James Ellsworth Released and the 5 Most Controversial Stories of the Week

As we approach Thanksgiving, this week in WWE was all about the three things that define the beloved holiday: family, returns and departures. 

Ric Flair made his dramatic return to WWE in the same week James Ellsworth made his semi-surprising exit.

And as WWE builds toward a Survivor Series filled with surprises, shocking headlines continue to dominate a pay-per-view cycle that has been defined by them. 

James Ellsworth Treated Like a Dog, Superkicked in the Face and Then Released

WWE announced the release of James Ellsworth on Wednesday, with the scrappy underdog-turned-Jersey-heel leaving behind an unlikely, overachieving legacy. 

This is the same man who helped add legitimacy to the Braun Strowman push, which began with a memorable victory over Ellsworth and is currently succeeding to the point where The Monster Among Men appeared in the main events of both Raw and SmackDown this week. 

Ellsworth also played a huge role in legitimizing Carmella, who won Money in the Bank with his assistance in controversial fashion. 

A lot of the WWE Superstars have sent high praise Ellsworth's way in light of his departure, but that's just because they're trained to suspiciously do as their told in ways that he embodied.

Ellsworth being made to act like a dog draws eerie parallels to Pavlovian antics of WWE Superstars who loyally follow unwritten rules of backstage protocol despite the fact their pay-per-view bonuses have evaporated, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc).

WWE Superstars are questionably classified as independent contractors and the CTE monster is staring them directly in the face, per Des Bieler of the Washington Post, all while nobody is asking any questions.  

Toy soldiers aside, though, Ellsworth left an indelible mark on the business. Good on him. 

Triple H Returns, Pedigrees Jason Jordan out of WWE Survivor Series

Triple H was featured in the climactic moments of Raw as he launched what appeared to be a future matchup against Kurt Angle. 

In what has to be a setup for Jason Jordan's heel-turn down the road, the struggling babyface pleaded with his make-believe dad to remain on Team Raw for Survivor Series before art somewhat imitated life with Triple H deciding to usurp the young upstart for such a prominent position. 

Many are criticizing Jordan's acting ability after he impressively cried on command while begging and pleading with Angle. Criticizing a pro wrestler's acting is like criticizing a snail's 40-yard dash. Just stop, he did just fine, relatively speaking. 

It's only a matter of time before the same people criticizing Jordan are celebrating him once he hopefully turns heel.  

For now, prepare for quite possibly the most geriatric Survivor Series elimination match in WWE history.

Fun fact, the youngest participant of the men's Survivor Series elimination match is Strowman. He's 34. 

Paige Shows Up Backstage, in the Dirtsheets but Not on Television

After returning to the WWE Performance Center and even rejoining the Raw roster at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, per her Instagram account, Paige was nowhere to be found on Raw television. 

This was reminiscent of that time Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc) reported CM Punk was back with the promotion before the fighter responded by continuing to stay home. 

With the SmackDown Live women's team still in need of a member, Paige will be the odds-on favorite to finally make her much-anticipated return. But that also leaves WWE with the dilemma of either having her lose her first match back or having Asuka lose her first match. 

Perhaps this is a better spot for Natalya. 

Charlotte Wins 1st SmackDown Women's Championship as Ric Flair Returns

Fresh off of his critically acclaimed ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Ric Flair made a surprise return on SmackDown Live to congratulate daughter Charlotte on her first SmackDown Women's Championship victory. 

Charlotte defeated Natalya in a good match and will now go into Survivor Series on Sunday to face Alexa Bliss in one of five previously announced matches to be changed on the tumultuous card. 

Flair's dramatic return to SmackDown Live marks his first WWE appearance since being on life support earlier this summer, per Liam Daniel Pierce of Vice.

It's great to see the original 16-time world champion back up and running, and an even better sign that he's advertised for future appearances, per Joseph Currier of F4WOnline. 

WWE Raw Retaliates Against SmackDown's 'Under Siege' Attack

WWE SmackDown Live ended with a Raw ambush. The attack paralleled that of SmackDown's "under siege" angle that launched the brand feud that will culminate at Survivor Series. 

In what was an inverse to "under siege," the Raw women attacked the SmackDown women, while the Raw males attacked the SmackDown males. To take things a step further, however, Kurt Angle put an exclamation point on the attack with an Angle Slam on Shane McMahon, leaving the stage set for a star-studded elimination tag team match. 

With so much chaos and excitement surrounding the Survivor Series buildup in one way or another, it's hard not to look forward to what should be a memorable show for any number of reasons. 

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