Tuhia he tomokanga mo tenei waahanga - I muri i te kore o te wikitoria i te United States Championship mai i a Shinsuke Nakamura i Crown Jewel, ka taea e Rusev te hopu i te United States Championship mo te wa tuatoru i roto i tana mahi i te waahanga o te 25 o Tihema o "SmackDown Live". I te Hanuere 27, 2019, i ngaro ia i te taitara ki a Nakamura i te whakaaturanga o mua o te Royal Rumble. E rua nga ra i muri mai i runga i te "SmackDown Live", ka tutaki a Rusev ki a R-Truth, nana nei i wikitoria a Nakamura mo te United States Championship, a ka akiaki ia ki te tiaki i tana taitara hou ki a ia, engari i mau tonu a Truth i tana taitara. Whai muri i te tukinga, ka whakaekea e Nakamura te Pono, ana ka uru atu a Rusev ki a ia ki te whakaeke i te Pono, na reira ka huri ano i te waewae i roto i te mahinga ka whai ake ka hanga i tetahi roopu taatai me Nakamura. I runga i te Huarahi Tere
I mua i te whakaaturanga, i hinga a Rusev rāua ko Nakamura e Te Rā Hou. I te WrestleMania 35, ka whakataetae a Nakamura raua ko Rusev i roto i te tukinga takirua wha-ara mo te Toa Toa Toa SmackDown, engari kaore i angitu. I whakataetae a Rusev i roto i te pakanga rangatira 51-tangata i Super ShowDown, engari kaore i wikitoria. Whai muri i te Super ShowDown, ka tiimata a Rusev i te WWE.