Peterson ready to 'die in the ring' to keep titles

Lamont Peterson says he is ''ready to die in the ring'' when he defends his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles against British challenger Amir Khan in Las Vegas on May 19 in a rematch of their hotly disputed fight last year. Khan lost both belts in a split-decision loss to the American on Dec. 10, but complained about the referee's decision to deduct him two points for pushing and the presence of an unauthorized man at ringside seen distracting an official. Peterson says Khan's complaints took the shine off his victory and his opponent ''has to accept he's not the champ anymore.'' The American says ''the reason I decided to take the rematch wasn't because I wanted to prove myself again to anyone.''