By Dan Ambrose: Former WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (31-2, 28 KO’s) could have his suspension lifted early for him to fight in 2012, according to Fightnews.com. Lopez’s suspension for insulting referee Roberto Ramirez Sr. is set to expire in March of 2013.

If Lopez’s suspension is lifted early, then his promoter Bob Arum needs to be a little more careful in the kinds of fights that he puts Lopez in. We don’t need to see Lopez fighting Salido for a third time because it was probably a horrible idea to put Lopez back in with Salido for a second time after the punishment that Lopez absorbed in his 8th round stoppage loss to Salido in their first fight last year in April. Lopez needs to be put in winnable situations against guys that don’t have the nonstop punching ability that Salido possesses.

Lopez, 29, was given a suspension by the Professional Boxing Commission of Puerto Rico after Lopez accused referee Ramirez Sr. of having a gambling problem after Lopez was stopped in the 10th round by Orlando Salido in their rematch last March.

Ramirez Sr., who had been working the fight, had stopped the bout after Lopez was knocked down in the 10th round by Salido. Lopez got back to his feet but he was badly hurt and staggering. The referee did the right thing by stopping the fight to protect Lopez from harm. However, the stoppage didn’t sit right with with Lopez, and he clearly wasn’t happy about it when he was being interviewed after the fight by Showtime analyst Jim Gray.

Lopez’s promoter Bob Arum wasn’t pleased with the suspension, feeling like it was wrong to suspend a fighter for comments made immediately after he’s been badly hurt by head shots and may not have been able to think clearly at then time he was being interviewed by Jim Gray.