Nia Jax's Absence and the 5 Most Controversial Stories of the Week

This week in WWE was defined by yet another unhappy camper, as rumors of a potential mass exodus are beginning to gain traction.

And though WWE might have an issue in keeping talent, it doesn't have any problems bringing Superstars back, as Kane returned to attack Roman Reigns, setting up what should be an entertaining main event at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on Sunday.

Controversy both in and out of the ring should make for an interesting next couple of months, when a future story could be covering the otherwise unlikely return of The Undertaker.

Nia Jax Reportedly Granted Leave of Absence, Which WWE Denies

While Asuka is set to make her highly anticipated debut at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on Sunday, one member of the women's division who will not be at the event is Nia Jax.

The dormant Jax has made waves recently, as she has reportedly been granted a leave of absence. But that's something WWE has since denied before stating she would be back for the company's upcoming European tour, per Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported Jax is unhappy with the way she is being booked and would like higher pay.

Alexa Bliss, Jax's best friend on the road, recently told the Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post that Jax is burned out and needs time off, adding there is no doubt in her mind Jax will be back.

Jax has shown a lot of promise during her time on the main roster but was hindered early by an identical push to that of Braun Strowman, who gradually ascended up the roster with a convincing monster heel persona.

Nia Jax and Neville Not the Only WWE Superstars Who Are Unhappy

Nia Jax's absence comes on the heels of a similar situation with Neville, who appears to be all but gone from the promotion, per Meltzer (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc).

Neville's controversial exit was discussed in the previous edition of this column, and with Jax reportedly unhappy, there is an unfavorable theme of WWE Superstars seeking greener pastures.

With Meltzer reporting more WWE Superstars may be looking to leave (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc), some have called these recent exits the beginning of a mass exodus, which is a bit dramatic.

In addition to Austin Aries, WWE has lost two cruiserweights since July, which makes sense given how limited that division is. Even if Nia Jax is on her way out, which Raw women's champion Bliss says is not the case, two cruiserweights leaving WWE is far from a "mass exodus."

Neville and Aries' exits are more of an indictment on the cruiserweight division than WWE as a whole. But given the large generation gap between CEO Vince McMahon and the WWE locker room, and considering how prone millennials are to leaving their jobs, the reported uprising of talent looking to leave should be a concern to the worldwide leader.

Triple H's Nutritionist Makes Controversial Comments About HGH

Dave Palumbo, Triple H's nutritionist, inadvertently became the subject of a controversial story when he appeared on the Matt Riviera Show. Riviera grilled the nutritionist about WWE's wellness policy, which led to comments that suggested some WWE superstars are not tested for a series of banned substances, including HGH and TRT.

The comments led to unwanted scrutiny of WWE's somewhat ambiguous wellness policy, prompting WWE to issue a statement to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, affirming the company does test for banned substances, including HGH:

"WWE's comprehensive Talent Wellness Policy, which is administered by an independent, third-party, clearly states hGH and hCG are among a long list of banned substances, however, due to certain medical conditions, there are a variety of therapeutic exemptions that account for approximately 7% of our contracted talent."

The company's lack of steroid-related suspensions over the past several years is either evidence of a cleaner locker room—which is plausible given the rise of smaller talents with believable physiques—or perhaps there is a shred of truth to Palubmo's comments, which he recently walked back, per David Bixenspan of Deadspin.

Kane Returns to WWE, Tombstones Roman Reigns

Kane made a surprise return during the thrilling final moments of Raw, attacking Roman Reigns and setting up a five-on-three matchup against The Shield at TLC.

Though many fans speculated the fifth man would be Samoa Joe, Kane's addition makes plenty of sense given the fact Roman Reigns retired The Undertaker.

Kane's Tombstone Piledriver on Reigns was hardly a coincidence, as it is likely to be explained that Kane attacked Reigns to avenge his brother's WrestleMania 33 defeat.

The Undertaker never actually said he was retired, and the announcers are typically hesitant to unequivocally say he has wrestled his final match. With Survivor Series on the horizon—the event Undertaker debuted at 27 years ago—don't be surprised if this angle leads to The Deadman's return in some form.

WWE vs. The Bullet Club?

The aforementioned exits of WWE Superstars feeds into a larger narrative of WWE's ongoing cold war against Ring of Honor, namely The Bullet Club. The stable recently ruffled feathers by invading WWE in Ontario, California, in a stunt that did not sit well with WWE brass.

Roman Reigns had some choice words for the group in a recent conference call, per Inside the Ropes (h/t Giri), saying: "No offense to any of these guys, but we don't need guys running around doing 'too sweets.' We don't need guys acting like they're DX from 20 years ago."

WWE's acknowledgment of The Bullet Club seems to have only rallied fans around the rebellious stable. Not only is its already-popular T-shirts ubiquitous on WWE television, but ROH Global Wars also recently saw a successful four-night run that drew almost 5,000 fans, per John Pollock of Live Audio Wrestling.

Cody Rhodes recently mentioned via Twitter that he has tripled his WWE salary in ROH (h/t Giri), and with Daniel Bryan's contract up in a year, the cold war between ROH and WWE could get very interesting.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.