Nyora kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - PaAugust 22 episode ye "SmackDown", Roode akaita yake huru roster kutanga sechiso, achikunda Aiden Chirungu mumutambo wega uye akazokunda Mike Kanellis pane inotevera episode ye "SmackDown Live". Musi waGunyana 26 episode ye "SmackDown Live", Roode akatarisana uye akashora Dolph Ziggler kumutambo musi waGumiguru 8 kuHell muCell iyo Roode yakakunda nekukungurutsa-kumusoro uku akabata mateki aZiggler. Ziggler akarwisa Roode ndokumuudza kuti arwezve muchikamu chinotevera che "SmackDown Live" icho Roode akagamuchira, achitambura nekurasikirwa kwake kwekutanga kwepinfall pachikwata chikuru sezvo panguva ino Ziggler aive akabata mateki aRoode. Musi waGumiguru 24 episode ye "SmackDown Live", Roode akaputsa hurukuro yekuseri kwechiitiko naZiggler naRenee Young, vachiratidza kuti vaviri vevatatu vanodonha mutambo svondo rinouya pa "SmackDown Live" naZiggler, iyo yaakagamuchira. Roode akabva akunda Ziggler zviviri zvinowira kune imwe, kupedza kupokana kwavo uye zvakare kuwana nzvimbo paChikwata SmackDown paSurvivor Series
. Musi waNovember 19 paSurvivor Series, Roode akabviswa wechipiri akazara naBraun Strowman neTeam SmackDown uye akazopedzisira arasikirwa neTeam Raw. Mukupera kwaNovember, Roode akatanga kukwikwidzana neUnited States Champion Baron Corbin, zvichitungamira kumutambo wezita musi waZvita 17 pa "Clash of Champions" zvakare ichibatanidza Ziggler, uyo akahwina zita nekupinza Corbin.