Month: April 2010

Pacquiao’s foe David Diaz trains with Fil-Am from Mountain Province

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Sports

PINOY Newsmagazine/Inquirer.net
June 2008

Text, photos and video by Ted Regencia


CHICAGO — As he prepares for his biggest fight against the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao on June 28, lightweight champion David Diaz now spars with a Filipino-American southpaw.

Diaz has enlisted the help of Diamond Gut-oman Baier, a 31-year old native of Bontoc, Mountain Province, as one of his three sparring partners, all lefties.

Diamond, as he is popularly known in Chicago’s boxing community, is an amateur boxer and trains with the Chicago Boxing Club. He is also an entrepreneur and long-time resident of the Chicago’s South Side. At the age of 10, Diamond moved to Chicago after he was adopted by his aunt. He took his last name Baier, from his German-American uncle.

“I hope he doesn’t get in trouble,” Diaz jokingly quipped after revealing Diamond’s name. “We didn’t just get him because he’s Filipino. We got him because his style is similar to Manny’s. He is fast, he’s pretty strong and he’s from around the area,” Diaz said.
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David Diaz is Chicago Cubs’ “Pitcher for a Day”

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Sports

GMANews.TV
June 2008

Text, photos and Video by Ted Regencia


CHICAGO — If only for a few hours, boxing was not the center of his attention, as WBC lightweight titleholder David Diaz watched his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs play at the historic Wrigley Field on Tuesday, June 10.

Not only did he watch the game, he threw the ceremonial pitch, an honor reserved for celebrities and presidents. As the announcer called Diaz to the mound, a crowd of more than 40,000 cheered the hometown’s top boxing champion.

GMA television was the only Filipino media company allowed at Wrigley Field to cover Diaz.

“I’m going to try and see if I can make it to the plate. If in fact I can make it to the plate, I’d be happy,” Diaz said just before the start of the game.

And in what could be a good sign for Diaz, the Cubs delivered the necessary “hooks and jabs” to beat the visiting Atlanta Braves, 10-5.
Continue reading “David Diaz is Chicago Cubs’ “Pitcher for a Day”” →

10-year old Fil-Am breaks own Guinees world record

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Lifestyle

PINOY Newsmagazine
May 2008

Text and photos by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — He has no mutant powers, but with his skills he can give the comic super-hero, Speed, a run for his money.

Ten-year old Steven Purugganan smashed his own Guiness Book world record last April, to keep his title as the fastest cup stacker. The fifth-grader from Massachusetts made his mark during the 2008 World Sports Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado.

Steven set a record-breaking 6.21 seconds in the “Cycle Stack” category, a solid improvement from his previous world record of 7.23 seconds, which he set only last October 2007 in New York. He beat over a thousand competitors to claim the grand prize. Prior to the Denver championship, he already broke his original record twice, in February (6.65 seconds) and March (6.52 seconds).
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Pinoys mob Pacquiao in Chicago

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Sports

PINOY Newsmagazine/GMANews.TV
May 2008

Text, photos and videos by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — Nobody can fire up a crowd of Filipinos in Chicago more than boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. Not even Chicago’s very own senator and presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

On his first visit to the Windy City on Wednesday, May 21, the WBC super featherweight champion sent his Filipino fans into a frenzy as they warmly welcomed their hometown hero during a chilly noontime pep rally.

Pacquiao is in a multi-city tour to promote his June 28 fight against another champion, WBC lightweight titleholder David Diaz. He is also in a chase to become the first ever Filipino and Asian to hold four titles in four divisions.


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Manny to meet Diaz, fans in downtown Chicago

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Sports

GMANews.TV
May 2008

Text, photos and video by Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is coming to Chicago on May 21 to promote his upcoming fight in Las Vegas against World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion David Diaz.

This was revealed by Bernie Bahrmasel of Double B. Publicity, Inc., which handles the publicity of the June 28 match at the world’s gambling capital.

“It will be Manny Pacquiao’s first visit here in Chicago,” Bahrmasel said.
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Pinay lawyer wins primary, eyes history in Illinois Assembly

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community, Politics

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
February 2008

Text, photo and video by Ted Regencia



CHICAGO — A top Filipino-American real estate lawyer is eyeing history in Illinois, as she makes a run for a seat in the State Assembly.

Aurora Abella-Austriaco, ran unopposed during the Democratic Primary, garnering 9,875 votes, almost double the votes of the 16-year Republican incumbent she’s facing in the November 4 general election.

Austriaco still faces an uphill battle since her district has been under Republican control for 118 years. But she expressed confidence that she will prevail, citing a “shift in demographics” and the voter’s appetite for “change.”

If elected, Austriaco will be the first ever Asian American state representative in Illinois, also known as the Land of Lincoln, for being the hometown of the Civil War-era President Abraham Lincoln. She will represent a district, which includes the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, where former first lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton grew up.
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Feds hunt int’l drug ring fugitive

by Ted Regencia, posted in Community

PINOY Newsmagazine/Philippine News
January 2008

By Ted Regencia

CHICAGO — Federal authorities are in hot pursuit of an international drug ring member who may have fled to the Philippines.

This following a massive drug bust, which netted more than a dozen arrests, including a top member of Filipino gang in Chicago.

Carlo Panadero, 36, formerly of suburban Des Plaines, is now considered a fugitive and is “believed to be in the Philippines”, the Department of Justice Northern District of Illinois said.
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