Egyptian wrestler Ashraf Mahrous, better known as Kabonga, pulls a train for nearly 10 meters, 33 feet, at Ramses Station in Cairo, Egypt, as he is watched by Guinness World Record observers, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Associated Press
CAIRO — Pulling a train by the strength of your teeth is no easy task. But for Egyptian wrestler Ashraf Mahrous, also known by his nickname Kabonga, it's just one of several things he can do to show off his astonishing strength.
Mahrous this week received formal recognition by the Guinness World Records in three categories, including the heaviest rail pull using only his teeth. His two other certificates are for the heaviest locomotive pull and for the fastest 100-meter road vehicle pull.
He says he pulled the two-ton locomotive in under 40 seconds.
On Thursday, crowds gathered at the Ramses train station in downtown Cairo to watch and cheer him on as he pulled a train — weighing 279 tons — with a rope held by his teeth for a distance of nearly 33 feet.
He then repeated the feat, pulling the train with the strap around his shoulders to cheering spectators.
Mahrous, who is in his 40s and also is president of the Egyptian Federation for Professional Wrestlers, was previously recognized by the international franchise for cracking and eating 11 raw eggs in 30 seconds in February 2024, and for pulling a 15,730-kilogram truck with his teeth in June 2021.
One of the organizers of Thursday’s spectacle in the Egyptian capital, Dawlet Elnakeb, who runs a sports company, said Mahrous trained — but not very consistently — for just 20 days before the event.
Mahrous simply has “abnormal strength,” Elnakeb said.
Egyptian wrestler Ashraf Mahrous, better known as Kabonga, greets his fans after he pulled a train for nearly 10 meters, 33 feets, at Ramses Station in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Associated Press
