happened yesterday when TechCrunch reporter (and former VentureBeat staffer) Anthony Ha and I participated in a fight using Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots that were the size of people and ran on gasoline. Over three rounds, we attempted to punch each other’s robotic heads, with each hit gaining a point. The match took place at Ffvc’s Massive party at this year’s South By Southwest festival (SXSW), courtesy of Distil Networks.

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So, how did the fight go? Well, I think both of us went into the match concerned that we’d go down like a chump without connecting a solid punch in three rounds, which didn’t happen. It was actually pretty cinematic, in a lame robot Rocky Balboa sort of way. It ended in a sudden death — first punch wins — round in which I was sadly defeated. (Yes, I know. For shame.)

There’s a video of the fight that we’ve included below. Also, TechCrunch did a postfight video where Ha interviewed me, which is ridiculous (aka fun).