Hong Kong star Huang Rihua has been greatly affected since the loss of his wife, leading to six years of silence. Recently, he joined the Hong Kong Celebrity Football Team on a tour of major cities in mainland China. During a performance in Weihai, Shandong, the team members went around singing to entertain the audience. In a moment when the atmosphere was high-spirited, Huang Rihua suddenly threw a punch towards Dai Zhiwei, sparking attention and speculation.
Online videos show the Hong Kong Celebrity Football Team singing while circling around in Weihai, Shandong. When Huang Rihua, Dai Zhiwei, Guan Lijie, and Zhang Dalun were lined up singing “The World is Always Good,” Huang Rihua, slightly lagging behind, suddenly threw a palm towards the back of Dai Zhiwei’s head. The magnitude of the swing was significant, visually indicating a strong impact, prompting the audience to gasp at the possibility of conflict, while online viewers expressed being startled.
After Huang Rihua made his move, there were no further actions, he just glared angrily at Dai Zhiwei for a few seconds. Dai Zhiwei glanced back at Huang Rihua, then continued singing with a nonchalant expression, showing no signs of anger.
Some netizens speculated on the reason behind Huang Rihua’s actions that day: “The truth behind Huang Rihua’s outburst during the game is, please stop stealing the limelight!” Towards the end of the clip, Huang Rihua quickly put away his fierce expression and smiled. It was confirmed that the confrontation between the two was purely for comedic and lively performance purposes.
At the age of 64, Huang Rihua, a former leading actor in the 1980s TVB era, was part of the “Five Tigers of TVB” along with actors like Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Felix Wong, and Kent Tong. He starred in classic series such as “The Brothers” and “The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.” He and Dai Zhiwei have been good friends for many years. In the 1983 version of “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” Huang Rihua played Guo Jing, while Dai Zhiwei portrayed Guo Jing’s second master, Zhu Cong, showcasing their deep bond.
Huang Rihua stepped back from the limelight in the early days to take care of his ailing wife, Leung Kit-wah. After Leung Kit-wah passed away in 2020, Huang Rihua shifted his focus to family and personal interests, often leading the celebrity football team for matches around the world. In the celebrity football team, he and Dai Zhiwei often engage in playful interactions.
However, due to his straightforward nature, strong determination, and tendency to lose control on the field, Huang Rihua has been dubbed “Fire King” by teammates and the media. Apart from the well-known controversy during the Guizhou “Village Super” match in 2023 where he caused a dispute due to aggressive plays, there have been many classic anecdotes within the team stemming from his “fiery” or “extremely serious” demeanor.
Despite the intimidating nickname “Fire King,” younger teammates like Pan Zifeng revealed that Huang Rihua’s “fire” is actually directed towards the game, not individuals, purely due to his serious commitment to football. He is known to be very supportive of younger players during training, with exceptional football skills, especially in long passes and set-pieces, earning him the nickname “Left-footed Beckham” among teammates.
As he has aged, in recent years Huang Rihua has shown a humorous and playful side. He once teasingly remarked about the younger generation of the football team: “I noticed they’ve been playing worse lately. Then I realized that’s because they’ve been singing better, so naturally, their football skills have declined!” He joked about hoping the younger generation put more effort into singing so they can take over when team captain Alan Tam retires.
After a few notable on-field conflicts and public apologies, Huang Rihua stated that he now silently recites “playing happy football” before every match to control his temper. Interestingly, when playing football in mainland China, there are fans on the sidelines who intentionally shout, “Brother Hua, no fireworks today!” after hearing this, Huang Rihua couldn’t help but chuckle.
Huang Rihua recently appeared as a guest performer at a concert in Foshan with Lai Yuen, then rumors surfaced about his full return to the spotlight, suggesting financial difficulties as the reason for his comeback. However, Huang Rihua responded in a video clip, stating that while he’s not extremely wealthy, he is not facing any financial hardships. He expressed his enjoyment of his current lifestyle and mentioned that he has no plans to return to acting or take on numerous commercial engagements, as he devotes the majority of his time and energy to the “Hong Kong Celebrity Football Team.” He emphasized that his current status is more about “giving back than a comeback.”