Sam Houston (wrestler)
| Michael Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 11, 1963[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Midnight Rider[1] Sam Houston[1] |
| Trained by | Aurelian Smith[1] Dusty Rhodes[1] Magnum T.A.[1] |
| Debut | 1983[1] |
Michael Maurice Smith[1] (born October 11, 1963)[1] is a second generation professional wrestler who is best known for competing under the ring name Sam Houston in the 1980s. His father is former wrestler Grizzly Smith, his half-brother is Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and his younger sister is Rockin' Robin.[1]
Smith was once married to Baby Doll. They have two daughters named Mikala Joy and Mikka Tyler (Smitty).
Career
Smith started wrestling in 1983, competing in Championship Wrestling from Florida.[1] In 1985, he began working in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. He was the protege of Dusty Rhodes and Magnum T.A. which made him a target for the Four Horsemen.[1] They finally got to him in the summer of 1985 when Tully Blanchard, Ole Anderson, and Arn Anderson (kayfabe) broke his arm in a six-man tag team match.[1]
In late 1985, he feuded with Krusher Khruschev over the Mid-Atlantic Title, which he won in January 1986.[1] He then feuded with Black Bart, who won the title from him.[1]
He formed a team during the summer of 1986 with Nelson Royal. In late 1986, he moved on to the Central States territory where he won the title and feuded with Bulldog Bob Brown and Bill Dundee.[1]
In 1987, Houston went to the WWF, feuding with Danny Davis and Barry Horowitz as well as Outlaw Ron Bass through 1988. He then ended up in USWA which had bought up WCCW in Dallas.[1] He then wrestled in the independents before showing up in the Global Wrestling Federation in 1992 as The Midnight Rider.[1]
In 1993 he returned to WCW for a brief run as enhancement talent mostly.
In 2007 he returned to wrestling on the independent wrestling circuit for GWE,OWE and others.[2]
Personal life
Smith is a second generation professional wrestler, his father is former wrestler Grizzly Smith.[3] His siblings were also wrestlers; his half-brother is Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and his younger sister is Rockin' Robin.[1][3]
Before his departure from the NWA, Smith had begun dating Tully Blanchard's valet Nickla Roberts, better known by the name Baby Doll. They were married in Lubbock, Texas on July 30, 1986 & went on to have two daughters together. Roberts chose to devote her time to her new baby girls instead of returning to wrestling. She divorced Houston in 1994, claiming Smith wanted to "be the life of the party".[1]
In August 2005, Smith was sentenced to 10 years in prison for repeated DUI arrests.[1][3] He had been arrested numerous times before, with his ex-wife Roberts claiming in 2005 that he had had an average of two DUI arrests per year for the past ten years before he was sent to prison.[3]
Smith's home near New Orleans was destroyed by Hurrican Katrina.[4] He worked part-time at a construction company, and also helped his father at a cemetery, which is operated by the Firemen's Charitable and Benevolent Association, near the French Quarter in New Orleans.[4]
In wrestling
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling America
- PWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Charlie Norris[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Sam Houston". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/sam-houston.html
- ^ a b c d Mooneyham, Mike (2005-12-18). "Wrestlers In Jail For The Holidays". The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ a b Johnson, Steven (2006-03-01). "Sam Houston and Grizzly Smith rebuild their lives; Hurricane Katrina plus six months". SLAM! Sports. Retrieved 2009-03-24.