Bobby Roode Getting Back on Track After Shaky Start on WWE SmackDown Live

With a win on SmackDown Live over Dolph Ziggler that earned him a place on the blue brand's team at Survivor Series, Bobby Roode finally appears to be on the right trajectory in WWE.

It was a shaky start on the main roster for Roode, who signed with SmackDown following an exceptional one-year run in NXT. There, he dominated the competition and held the brand's top title for the better part of 2017.

That said, a call-up to the big league was well overdue for Roode, and SmackDown seemed to be the perfect fit for him. Unfortunately, despite a hot debut two days removed from SummerSlam, any momentum he may have had soon fizzled when he was taken off television and then put in a program with Ziggler.

Credit: WWE.com

In theory, it was a logical first feud for Roode considering Ziggler has worked with a ton of new talent over the past year, but they didn't have the slightest bit of chemistry during their initial encounter at Hell in a Cell. It was a mediocre match at best, and despite scoring the win, The Glorious One came across like an afterthought.

The rivalry continued to underwhelm in the weeks that followed, giving fans the impression Roode was destined to fail before being given a chance to succeed. Thankfully, his exceptional performance in Tuesday's 2-out-of-3 Falls match is a sign WWE views him as a future top-tier star.

Joining him on the SmackDown side at Survivor Series will be Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and team captain Shane McMahon. Officials wouldn't have slotted Roode alongside those iconic individuals if they didn't have plans to push him prominently in the months ahead, so it is an obvious endorsement of him by the company.

That squad doesn't even include the likes of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal, who also bolster SmackDown's star power these days. Roode could easily be lost in the shuffle among the aforementioned athletes, but he has instead been able to regain lost momentum as he eyes championship gold.

Beyond Survivor Series, Roode should continue his gradual ascent to the top of the card and prove his worth as a potential player in the main event scene. Before he reaches the WWE Championship picture, he would benefit from challenging for the United States Championship and possibly taking the title from Baron Corbin.

Corbin is tied up in an awfully basic storyline with Sin Cara that isn't going anywhere fast. As fellow Bleacher Report columnist Ryan Dilbert recently discussed, Sin Cara's sudden push is a misguided move, especially as it has him in a spot that would be better reserved for Roode.

Competing against elite talent such as Mahal, Owens and Orton would solidify him as a star on the rise, but developing Roode's character would be a major help to him as well. All the audience knows about him is that he intends to make SmackDown "glorious" but not much else beyond that.

Those who followed his career in NXT and even in Impact Wrestling are aware of the depth he had and the range he showed as a heel. That was undoubtedly the role that suited him best, yet WWE for some reason felt it was necessary to move away from what worked previously once he arrived on SmackDown.

Sure, his theme music is befitting of a babyface and never ceases to generate a strong reaction, but as the Daily DDT Twitter account recently noted, he has barely scratched the surface in terms of what he is capable of.

Although Roode might be able to obtain some success as a babyface, he won't reach his potential until he goes heel. Walking out on his partners at Survivor Series or targeting a fan favorite such as Styles or Nakamura, both of whom he has history with, would accomplish that.

Regardless of what character he portrays for the time being, what's important is he is escaping the undercard and receiving more meaningful television time on Tuesday nights. His latest win over Ziggler doesn't erase the bad booking he's endured up to this point, but it is a step in the right direction with his heavily touted Survivor Series match quickly approaching.

Now he has overcome the early bumps in the road, Bobby Roode can start to make strides toward the main event scene—where he belongs.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.