canvas and knocks Fnog out. Destructor collapses on top of Bender, pinning him and winning the match. The flattened Bender receives a Bed Bath & Beyond discount card, and Fry and Leela roll him up and carry him home. Fry's Brain Slug is found on the arena floor, having starved to death. Production According to the DVD commentary, Hermes was supposed to have the brain slug for the rest of the season. However, this idea was scrapped because everybody "just sort of forgot about it". Cultural references When Fry, Bender, and Leela are riffing through the newsreel, they are ironically shushed by Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film's opening sequence is a homage to Maurice Binder's iconic James Bond gun barrel sequence. Destructor's final blow to Bender's head is shot in black-and-white slow motion in a recreation of a famous shot from Raging Bull. Reception The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+. See also "Steel" (The Twilight Zone) and Real Steel, both based on the short story by Richard Matheson depict a scenario where robotic boxers have replaced human athletes but involve hidden human controllers. References External links "Raging Bender" at The Infosphere. 2000 American television episodes Futurama (season 2) episodes Boxing animation Cross-dressing in television