Dee ihe na-aga n'ihu maka paragraf a - Na August 22 nke "SmackDown", Roode mere ka isi roster ya dị ka ihu, na-emeri Aiden English na otu egwuregwu na mgbe e mesịrị merie Mike Kanellis na nke na-esote nke "SmackDown Live". Na Septemba 26 nke "SmackDown Live", Roode zutere ma maa Dolph Ziggler aka maka egwuregwu na Ọktọba 8 na Hell in a Cell
nke Roode meriri na mpịakọta-elu mgbe ijide Ziggler si tights. Mgbe nke ahụ gasịrị, Ziggler wakporo Roode ma rịọ ka a weghachite ya na ihe omume na-esote nke "SmackDown Live" nke Roode nabatara, na-ata ahụhụ nke mbụ ya na isi roster dị ka oge a ọ bụ Ziggler onye jidere tights Roode. Na October 24 nke "SmackDown Live", Roode kwụsịrị ajụjụ ọnụ azụ azụ na Ziggler na Renee Young, na-atụ aro abụọ n'ime atọ ọdịda egwuregwu na-esote izu na "SmackDown Live" na Ziggler, nke ọ nabatara. Roode meriri Ziggler abụọ dara na otu, na-akwụsị esemokwu ha ma na-enwetakwa ebe na Team SmackDown na Survivor Series. Na Nọvemba 19 na Survivor Series, Braun Strowman na Team SmackDown kpochapụrụ Roode nke abụọ n'ozuzu ya wee mechaa merie Team Raw. Na ngwụcha ọnwa Nọvemba, Roode malitere asọmpi na United States Champion Baron Corbin, na-eduga n'asọmpi maka aha na Disemba 17 na "Clash of Champions" nke Ziggler, onye meriri aha site na ịpị Corbin.