An Egyptian wrestler is hoping he has set a world record after pulling a 700-ton (635,000kg) ship with his teeth.
Ashraf Mahrous, 44, pulled it across the water in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada on Saturday.
Mahrous, nicknamed ‘Kabonga’ and known to Egyptians as ‘strongman’, later pulled two ships weighing about 1,150 tons (1,043,000kg) together.
Mahrous said afterwards: “Today, I have come to break the world record. 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.”
The wrestler, from the port city of Ismalia, said he will send videos and photos of his attempt to Guinness World Records to see if he has set a new mark, as the current record is a 614-ton (557,000kg) ship set in 2018.
In March, Mahrous pulled a train weighing 279 tons (253,105kg) with a rope in his teeth for nearly 10 metres (33ft) and was formally recognised by Guinness World Records for the heaviest rail pull, along with certificates for the heaviest locomotive pull and for the fastest 100-metre road vehicle pull.
Three years earlier, he was recognised for pulling a 15,730kg truck with his teeth.
He built up his strength for Saturday’s challenge by training six hours a day while eating a protein and iron-rich diet, featuring at least a dozen eggs, two whole chickens, and 5kg of fish.
Mahrous, who stands 6ft 3in (1.9m) tall and weighs 155kg (341lbs), said his strength emerged early and began lifting items for money when he was nine.
He once accidentally broke a friend’s arm when he tried to pull him as they played.
Growing up, he loved sports and trained in kung fu, kickboxing and set up a wrestling team in Cairo.
Friends who saw him easily flip giant tyres 10 times in a row in a deserted courtyard at their gym, and push a car using only a finger, persuaded him to go for a world record.
He takes no supplements, he says, but eats, sleeps and works out at least twice every day.
Next, he is going to ask Egypt’s president Abdul Fattah al Sisi for permission to pull a submarine and one day wants to pull a plane using only his eyelid muscles.
Mahrous believes that speaking with the object he pulls beforehand helps him establish a connection and is key to his success.
“It’s important for me to treat the object that I will pull as part of my body that moves along with my heartbeat,” he said.
© 2025 Sky UK
Discussion about this post