HURGHADA, Egypt — Ashraf Mahrous, a popular Egyptian wrestler known as “Kabonga,” stunned crowds in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada on Saturday as he pulled a 700-ton ship across the water using only a rope clamped between his teeth.
“Today, I have come to break the world record,” Mahrous said after the attempt, which drew widespread attention in Egypt.
Mahrous, 44, from the port city of Ismalia, is no stranger to such extraordinary feats. Earlier this year, he pulled a train, and in the past, he has moved a locomotive and even a truck. His reputation has made him a local celebrity, with children often running after him in the streets, calling him simply the “strong man.”
On Saturday, he went beyond the single ship challenge, managing to pull two ships together weighing approximately 1,150 tons. “I pulled them both, thanks to God, to prove to my friends and the whole world that God blessed me by being the strongest man in the world,” he said.
The current Guinness World Record stands at 614 tons, set in 2018. Mahrous said he plans to send video and photo documentation of his latest attempt to Guinness World Records for evaluation.
His training routine is as intense as his challenges. To prepare, Mahrous consumed a protein- and iron-rich diet that included a dozen eggs, two whole chickens, and 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of fish daily. He also trained for two hours, three times a day.
It was not his first time attempting to pull a ship. Six years ago, he hauled a 4,000-ton vessel for about 30 meters using a rope strapped to his shoulders. He said that speaking to the objects he pulls helps him succeed. “It’s important for me to treat the object that I will pull as part of my body that moves along with my heart beat,” he explained.
Standing 190 centimeters (6 feet 3 inches) tall and weighing 155 kilograms (341 pounds), Mahrous has displayed unusual strength since childhood. As a boy, he carried heavy loads to support his family after his father lost his job in Iraq. His feats, from lifting multiple gas cylinders to pushing cars with a finger, eventually inspired him to chase world records.
In March, Guinness World Records recognized him for pulling a 279-ton train nearly 10 meters using only his teeth. He has also received certificates for pulling a 15,730-kilogram truck and for the fastest 100-meter pull of a road vehicle. In February 2024, Guinness honored him for cracking and eating 11 raw eggs in 30 seconds.
Mahrous, who heads the Egyptian Federation for Professional Wrestlers, insists he relies on natural strength rather than supplements. He wears a mouthguard during events but avoids dentists, instead cleaning his teeth with miswak, a traditional twig with antibacterial properties.
His ambitions continue to grow. He said he hopes to gain presidential approval to attempt pulling a 263,000-ton submarine and dreams of one day pulling a plane using only his eyelids.
