Kammala jumla mai zuwa: A ranar 22 ga watan Agusta na "SmackDown", Roode ya fara fitowa a matsayin babban fuska, ya doke Aiden English a wasan wasa guda daya kuma daga baya ya doke Mike Kanellis a wasan na gaba na "SmackDown Live". A ranar 26 ga Satumba na "SmackDown Live", Roode ya fuskanci kuma ya kalubalanci Dolph Ziggler don wasa a ranar 8 ga Oktoba a Hell in a Cell wanda Roode ya ci nasara tare da juyawa yayin riƙe da tights na Ziggler. Bayan haka, Ziggler ya kai wa Roode hari kuma ya buƙaci sakewa a cikin shirin na gaba na "SmackDown Live" wanda Roode ya karɓa, yana fama da rashin nasararsa na farko a kan babban jerin saboda wannan lokacin Ziggler ne ya riƙe tights na Roode. A ranar 24 ga Oktoba na "SmackDown Live", Roode ya katse hira da Ziggler da Renee Young a bayan fage, yana ba da shawarar wasan biyu daga cikin uku da za a yi a mako mai zuwa a "SmackDown Live" tare da Ziggler, wanda ya karɓa. Roode sannan ya kayar da Ziggler sau biyu zuwa ɗaya, yana kawo ƙarshen ƙiyayya da kuma samun wuri a Team SmackDown a Survivor Series. A ranar 19 ga Nuwamba a Survivor Series, an kawar da Roode a matsayi na biyu daga Braun Strowman da Team SmackDown sannan daga ƙarshe ya rasa zuwa Team Raw. A karshen watan Nuwamba, Roode ya fara gwagwarmaya da Amurka Champion Baron Corbin, wanda ya kai ga wasa don lakabi a ranar 17 ga Disamba a "
Clash of Champions "kuma ya haɗa da Ziggler, wanda ya lashe taken ta hanyar ɗaure Corbin.