WWE Rumors: Buzz on Road to WWE No Mercy 2017 for Week of Sept. 21

Rarely a week passes in WWE without some form of controversy.

And this week is no different, with the top rumor concerning a segment on Tuesday's SmackDown Live that appears to be hugely controversial.

That relates to Jinder Mahal, whose WWE Championship feud with Shinsuke Nakamura took an interesting turn this past week with some comments that have caused plenty of reaction backstage.

Elsewhere, there's a look ahead to a notable returnee and where they may be headed in terms of a brand, as well as news on Dolph Ziggler's next big feud on Tuesday nights.

Dolph Ziggler Heading for Program with Bobby Roode?

These are strange times for Dolph Ziggler.

The former world champion has found himself well and truly lost in the shuffle on SmackDown Live for a good while now, and his latest gimmick, or perhaps reinvention, is interesting to say the least.

Fans have seen little, if any, of Ziggler's in-ring ability in recent weeks, with the focus instead on Ziggler taunting fans and teasing a match before mocking the appearances of WWE stars past and present.

But where is Ziggler heading? Well, if Randall Ortman at Cageside Seats is to be believed, then it's a program with Bobby Roode.

Roode himself hasn't been seen for a couple of weeks on the blue brand now, but Ortman's report suggested that the former NXT star is being held back until that program begins.

Expect that feud, Ortman reported, to start around the time of Hell in a Cell on October 8.

Which Brand Is Paige Headed To?

WWE fans may have been surprised this week to see the company confirm that Paige is returning to in-ring competition very soon.

She has been absent for almost a year now, but WWE confirmed on its website this week that she is returning to the Performance Center in Florida to prepare for her return.

But which brand will she be competing on? 

Well, Ortman at Cageside Seats said this week that her return is being promoted as if she's actually a free agent, with it unclear which brand she will go to yet.

That will create an interesting dynamic and buzz surrounding her return. It should put both divisions, Raw and SmackDown Live, on high alert that she's about to join.

It's almost a storyline that writes itself as Paige prepares to return to WWE.

Reaction to Jinder Mahal's Nakamura Comments on SmackDown

Jinder Mahal caused a huge buzz this week on SmackDown Live when he made some hugely controversial comments which, if reports are to be believed, have caused a stir backstage in WWE.

Mahal cut a promo on Shinsuke Nakamura where he referred to his challenger for the WWE Championship as "Mr. Miyagi," which prompted sections of the crowd in attendance to chant "that's too far" in response to the reference to the fictional Japanese character from The Karate Kid.

And PWInsider (h/t Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc) wrote this week there was a lot of backstage talk about the segment and how it was perceived. 

While the report stopped short of describing the nature of the reaction, it has to be assumed it won't be great. WWE didn't even upload the segment to YouTube, and it makes for an interesting period moving forward for the champion.