Egyptian 'strongman' pulls 700-ton ship with his teeth—and isn’t stopping there

Ashraf Mahrous, a 44-year-old wrestler from the port city of Ismalia, did something most of us would barely attempt in our dreams: he pulled a 700-ton ship across the waters of Hurghada's Red Sea using only his teeth on 27 September.

But that wasn't enough. Later, Mahrous, nicknamed "Kabonga" and known locally as "strongman," pulled two more ships weighing a combined 1,150 tons.

"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," he said.

If Guinness World Records signs off, Mahrous would surpass the current record of 614 tons, set in 2018. And this isn't his first headline-grabbing feat. In March, he pulled a 279-ton train nearly 10 metres with a rope in his teeth. He also holds certificates for the heaviest locomotive pull and the fastest 100-metre road vehicle pull, and three years ago, he pulled a 15,730-kilogram truck, says the Associated Press.

At 6ft 3in (1.9 metres) tall and 155kg (341 pounds), Mahrous says his strength came early. He began lifting items for money at age nine, accidentally breaking a friend's arm once while showing off, and later trained in kung fu, kickboxing, and wrestling.

Preparing for Saturday's pull wasn't light work: six hours of daily training, a protein- and iron-rich diet that included a dozen eggs, two whole chickens, and five kilograms of fish. He says he takes no supplements and works out at least twice daily.

Mahrous also believes in a little psychological prep. "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.

And if you think this is the pinnacle, think again. Mahrous said he plans to ask President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for permission to pull a submarine—and one day hopes to pull a plane using only his eyelid muscles.

For now, the Red Sea has a new spectacle: a man and his teeth, redefining what it means to have a "strong bite."