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Cade was part of the original class of students trained by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzales at Michaels' Wrestling Academy in San Antonio, Texas, a class that also included Bryan Danielson and Brian Kendrick. Due to his lanky frame and athletic ability, there were comparisons to a young Barry Windham. Cade was immediately signed to WWF developmental after a few appearances for FMW in Japan and went through OVW and HWA.
Cade was brought to the main roster in 2003 to form a team with Mark Jindrak (now Lucha Libre USA's Marco Corleone), going as far as to work the Wrestlemania XX card as Jindrak's partner. Cade was eventually sent back to developmental and returned as Trevor Murdoch's partner. That team clicked a little better and eventually had a WWE Tag Team championship run.
Cade's most prominent run in WWE was as a second to Chris Jericho during Jericho's excellent feud against Shawn Michaels. In the midst of that run, however, he was released from the company after an incident on an airplane where Cade took too many painkillers and went into a seizure. The plane had to be diverted in order to save his life and WWE opted to release him.
The company eventually brought Cade back and had him under a contract for about a year, but released him without doing anything. At the time, Cade claimed in an interview with me that the company let him go because he asked for help due to personal issues he was having stemming from addictions to sleeping pills that he began using to deal with pain while getting himself clean. WWE did send him to rehab but Cade claimed at the time that it was unfair he was released "because" he reached out for help when that's what the Wellness Policy is there for. Sources within WWE, both management and wrestlers who worked with Cade at the time, scoffed at the claim privately.
Cade worked for independents and Japanese dates after his release.
Sadly, he leaves behind two young daughters.
On behalf of everyone associated with PWInsider.com, I'd like to express our deepest condolences to Lance's family and friends at this time.
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