The remarks made by trainer Bob Santos regarding his fighter’s title defense against Manny Pacquiao recently was just below-the-belt in today’s standards.

During the open media workout of Barrios recently in Las Vegas, Santos spewed out a few unsavory statements when asked about Pacquiao’s chances of dethroning Barrios as World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight king.

Santos, wearing a Pacman cap with the phrase “Game Over” emblazoned, said the Filipino eight-division legend is headed to two places after his showdown with Barrios.

“Either hospital or cemetery,” he said.

If you’re a hardcore fight fan, such statements are just that: Plain trash talk.

Even Muhammad Ali pulled it off many times during his heyday and got away with it.

In the mid-1970s, Roberto Duran was defending the World Boxing Association lightweight crown and he knocked out Ray Lampkin in the 14th round in Panama City.

Lampkin, unconscious, had to be brought out of the ring on a stretcher en route to a hospital where he had to spend the next few days.

“If I was in shape, he gets knocked out in the sixth round, instead of the 14th. And instead of going to the hospital, he goes to the morgue,” Duran was quoted as saying after seeing Lampkin go down hard, his head smashing on the floor.

In this day and age of political correctness, such remarks made by Santos are no longer widely accepted.

Of course, it was obvious Santos was doing his best to hype the fight because Barrios was simply too nice and diplomatic with his answers.

Somebody had to step up to the plate and Santos did just that.

Anyway, Santos probably would have deferred doing it if he was only told of the consequences former Pacquiao foes had to endure following their close encounter with the Hall of Famer.

Those who dared badmouth Pacquiao had to pay dearly for their reckless bravado.

Ask Erik Morales. Marco Antonio Barrera. And list goes on and on and on.

If the trend stays, then Barrios is going to follow the same path.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao and his team are not engaging in the same verbal tussle as they continue to focus on gym sessions and strategy while camping out at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

As they say, his fists will do all the talking on fight night.