Frank Richards – Cannonball Man (5 photos + 1 video)

A person who is resistant to pain is not a rare phenomenon. It has existed in one form or another for centuries. From fakirs walking on hot coals to people with unusual physiology. However, not all of them could capture the imagination so much as to become part of history and culture.





Frank "Cannonball" Richards (1887-1969) - American circus smog athlete.



In 1932, Frank "Cannonball" Richards took the show world by storm with his incredible performance and amazing abs. The man really had an iron press. And his performance consisted of delivering strong blows to this area.

It all started with an argument with friends. Then Frank went further and decided to develop the ability. At first there were two blows, then four, then a sledgehammer was used.





Due to constant training and the unusual location of the oblique muscles, the weightlifter reached such a level of endurance that he could withstand blows that would have sent an ordinary person to the hospital for many weeks.

Frank played the role of a punching bag for the famous heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey. He hit him 75 times. Based on all reports and recordings, no tricks were used during these performances.



And finally, Richards, forever remembered as "Cannonball" Frank, survived being shot in the stomach by that same cannonball.

It is important to note that Richards used a spring cannon to launch the 47-kilogram cannonball. However, the speed at which it flew was still beyond reasonable limits and, most likely, the cannonball would have killed or seriously injured an ordinary person.

This feat, performed twice a day, has become iconic. And an example of the incredible abilities of the human body, capable of enduring such physical pain.

Thanks to his peculiarity, Frank, who knew many boxing stars, toured a lot and gave, among other things, free performances in military camps during the Second World War.



Richards died at the age of 81, remaining a shining example of courage and dedication, which viewers who saw only the outer part of the picture had no idea about. His abilities turned out to be so unique that to this day there is not a single similar number.