Buuxi weedha soo socota: 22-kii Ogosto ee "SmackDown", Roode wuxuu sameeyay bandhigiisii ugu horreeyay ee wajiga, isagoo ka adkaaday Aiden English ciyaar keli ah ka dibna wuxuu ka adkaaday Mike Kanellis dhacdadii xigtay ee "SmackDown Live". 26kii Sebtember ee dhacdadii "SmackDown Live", Roode wuxuu la kulmay Dolph Ziggler wuxuuna u tartamay 8-dii Oktoobar
Hell in a Cell oo uu Roode ku guuleystay isku shaandheyn uu ku qabtay 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 jeer hal mar, isagoo joojinaya khilaafkooda sidoo kale wuxuu kasbaday boos ka mid ah Kooxda SmackDown ee Taxanaha Badbaadada. 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 17kii Diseembar ee "Clash of Champions" oo sidoo kale ku lug leh Ziggler, oo ku guuleystay horyaalka isagoo ku dhajiyay Corbin.