Triple H has quietly removed former Money in the Bank winner from WWE television

On this week's episode of WWE RAW, The New Day and Grayson Waller were seen in a backstage segment with RAW General Manager Adam Pearce. However, fans were quick to pick up on the absence of former Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory, who is Waller's tag team partner.

In fact, Waller was seen trying to help Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston get a rematch for the World Tag Team Championship, albeit by offering Adam Pearce wigs, which, while a seemingly alluring proposition, did not seem like a bright idea. However, it was weird for Waller to be helping The New Day get title shots when he and Austin Theory should also be vying for the World Tag Team Championship.

Curiously, Theory and Waller, despite the personality they bring and their pedigree as former WWE Tag Team Champions, have not been presented as viable contenders to the World Tag Team Championship in the already fledgling RAW tag team division. Waller assisting Kingston and Woods, coupled with Theory's absence, points to the conclusion that Triple H may have quietly removed the former Mr. Money in the Bank and two-time United States Champion from WWE TV.

Whether that is due to some injury or another reason remains unclear. The tensions between Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have been brewing for months, but a split, or even an explicit conflict, has never materialized despite hints of it at irregular intervals. Perhaps Theory may be off television as a plot device to further tensions, or Triple H may be setting up his return as the occasion that finally kicks it off.

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The curious case of Austin Theory and his future in WWE

Theory is young and has a ton of potential despite the fact that he has been on WWE's main roster for over six years now. He was a thorough "Vince McMahon guy" and reportedly McMahon's next pet project. When Triple H took over WWE creative, fans could sense a change in presentation, but over the next few months, that turned out to be a positive.

He did fail the MITB cash-in, but that allowed him to be featured more prominently and seriously as the United States Champion, and he had a great reign. His feud with John Cena, much like The Unseen 17 himself had predicted, led to a steady downfall.

While a pairing with Grayson Waller seemed like a short-term idea, Theory seems to have been stuck in developmental hell ever since, and Triple H has just not pulled the trigger on the split and the Austin Theory babyface turn. However, with fans loudly heard chanting for Theory regularly when he is often ringside, it seems as though The King of Kings has played the game in a very meta way.

He has seemingly been starving fans of Theory and waiting for him to gather outrageous sentimental support. With Austin's talent and potential, if his face turn is timed well enough, he could ride the wave of crowd support all the way to WWE's stacked main event scene. In the short term, though, that might mean Theory being kept off WWE TV for a while, and fans having to suffer through the intolerable trio of The New Day and Grayson Waller in the meantime.