After his huge Fatal-4 Way Match victory last week earned him a title opportunity, Rusev took on United States Champion Bobby Roode for the star-spangled title on SmackDown LIVE.
The Glorious One (who ranked No. 5 on the brand-new SmackDown LIVE Top 10 list) and The Bulgarian Brute battled it out in a competitive contest that saw momentum swing back and forth like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson dangling from the top of a building in the new “Skyscraper” trailer. Roode sullied Rusev Day when he deftly escaped the Accolade just before The Bulgarian Brute could get it synched in and immediately connected with the Glorious DDT for the win.
However, the story wasn’t over there. As Roode began to celebrate after the match, he was met swiftly with an RKO out of nowhere from Randy Orton. The Viper then preyed on Aiden English and Rusev, putting them down with ring-rattling RKOs as well. The Apex Predator’s motives were unknown, but undeniably effective.