What was planned as a simple exhibition bout between two young boxers on the closing night of the 2026 Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) National Individual Amateur Boxing Championship turned into one of the most spontaneous and crowd-pleasing moments of the entire tournament, as juvenile boxer Prince Nii Otokunor Larbie, 12, drew a stream of challengers who climbed into the ring at the Bukom Boxing Arena one after another to test themselves against him.
The sequence began when ring announcer Mohammed Amin Lamptey invited the young boxers to take to the ring between bouts and entertain the crowd. The first opponent was Ransford Laryea, with whom Prince, known widely by his ring name The Buzz, had been paired for an exhibition display. The two put on a lively performance that drew immediate cheers from the audience. But as the crowd warmed to the spectacle, other young boxers in attendance began climbing through the ropes of their own accord, each wanting a turn against the boy who had become the most recognisable juvenile boxer in the country.
Larbie, who trains under his father and coach Daniel Larbie at the Will Power Boxing Gym in Jamestown, was the clear target. His reputation as the fastest juvenile puncher in the country, recorded throwing over 150 punches per minute during public demonstrations, has made him a draw wherever he appears at the Bukom Boxing Arena. On Friday night, that reputation pulled challengers toward him rather than away.
The impromptu session drew laughter and sustained applause from those still in the arena after the championship finals. Observers noted that the young boxers, in their enthusiasm, struggled at times with the formal instructions being given to them from ringside, making the moment entertaining on multiple levels.
The scene, however light-hearted, carried a signal that coaches and federation officials were quick to acknowledge. There are currently over 400 registered juvenile boxers active across Ghana’s major regions, with Accra accounting for the largest concentration of the group. Coaches present noted that access to modern scientific training equipment remains a competitive advantage for clubs in the capital, and efforts are under way to close that gap for regional programmes.
Larbie’s father confirmed after the event that commercial interest in The Buzz continues to grow. The 12-year-old already serves as a brand ambassador for SparBar, a British boxing equipment company, and his management team has indicated that additional equipment brand partnerships remain available for interested sponsors.
Prince’s profile has risen sharply over the past year. He sparred with two-time unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua when Joshua visited Ghana in 2025, trained at the prestigious Apollo Sporting Club in Paris, and competed in the United States under Debbie King Promotions, a management outfit headed by Dr Deborah King, daughter of legendary American promoter Don King. He won the Best Juvenile Boxer award at the 2024 Boxing Ghana Awards and has accumulated over 51 amateur bouts, an unusually high total for a boxer his age.
Off the canvas, Prince attends Prince De Henry Educational Complex on a full scholarship, where his father confirmed he continues to perform well academically, with science and mathematics among his strongest subjects.
The 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia remain the target his management team has publicly named as the first major international objective for The Buzz. If Friday night’s reception at the Bukom Boxing Arena is any measure of how much the sport’s next generation wants to test itself against him, the journey toward that goal is drawing more than enough attention along the way.
