Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I muri i tana riri ki a Orton, i tiimata a Rusev i tetahi roopu me te reo Ingarihi, me te tokorua e whai waahi ana ki te tukinga roopu wha-ara mo te SmackDown Tag Team Championship i
Clash of Champions i te marama o Tihema e uru ana hoki ki te Ra Hou, Chad Gable me Shelton Benjamin me nga toa The Usos, i wikitoria ai te Usos. I uru a Rusev ki te whakataetae Royal Rumble 2018 i te Hanuere 28 hei kaitono tuatahi, neke atu i te 30 meneti i mua i te whakakorea e Bray Wyatt me Matt Hardy. I te wahanga o te Maehe 27 o "SmackDown", i mahi tahi a Rusev me Jinder Mahal ki te patu i a Bobby Roode me Randy Orton, ka taapiri atu ki a ia ki te tukinga o te United States Championship i WrestleMania 34. I te huihuinga, i whakaekehia a Rusev e Mahal, ka ngaro te tukinga. I te huihuinga Royal Rumble Nui rawa atu, i aro atu ia ki te Undertaker i roto i te Whakataetae Kete, engari i ngaro ia. I te wahanga 8 o Mei o "SmackDown", i hinga a Rusev i a Daniel Bryan kia eke ki te whakataetae arawhata a nga taane i te Moni i te Peeke, i wikitoria e Braun Strowman. I te waahanga e whai ake nei o "SmackDown", i wikitoria ia i tetahi whakataetae takaro kia noho ko ia te kaitono tuatahi mo te WWE Championship a AJ Styles i nga Ture Tino. I te huihuinga, i hinga ia e Styles.