Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te Paenga-whāwhā 11, i nekehia a Rusev ki te waitohu SmackDown hei waahanga o te Superstar Shake-up. I te Paenga-whāwhā 25 o te "SmackDown", i puta a Rusev i tana whakaaturanga tuatahi i runga i te WWE mai i te Fastlane, i puta mai ma te amiorangi, a i kii ia kaore ia e tiimata i runga i te SmackDown ki te kore e whakawhiwhia ki a ia he tukinga WWE Championship i te wa o te whakataetae.
Ko te moni i roto i te putea utu-i-tirohanga i te Pipiri 18. Kaore i whakawhiwhia ki a ia tana tono, engari i te waahanga o te Hurae 4 o "SmackDown", i puta tuatahi ia mo te waitohu me te aro atu ki a John Cena e hoki mai ana, e whakarite ana i tetahi whakataetae haki mo Battleground, i ngaro ia.