Man to Swallow Rocket-Powered Sword At Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood May 8, 2010

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood will be the site of one of the most daring sword swallowing stunts of all time. On Saturday, May 8, the first-ever public attempt at swallowing a rocket powered sword will take place.
Shortly after 1 p.m. Pacific Time, Scott Nelson, who goes by the name Murrugun the Mystic, will trigger the rocket which will become ablaze with five to eight pounds of pressure as it drives a 26-inch inch sword down through his esophagus where it will stop just millimeters short of hitting and puncturing the bottom of his stomach.
The show is free to the public in front of the Odditorium.
“I am thrilled to be doing this exclusive act for Ripley's Believe it or Not!” said Nelson. “I first visited Ripley’s when I was about 8 years old and it has had a lasting effect on me. What an amazing place! Now, I am very proud that Ripley’s invited me to do the most dangerous stunt of my career at their Hollywood Believe It or Not! I plan on putting on the best show of my life!”
This is the latest in the display of affection that Ripley’s has for the art of sword swallowing. “Sword swallowers and Ripley’s go way back to the very first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933,” said Tim O’Brien, VP Communications for Ripley Entertainment Inc. “That was Robert Ripley’s very first public exhibition of the strange and unusual and he realized very quickly that sword swallowers could mesmerize crowds better than most other performances.”
Most recently, as a co-sponsor of World Sword Swallowing Day, 22 daring performers across North America swallowed nearly 138 feet of solid steel at 10 different Believe It or Not! Odditoriums. It was one of the largest simultaneous gatherings of sword swallowers ever.
“This is great, edgy entertainment and it’s a lot of fun,” notes Andrea Silverman, GM of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Hollywood. “We hosted Murrugun and others on World Sword Swallowers Day in February and the crowds really enjoyed the show. Sword swallowing is not the kind of thing you can find just anywhere.”
While the rocket sword attempt won’t be until the finale of his 1 p.m. show, Murrugun will also appear at the Odditorium at 11 a.m., a show in which he will walk on glass, drive a nail into his face and swallow a few swords.
The Hollywood odditorium is located at 6780 Hollywood Blvd., at the corner of Highland. The shows are free and open to the public.