Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te wahanga o te Tihema 19 o "Raw", i tiimata te hononga a Mahal me Rusev i muri i te pakanga a Mahal me te hoa riri o Rusev a Enzo Amore i mua i te whakaekenga o te tokorua ki a Amore. I te Hanuere 2, 2017 episode o "Raw", Mahal ko Rusev hinga hoa kapa taitara o Amore Big Cass i roto i te 2-ki-1 matea whakataetae. I te wiki e whai ake nei i runga i te "Raw", ka ngaro a Mahal ki a Cass (i a Shawn Michaels i te taha o te ringside) i muri i te whakatangitangi a Michaels i te "Sweet Chin Music" i runga i a Rusev i te taha o te ringside, i whakararu i a Mahal. I te wahanga 27 o Hui-tanguru o "Raw", i tiimata te whakaatu a Mahal me Rusev i te kaha o Rusev ki te whakararu i a Mahal, i ngaro ai te tokorua ki te Ra Hou (Big E, Kofi Kingston me Xavier Woods). Ka mutu te hononga i waenganui i a Mahal rāua ko Rusev i te
Fastlane i te Poutu-te-rangi 5, i te wa i whakamohio ai a Mahal ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua o Raw a Mick Foley mo tana hiahia ki te hoki ki te whakataetae takitahi, i akiaki a Foley ki te tuu i te tokorua ki nga whakataetae takitahi i taua po me te ngaro o Mahal me Rusev i a raatau whakataetae ki a Cesaro me Big Show. I mahia tenei na te mea i whara a Rusev i te pokohiwi.