On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Elias entered his first Royal Rumble match at No. 6, lasting 26 minutes before being eliminated by John Cena. A month later, Elias competed for the first time in an Elimination Chamber match at the namesake pay–per–view, where he entered last, but was the second participant eliminated by Braun Strowman. Elias also appeared at WrestleMania 34, where he was attacked by Cena. Three weeks later, Elias competed at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, where he entered at No. 20, lasting over 30 minutes and eliminating five wrestlers before being eliminated by Bobby Lashley. Shortly after, Elias started a feud with Seth Rollins, whom he attacked with his guitar after interrupting his performance. The two eventually faced off for the Intercontinental Championship at the Money in the Bank, where Elias lost.