In January he was handed a four month jail term for causing grevious bodily harm to Rigg, who had two metal plates inserted to his jaw.
His barrister Peter Kennedy had asked for a reduction of the sentence, claiming that it was harsher than previous convictions for similar offences.
But Mr Justice Henriques dismissed the appeal at London's Appeal Court on Friday, labelling the incident as cowardly and criminal.
The Barnsley-born defender began his footballing career as a trainee at Glanford Park, making 24 appearances before being released in the summer of 2003.