WWE News Roundup - Unexpected name tipped to win the Royal Rumble 2023, Brock Lesnar's backstage talks with Madcap Moss

Welcome back to another edition of Sporstkeeda's daily WWE News Roundup; as always, we've compiled all the top stories doing the rounds in the pro wrestling world.

Royal Rumble is one of the year's biggest events, and a top female star has come out and backed a Bloodline member to emerge as the #1 contender for the world championship.

We also have all the details of what Brock Lesnar told Madcap Moss during a backstage conversation. A highly-rated star also recently returned five years after getting released from the company.

On that note, let's take a look at the day's trending stories:

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#1. Bayley wants Solo Sikoa to win the WWE Royal Rumble match

It's still early days in Solo Sikoa's main roster run, and The Bloodline's newest addition has already impressed many fans and pundits with his performances.

In an exclusive interview, Bayley recently spoke to Sportskeeda's Riju Dasgupta and tipped the 29-year-old star to win the men's Royal Rumble match next year.

While Roman Reigns' faction has maintained its dominance over the entire roster, there has been some tension between the stablemates recently, as seen in the latest SmackDown episode. Solo Sikoa has been fast-tracked to the big leagues and has already proven that he has what it takes to work under Roman Reigns.

However, a Royal Rumble win and a potential storyline with the Tribal Chief sounds like an exciting proposition. Bayley even mentioned Madcap Moss' name when talking about the favorites to win the Rumble:

"I'm gonna vote for Solo Sikoa because he's just incredible, and he's on a high right now," Bayley said. "Him or Madcap Moss. That could be a good one too." [From 10:57 to 11:08]

There is still a long way to go until WWE builds towards WrestleMania 39, and like most years, Royal Rumble 2023 could also feature a few surprises. Could Solo winning be one of them? Only time will tell.

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#2. Madcap Moss opens up on his interactions with Brock Lesnar

The Beast Incarnate is one of the most intimidating WWE stars due to his on-screen reputation. However, Lesnar is apparently quite approachable behind the scenes, as Madcap Moss has learned in WWE.

The SmackDown star spoke to WWE - Die Woche and revealed that Lesnar once "pulled him to the side" backstage and gave him some invaluable advice. Interestingly enough, Lesnar and Moss could relate to each other as they went to the University of Minnesota.

The former NXT star revealed that he never misses the chance to pick the brains of certain WWE veterans and recalled having conversations with Randy Orton as well.

"To be able to share the ring and the locker room with a guy like Randy Orton, anytime I get a chance; I'll pick his brain. As much as he is a menace, destruction machine, I've actually had Brock Lesnar pull me to the side. We both went to the University of Minnesota, and certainly, when he gave me advice, I listened. Those are just a couple of examples. There's a lot of guys in the locker room that I respect and listen to," Moss said. [H/T Fightful]

Madcap Moss has been one of the breakout singles stars of the year, and considering that he has the support of Lesnar and other legends, his WWE future looks incredibly bright.

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#3. Emma returns on SmackDown

The WWE product seems unpredictable again under Triple H, as there have been many surprises returns almost every other week. Emma (real name Tenille Dashwood) showed up on the most recent SmackDown episode and answered Ronda Rousey's open challenge.

Since her WWE release in 2017, Emma has worked for several companies and, most notably, had a memorable stint in IMPACT Wrestling. The Australian superstar wrestled her last match at the IMPACT Zone in July 2022 and was part of the free-agent market until her return on SmackDown.

Emma wrestled her first match on WWE TV in over five years and, thankfully, wasn't booked to lose a one-sided match to Ronda Rousey. The former IMPACT Wrestling star put up a commendable fight until she was left with no option but to tap out to Rousey's armbar.

The returning star might not have gotten a massive pop on SmackDown. However, she is still an excellent addition to the women's division, and it will be interesting to see how the company uses her creatively moving forward.