NEW YORK – Xander Zayas seemed poised to deliver the type of spectacular performance so many proud Puerto Ricans packed the Theater at Madison Square Garden to see Saturday night.

The 20-year-old junior middleweight dropped Ronald Cruz with a picture-perfect right hand less than 30 seconds into the first round of their eight-round bout. The faster, stronger, younger Zayas was dominant thereafter, but the durable Cruz took him the distance on the Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez undercard.

Judges John McKaie, Allen Nace and Robin Taylor all scored it a shutout, 80-71 apiece for Zayas (16-0, 10 KOs).

Zayas’ easy win came on the eve of the annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan. He told BoxingScene.com prior to his win Saturday night that he hopes to headline a card at Madison Square Garden the night before the parade in 2024.

The 31-year-old Cruz (18-3-1, 12 KOs), of North Hollywood, California, has not been knocked out in 22 professional fights.

Zayas was scheduled to face Cruz on April 1 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their fight was postponed two months because Zayas suffered a minor hand injury while training early in March.

Zayas caught Cruz with a combination that backed him up when there were about 30 seconds remaining in their fight. By then, though, it seemed certain, no matter how it looked early in the first round, that Cruz would take the developing Zayas the distance.

An aggressive Zayas unloaded an array of power punches on Cruz during the final 35 seconds of the seventh round, but he couldn’t knock Cruz to the canvas again. Zayas previously caught Cruz with an eye-catching left hook and a right hand as part of a multi-punch combination with just under 1:20 to go in the seventh round.

A right-left combination by Zayas stopped Cruz in his tracks with just under 40 seconds to go in the sixth round. Zayas continued to tee off on his veteran opponent later in the sixth round, but Cruz took those shots well.

A resilient Cruz smiled at Zayas as his younger, stronger opponent unloaded punches on him during the middle minute of the fifth round. Zayas landed a thudding left to Cruz’s body a little less than 30 seconds into the fifth round.

A right hand by Zayas landed to the side of Cruz’s head with just under 1:10 on the clock in the fourth round. Zayas landed a hard right to Cruz’s body and then an overhand right up top about 30 seconds into the fourth round.

Zayas cracked Cruz with a right hand less than 30 seconds into the third round.

A hard right hand by Zayas to the middle of Cruz’s face knocked Cruz to the canvas only 27 seconds into their fight. Cruz answered Willis’ count quickly and Zayas was careful because he didn’t seem to think Cruz was all that hurt.

Zayas later blasted Cruz with a left hook that knocked Cruz backward with less than 10 seconds on the clock in the opening round.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.