Quick Facts
Biography
Rigoberto Riasco (born January 11, 1953) also known as "Little Poison", was a Panamanian professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 1982. He was the Lineal and WBC Super bantamweight champion in 1976. Riasco defeated such men as Dong Kyun Yum, Leonel Hernandez, Rafael Ortega, Waruinge Nakayama, Luis Avila, Santos Luis Rivera, Seiji "Flipper" Uehara and Sanjo Takemori.
Professional boxing career
He made his professional debut on August 25, 1968 with a four-round draw with Carlos Mendoza and after winning the featherweight national championship, he fought Alexis Arguello, who knocked him out technically in two rounds.
After his defeat, he defeated previously unbeaten Luis Avila and Puerto Rican Luis Rivera Santos, who had knocked him in an assault in Puerto Rico. Those victories earned him the chance to fight for the newly created WBC championship belt.
On April 3, 1976, Riasco defeated Kenyan Waruinge Nakayama for the WBC and Lineal Super bantamweight titles. He made two successful defenses against Livio Nolasco and Dong Kyun Yum before losing his belt in his third defense against Japanese Royal Kobayashi in Tokyo on October 9, 1976.
He announced his retirement in 1981, but returned later. After three consecutive defeats, Riasco officially announced his retirement in 1982. He left with a record of 29 wins with 13 KOs, 9 losses and 4 draws.