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#3 Randy Orton def. Bobby Roode (United States title)
Storyline: Bobby Roode finished higher than Randy Orton in the SmackDown ‘Top 10 list’ – a power ranking voted for by fellow Superstars. Jinder Mahal continually brought up the list to Roode and Orton, causing tension between the two and leading to a United States title match.
Match: Roode and Orton each shared plenty of offence, with both men attempting their finishers on multiple occasions. In the end, Orton was successful, surprisingly winning the US title after connecting with an RKO “outta nowhere”. Jinder appeared after the match to attack Orton but it was Roode who stood tall after hitting both men with a Glorious DDT.
Verdict: Like Rusev vs. Nakamura, this match was much more exciting than anticipated, mostly because it felt beforehand that Roode (who this crowd hated!) was going to win but Orton’s chances grew as the match went on. This was easily Roode’s best main-roster match, and congratulations to Orton – he’s now a Grand Slam champion!
Grade: B+
