Ku qor sii wadida sadarkani - 22kii Ogosto dhacdadii "SmackDown", Roode wuxuu sameeyay muuqaalkiisii ugu horreeyay ee muuqaal ahaan, isagoo ka adkaaday Aiden English ciyaar keli ah ka dibna wuxuu ka adkaaday Mike Kanellis dhacdadii xigtay ee "SmackDown Live". 26kii Sebtember dhacdadii "SmackDown Live", Roode wuxuu la kulmay Dolph Ziggler wuxuuna ku tartamay 8kii Oktoobar Hell in a Cell kaas oo Roode ku guuleystay iyadoo la duubayo halka uu haysto dharka adag ee Ziggler. Intaa ka dib, Ziggler wuxuu weeraray Roode wuxuuna dalbaday dib-u-dhac dhacdadii xigtay ee "SmackDown Live" oo Roode aqbalay, isagoo la kulmay khasaarihiisii ugu horreeyay ee pinfall ee liiska ugu weyn maadaama markan uu ahaa Ziggler oo haystay dharka Roode. 24-kii Oktoobar ee "SmackDown Live", Roode wuxuu joojiyay wareysiga ka dambeeya marxaladda Ziggler iyo Renee Young, isagoo soo jeedinaya laba ka mid ah saddexda dhacdo ee isbuuca soo socda ee "SmackDown Live" oo uu la yeeshay Ziggler, oo uu aqbalay. Roode wuxuu ka adkaaday Ziggler laba hoos u dhac hal, isagoo joojinaya khilaafkooda sidoo kale wuxuu kasbaday booska kooxda SmackDown ee Survivor Series
Waxaad Nofeembar 19 ee Taxanaha Badbaadada, Roode waxaa laga saaray kaalinta labaad ee guud ahaan Braun Strowman iyo Kooxda SmackDown ka dibna ugu dambeyntii waxaa laga badiyay Kooxda Raw. Dabayaaqadii Nofeembar, Roode wuxuu bilaabay tartan uu la yeeshay Horyaalka Mareykanka Baron Corbin, taasoo keentay inuu u tartamo horyaalka 17-kii Diseembar ee "Clash of Champions" oo sidoo kale ku lug leh Ziggler, oo ku guuleystay horyaalka isagoo ku dhajiyay Corbin.