Michael Maurice[4] Smith (born October 11, 1963) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sam Houston.

[2] After claiming victories over a few opponents with his finisher bulldog in early 1984, Houston's first big challenge was when he had to team up with Bubba Douglas on Feb.4 against The Assassins.

After losing that match, he faced other opponents including Buddy Landel, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Dick Slater, Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Graham.

Houston moved on to the Central States Territory later that year, where he won the title while feuding with Bulldog Bob Brown and Bill Dundee.

Houston was undefeated in his first month, defeating Terry Gibbs, Steve Lombardi, and others at TV taping dark matches and arena shows.

At the same event Houston came out to help a newly arrived Ted DiBiase (who had made his first WWF appearance as a babyface) clear the ring of The One Man Gang.

Houston remained off US television, wrestling opening matches on house shows against Tiger Chung Lee, Jose Estrada, Barry Horowitz, and others, winning most of these encounters.

In December 1987 he began a series with Danny Davis, trading wins with him on various house show matches in a feud that lasted all the way into June 1988, and would continue sporadically into 1989.

He formed a short-lived tag team with Hillbilly Jim, including a win over George South and Gene Ligon on the September 13 episode of Prime Time Wrestling.

He made his second PPV appearance of the year when he teamed with The Ultimate Warrior, The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart), Jim Brunzell, and Brutus Beefcake in a winning effort against Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine, Ron Bass, Bad News Brown, and Danny Davis in the second annual Survivor Series.

Houston defeated Steve Lombardi in the dark match at the 1989 Royal Rumble but was unable to move past lower-level competition.

On September 7 he wrestled in a dark match WCW Saturday Night, teaming with Mark Starr to defeat JD Wolfe and Chick Donovan.

[2][14] Before his departure from the NWA, Smith had begun dating Tully Blanchard's valet Nickla Roberts, better known by the name Baby Doll.

[15] 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.