| Brad Cain | |
|---|---|
Cain in January 2011 |
|
| Ring name(s) | Brad Cain[1] Brad Kane[1] Idol[1] Lodi[1] Lodi Lane[1] Rave[1] Rage[1] Razen Cain[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg)[1] |
| Born | September 8, 1970 [2] Asheboro, North Carolina[3] |
| Resides | Greenville, North Carolina[4] |
| Billed from | Pennsylvania[4] West Hollywood, California[3] Asheboro, North Carolina[3] |
| Trained by | C.W. Anderson[5] George Weingroff[5] WCW Power Plant[5] |
| Debut | 1997[2] |
Bradley "Brad" Cain[1] (born September 8, 1970) is an American professional wrestler, author and personal trainer, better known by his ring name, Lodi. Cain is likely best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling between 1997 to 2000, where he was a member of The Flock and The West Hollywood Blondes.[1]
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After graduating from East Randolph High School,[4] Cain attended East Carolina University in 1988, and graduated with a degree in political science in 1993.[3] During his time in college, Cain was both a member of the United States Army Reserve, serving as an operating room specialist, and a bodybuilder.[5]
In 1997, Cain trained as a wrestler under Extreme Championship Wrestling alumnus C.W. Anderson. He debuted later that year, and began wrestling on the independent circuit either as a singles competitor or with his roommate Curtis White, who competed under the ring name Toad, as the tag team Dangerous Minds.[4]
After being signed by World Championship Wrestling, Cain began training in their Power Plant wrestling school.[4] Prior to debuting on television, he was forced to adopt a new ring name due to his Razen Cain ring name being seen as too similar to the name of another wrestler from the World Wrestling Federation, then WCW's main rival.[4] The name was also turned down due to it being used by an independent wrestler, despite the fact that Cain wrestled under it prior to the wrestler who adopted it began using it.[4] Another proposed ring name, Skank, was also turned down due to an independent wrestler having used it for two years.[4] At World War 3 on November 23, 1997, Cain debuted under the ring name Lodi ("Idol" spelled backwards, which came about due to his perceived resemblance to Billy Idol).[4][6] Lodi was introduced as a member of Raven's Flock in order to replace the injured Stevie Richards.[1] He accompanied his fellow Flock members to ringside carrying a variety of signs,[1] which he displayed to the audience at intervals (a gimmick borrowed from ECW's Sign Guy Dudley).[7] The signs were generally intended to be humorous and variously furthered storylines, antagonized the audience, promoted the Flock and made inside jokes aimed at other wrestlers. Cain's in-ring debut was on the December 8 episode of Nitro against Chris Benoit, to whom he lost.[1][8] The Flock eventually disbanded at the September 13, 1998 Fall Brawl when Perry Saturn defeated Raven to win the freedom of the Flock, and Lodi disappeared from WCW television several months later after suffering a fractured ankle while wrestling Psicosis.[2]
In June 1999, WCW enhancement talent Lenny Lane persuaded Lodi to team with him as the West Hollywood Blondes, a gay Californian duo with pink trunks and flamboyant haircuts who were later revealed to be brothers.[2][7] The name was a reference to the Hollywood Blonds, a popular tag team of the early 1990s consisting of Steve Austin and Brian Pillman. The Blondes were highly controversial, and their depiction of homosexuals was protested by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Entertainment Media Director Scott Seomin wrote in a letter sent to Turner Network Television president Brad Siegel, stating "The character of Lenny is presented with the intention to incite the crowd to the most base homophobic behavior." Seomen later stated "the audience's reaction [to Lenny and Lodi being physically attacked by other wrestlers] gives permission to viewers to do harm to gay people in a very literal way -- it's appalling." TNT quickly acceded to the demands of GLAAD, removing Lenny and Lodi from the active roster for six months.[9] It is rumored that the bad press caused by the incident was a determining factor in the firing of Eric Bischoff as Vice President of WCW by Ted Turner.[10]
After the hiatus, Lane and Lodi returned under the team name Standards and Practices with Miss Hancock as their manager. The name was intended to lampoon the censorship of TNT.[1] Soon the gimmick of Standards and Practices were dropped on an addition of WCW Nitro when both Lane and Lodi(changing his name to Idol and then to Rave) stripped off their suit and tie. In the following weeks, they competed under the tag team name 2XS, a gimmick more resembling two hard rock party goes who wore just jeans to the ring and came out to theme music resembling something from Van Halen. This gimmick too was short lived as they failed to get over, even in a tag team title match and were soon pulled off TV a few weeks later. They failed to regain their earlier notoriety, however, and were released from WCW in 2000. Cain believes that his addiction to painkillers and drinking habit at this time was responsible for the loss of his job.[7]
Lenny and Lodi teamed up again on the independent circuit, wrestling for the World Wrestling All-Stars.[1] They were scheduled to appear with Jeff Jarrett's Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, but Cain was injured. He was sidelined from wrestling for nineteen months while recovering from neck surgery (his recovery time was unusually long because he underwent the same operation in 1994), and Lenny Lane formed a new tag team, the "Rainbow Express", with Bruce in the interim.[6][7] After recovering, Lodi took a hiatus before returning on September 18, 2004, where he defeated Mike G in a match for NWA Wildside.[11] Lodi would then wrestle on a semi-regular basis before joining NWA Charlotte.[11]
Upon NWA Charlotte's debut in early 2009, Cain joined the territory as a color commentator alongside Tim Dixon.[12] In addition to commentating, Cain has also begun wrestling for the territory, most notably against Raven and also in matches for the territory's United States and Heavyweight Championships.[11][13] Cain remained with the territory until its closing on July 3.[14]
Despite portraying homosexuals on television, Cain describes himself and his former tag team partner Lenny as "pretty much straight as nails." He refers to his fans as "Lodettes" and "Lodites."[7][15]
Cain is a former drug addict, and was addicted to GHB and painkillers for seven years. He went into rehab in 2000 and overcame his addictions.[7][15]
In addition to wrestling, Cain is a personal fitness trainer, and operates a studio named Your FLEX Appeal in Charlotte, North Carolina.[5][6] On May 17, 2004 Cain lost a number of personal possessions when his apartment building burned down.[6][16]
In November 2005, Cain's first novel, Perfect, was published by Dog Ear Publishing.[6][17]
1This Mid-Atlantic promotion, while currently operating out of the same region of the United States and having revised some of the championships used by the original Mid-Atlantic promotion, isn't the same promotion that was once owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. and was sold to Ted Turner in 1988. It is just another NWA affiliated promotion.