Lance McNaught, known to the wrestling community by his ringname Lance Cade, was always on the verge of exploding into superstardom. Trained by Shawn Michaels, Cade had the look, the charisma, and the in-ring savvy of a main event player. Tragically, his life ended before he could realize his potential.
Cade’s first run in the spotlight of the WWE was marked by his partnership with WCW product Mark Jindrak. While together, the team initially wrestled as babyfaces before eventually turning heel. They enjoyed mild success in the WWE’s tag team division, participating in a Fatal 4-way for the tag team titles at WrestleMania XX. Shortly after their loss in that match, the team went their separate ways and Cade alligned himself with ultra-heel Jonathan Coachman. An injury derailed Cade shortly thereafter, and he’d disappear from WWE programming for a half year.
Upon his return, Cade began teaming with Trevor Murdoch. It was this partnership for which Cade is probably most well remembered. The duo of Cade & Murdoch were portrayed as rednecks, and they held the WWE Tag Team Championships on three occassions. Cade was the mouthpiece of the team, playing the role of a refined Southern gentleman. The pair’s most high-profile feud was with a newly reformed D-Generation X, allowing Cade to work with his trainer and mentor, Shawn Michaels. During their time together, Cade & Murdoch earned victories over the likes of the Hardy Boyz and Paul London & Brian Kendrick.
In his final days in the WWE, Cade alligned himself with Chris Jericho. While playing the role of Jericho’s heavy, Cade was given his release from the company. His termination was the result of a seizure he had on a company flight which many believed to be drug induced. Two years later, in August of 2010, Lance Cade passed away at the age of 29. His death was of an apparent heart failure, although it was later determined that a number of drugs contributed to his passing.
