Egypt's Kabonga seeks world-record ship pull with teeth

Hurghada, Egypt — Ashraf Mahrous, known as Kabonga, prepared Saturday for a jaw-dropping test: pulling a 700-ton ship from the water with a rope held by his teeth, in a bid to set a new Guinness World Record. Surrounded by spectators along the Red Sea resort’s shore, the 44-year-old Ismailia native said he hoped the feat would add to a growing list of demonstrations of his extreme strength.

The 44-year-old has already become a fixture in Egypt for feats that blend spectacle and persistence. In addition to the ship pull, Mahrous has previously pulled a train and, years earlier, a 4,000-ton ship in the water with a rope strapped to his shoulders. “Today, I have come to break the world record,” he told reporters after the challenge. The ship pull on Saturday was part of a longer demonstration in which Mahrous also pulled two ships weighing roughly 1,150 tons together to affirm his challenge. The current Guinness World Record for the heaviest ship pull stands at 614 tons, set in 2018. Mahrous said he would submit videos and photos of his attempt to Guinness World Records for evaluation.

In preparing for the feat, Mahrous followed a protein- and iron-rich diet, consuming at least a dozen eggs, two whole chickens and about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of fish each day, while training for two hours, three times a day. He has a long history of taking on heavy challenges and has built a reputation as a “strong man” in Cairo’s gym community. He said his strength emerged early: as a kid, he would carry friends and haul heavy loads, and his father’s job loss in Iraq helped push him toward odd jobs that involved lifting heavy items for cash.

Mahrous’s size and discipline underpin his ambitions. He stands about 190 centimeters tall (roughly 6 feet 3 inches) and weighs about 155 kilograms (341 pounds). He trained in kung fu and kickboxing and even established a wrestling team in Cairo. Friends who watched him grow up say his ability to flip giant tires and move vehicles with minimal effort caught their attention, leading them to encourage him to pursue world-record objectives. He has previously spoken about his approach to pulling objects, saying it is important to treat the target as part of his own body moving with his heartbeat.

"I grunted and yelled as I pulled the ship, and I spoke to it, saying ‘It’s either me or you today,’" Mahrous recalled in a recent interview at his Cairo gym. He wears a mouthguard during pulling events, but he has expressed little concern about his teeth, instead relying on a traditional miswak — a teeth-cleaning twig with natural antibacterial properties — to maintain his dental health. He says he eats, sleeps and trains at least twice daily and does not take supplements.

The world of record-setting is already aware of his credentials. In March, Guinness World Records formally recognized him for the heaviest rail pull: he pulled a train weighing 279 tons with a rope held by his teeth for nearly 10 meters (about 33 feet). He also holds certificates for the heaviest locomotive pull and for the fastest 100-meter road-vehicle pull. In June 2021, Guinness recognized him for pulling a 15,730-kilogram truck with his teeth, and in February 2024, the franchise noted his feat of cracking and eating 11 raw eggs in 30 seconds. Mahrous also serves as president of the Egyptian Federation for Professional Wrestlers.

Outside the gym and competition circuit, Mahrous’s appetite for magnitude has grown into a public-facing mission. His next target, he says, would be political approval: a formal request to the Egyptian presidency to permit him to pull a submarine weighing 263,000 tons. He also imagines a plane as a future challenge, joking that he would try to accomplish it using only his eyelid muscles. Whether those ambitions move from planning to reality remains to be seen, but supporters and rivals alike note that Mahrous has built a career on pushing the limits of what humans can endure.

Khaled reported from Cairo. The scene in Hurghada showcased not only Mahrous’s physical prowess but also the evolving interest in strength-based feats as a form of national and regional spectacle. While there is no guarantee of a new world record from this specific event, the combination of public display and formal Guinness verification positions Mahrous to add another page to a career built on resilience, repetition and rhythm in the face of weight that would overwhelm most people.