I had the exact same cable seize up on me,... I managed to get it working.
Here's the link to what I did.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...etting-stuck&p=6043634&viewfull=1#post6043634
I did have to use a vise grip on the caliper end of the cable to get it pulled back after forcing it to move with a good reef from the hand brake.
If you disconnect the cable from the caliper bracket and raise the end up and tie it to the gas fill cover, it's the highest point on the cable and the fluid will drain down into it.
I used liquid wrench (don't use wd-40,... it evaporates completely leaving nothing behind) but I've just discovered PB-Blaster and they now have it at Canadian Tire. It's about $7 a can and works awesome.
I actually removed the entire cable after finally getting the heat shield off from under the stick shift. Then I hung it up and drained lots of liquid wrench through it. The boot on the end of the cable works great to fill up and hold the liquid there as it drains down the wire.
It was kind of a lot of work fussing with it but I saved about $90 total with shipping and taxes. So I think it was worth the effort. I had to get my heat shield off any way to work on the shifter bushing. I couldn't bring myself to spend $35 plus shipping, taxes, and possibly duty for the bronze oil ones (I don't care if they're all pregnant with oil,.. that's what grease is for),..... So I made my own bushings with washers and metal pieces I had on hand. Well worth the two hours I spent "fabricating".
Here's the cable from Rockauto:
