Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Musi waAugust 22 episode ye "SmackDown", Roode akaita rake rekutanga roster kutanga sechiso, achikunda Aiden Chirungu mumutambo wega uye akazokunda Mike Kanellis pachiitiko chinotevera che "SmackDown Live". PaSeptember 26 episode ye "SmackDown Live", Roode akatarisana uye akashora Dolph Ziggler kumutambo musi waOctober 8 pa
Hell in a Cell iyo Roode akakunda ne roll-up apo akanga akabata zvikabudura zvaZiggler. 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 maviri anodonha kune imwe, achipedza kupokana kwavo uye zvakare achiwana 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.