A wrestler from Egypt is hoping to smash a world record after pulling a 700-ton (635,000kg) ship using just his teeth.
Ashraf Mahrous, 44, pulled the boat across the water in the Red Sea resort area of Hurghada, Egypt, on Saturday.
Mahrous, known 'Kabonga’ or 'strongman', later pulled two ships jointly weighing about 1,150 tons (1,043,000kg).
After the feat, Mahrous said: "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, who hails from the port city of Ismalia, said he will share videos and photos of his efforts to Guinness World Records to see if he qualifies against the current record, which was set in 2018 for a 614-ton (557,000kg) ship.
Ashraf Mahrous, a wrestler, also holds the World Record for pulling a 279-ton train with his teeth, as well as titles for fastest 100-meter vehicle pull.https://t.co/L9E2PzLWsr
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) September 28, 2025
This isn’t the first time the strongman has pulled off such a stunt – in March, he pulled a train weighing 279 tons (253,105kg) with a rope in his teeth for almost 10 metres (33ft).
This impressive feat was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the heaviest rail pull, which came with recognition for the heaviest locomotive pull and for the fastest 100-metre road vehicle pull.
Just three years before that, Mahrous was recognised for pulling a 15,730kg truck with his teeth.
In preparation for Saturday’s challenge, Mahrous trained six hours a day and ate a diet rich in protein and iron. Every day, Mahrous would put away at least a dozen eggs, two whole chickens, and 5kg of fish.
The 6ft3 strongman weighs 155kg, and claims his strength was evident from an early age, saying he began lifting items for money when he was nine.
🚨⚡Record Breaking
— MOSCOW NEWS 🇷🇺 (@MOSCOW_EN) September 28, 2025
Egyptian Ashraf Mahrous, known as Kabonga, pulled a 700-ton ship a distance of 15 meters at a dock in Hurghada, surpassing the previous record held by Ukrainian Oleg Skavish, who pulled a 650-ton ship. pic.twitter.com/1HKmmuyxZs
One particular incident when he was young resulted in him accidentally breaking a friend’s arm when he tried to pull him as they played.
In his early years in Cairo, Mahrous loved sport, kung fu, kickboxing and even set up a wrestling team.
After impressing his peers by flipping giant tyres 10 times in a row and pushing a car using only a finger, friends convinced him to go for a world record.
Mahrous’ next challenge is to ask the permission of Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, to pull a submarine. One day, he hopes to pull a plane using only his eyelid muscles.
One of the secrets to his success, he claims, is speaking to the object beforehand to establish a connection.
He explains: "It's important for me to treat the object that I will pull as part of my body that moves along with my heartbeat."
