The cut took 15 stitches to close and was the reason why the bout was stopped on the ringside physician’s advice.
Tirado opened the wound with an accidental headbutt in the third round and blood spewed out of the gash until Gabi was declared unfit to continue.
Under California State Athletic Commission rules, the outcome was settled via the scorecards because the stoppage was due to a cut inflicted by an accidental headbutt even if it happened two rounds before. If the fight ended within four rounds, it would’ve been an automatic technical draw. But since five rounds were completed in the scheduled tenner, it went to the scorecards.
Gabi was ahead on lopsided scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 after five rounds. It went down in the books as a fifth round unanimous technical decision.
Both fighters weighed in at 116 pounds, one over the superflyweight limit, for the match.
"Tirado was good," said Gabi’s US business manager Mike Koncz. "The crowd loved the fight."
Gabi, 26, raised his record to 26-2-1, with 18 KOs. Tirado’s mark fell to 22-3-3, with 17 KOs, although his unofficial record in the boxrec.com website showed 4-6 and noted the loss to Gabi was his fourth in a row.
Gabi left behind his wife Joy Polines and their 10-month-old son Prince here last month to campaign in the US. He said he will return home only after becoming the world champion.
Gabi dedicated the fight to North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol who nurtured his career until he blossomed into a world-rated contender. He has not lost in his last 14 outings dating back to 2002.
Gabi lives in Koncz’ home in Orange County, California. He was promised a title shot by veteran matchmaker Jimmy Montoya if he beat Tirado convincingly and a world-rated contender in his next bout.
Freddie Roach trains Gabi at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Meanwhile, WBC No.3 superfeatherweight Randy Suico wasn’t as lucky as Gabi. Mandaue’s hard-hitting "Komong Bato" lost to former International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight titlist Javier (Chatito) Jauregui of Mexico on a majority decision at the Lyon Center on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles last Friday.
Suico, 25, was surprisingly tentative in his second US fight and hardly threatened Jauregui whose overhand right and sharp counters kept the Filipino at bay.
A wire report said Suico showed toughness and a good chin but fought flat-footed and was repeatedly beaten to the punch by the slick Mexican.
"Jauregui made a promising start to move clearly ahead on points but Suico rallied in the late rounds to close the gap," said the secondsout.com website.
Fightnews.com writer Francisco Salazar, who was at ringside, said, "Jauregui was very sharp in the early rounds but Suico turned up the heat down the stretch and was stalking the former champ at the end."
Judges Ray Corona and Jack Reiss scored it 99-91 both for Jauregui who improved his record to 50-12-2, with 34 KOs. Veteran judge Chuck Hassett saw it a 95-all draw. Referee was Jerry Cantu.
Jauregui turned pro when Suico was only eight years old. He has been described as "one of boxing’s blue collar warriors, a man who always comes to fight and who is willing to take on all comers in the ring."
The setback will drop Suico from his lofty perch in the WBC 130-pound ratings. He is now rated No. 3 behind world champion Marco Antonio Barrera, No. 1 Erik Morales and No. 2 Manny Pacquiao.
Suico scored a fourth round knockout over Juan Carlos Garcia in his US debut at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas three years ago. The loss to Jauregui dipped his record to 23-2, with 20 KOs. His only other defeat was by a split decision to Mzonke Fana, who was decked twice, in Johannesburg last year.
Suico will probably defend his Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation crown in his next fight.
Jauregui, 32, won the IBF diadem by halting Leavander Johnson in the 11th round in Los Angeles two years ago. Johnson died recently from head injuries suffered in losing to Jesus Chavez by knockout in Las Vegas. Jauregui was coming off a 12-round loss to Ricky Quiles in an IBF lightweight title eliminator.
The next marquee Filipino fighter to see action in the US is Manny Pacquiao’s younger brother Bobby who takes on former world superfeatherweight champion Carlos (Famoso) Hernandez of El Salvador in the undercard of the Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo mainer at the Thomas and Mack Center on the University of Nevada at Las Vegas campus on Oct. 8.