Three clues that WWE are planning AJ Styles vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania

It is January 2019, and there is still plenty of jockeying for position when it comes to the Wrestlemania 35 card, which will take place on April 7, 2019 from East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Rumours abound of potential main event matches such as: Becky Lynch versus Ronda Rousey or Batista versus Triple H but in truth very little is set in stone so far when it comes to the biggest show of the year.

Two men who are guaranteed to have marquee matches at Wrestlemania 35 are former WWE Champions, AJ Styles and The Undertaker.

Reports on a potential match between Styles and Orton and Undertaker and Shawn Michaels have gone very quiet which could hint at a possible change of direction for both.

So, could "The Phenomenal One" and "The Phenom" lock horns?

There were rumours of a potential match-up between Styles and Undertaker as long ago as 2016 when a title match was rumoured between then champion Styles and 'Taker for Royal Rumble 2017 or Wrestlemania 33. Neither occurred.

Instead, Styles faced John Cena yet again in a WWE Championship where he dropped the strap to Cena, rather pointlessly, as Cena lost the title to a directionless Bray Wyatt two weeks later, and then faced Shane McMahon of all people at Wrestlemania that year.

Undertaker competed in the 'Rumble match and main event 'Mania opposite Roman Reigns, losing and apparently retiring after the bout.

After the match failed to perform, 'Taker returned to face Cena in a two minute squash at Wrestlemania 34 and competed in a few more matches throughout 2018. He has yet to formally retire, which suggests he will compete again in April

Could 2019 be the year where we finally see the dream match of Styles versus Undertaker in WWE?

Styles certainly hopes so. He has gone on record to say that he would love to face Undertaker but these decisions are not made by him.

They aren't but are the power players of WWE listening? Are they planning on booking Styles versus Undertaker at Wrestlemania?

SK investigates whether WWE have dropped clues regarding the potential clash already.

#3 Zero interaction between Styles and Randy Orton

Orton vs Styles appears to be off the table for Wrestlemania

The big rumour at the tail end of 2018 was that AJ Styles would clash with former 13 time WWE World Champion, Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 35.

That would be an intriguing contest and would have been a first time ever bout between the pair on pay per view (they have clashed previously on Smackdown). However, at time of writing there has been no indication of a collision course between the pair. Styles is still feuding with WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan and Orton has only just returned to television, declaring himself as a Royal Rumble participant with a well timed RKO on Samoa Joe at the conclusion of the January 23, 2019 episode of Smackdown Live.

Orton seems to be settled into an upper mid card role with the likes of Joe, Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio at present with zero hints that he will be elevated above that in the near future.

Would a win over Orton really count that much for a bonafide headliner in Styles in 2019 anyway?

WWE do not appear to be working towards a Styles versus Orton collision any longer. Plans appear to have changed.

#2 The Undertaker needs a marquee opponent

The Undertaker: Likely to compete at Wrestlemania

The Undertaker made an unexpected return to WWE at Wrestlemania 34 last year, after his apparent retirement the previous year.

Rumours surfaced at the time that 'Taker was unhappy with the quality of and tepid live crowd reaction to his supposed retirement bout with Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 33 and wanted to return and deliver much improved in-ring performances before hanging up the boots for good.

It hasn't worked out well so far. 'Taker's showing opposite Rusev in a Casket Match at The Greatest Royal Rumble show was decidedly average and his bouts with Triple H at Super Show-Down and with Kane opposite "The Game" and Shawn Michaels at Crown Jewel were a complete calamity.

Undertaker looked immobile and way past his prime and his veteran opponents could not hide his weaknesses. Suddenly reports of another singles bout between 'Taker and Michaels disappeared and the "Deadman's" future appears up in the air.

However, given that Undertaker was not happy with the Reigns's match being his swansong, there is no way he will end his career with the Crown Jewel embarrassment.

'Taker has not contested a good match in over three years; ever since his Hell in a Cell match with Brock Lesnar in 2015 and his last memorable Wrestlemania encounter came versus CM Punk, nearly six years ago in April 2013.

Suffice to say, 'Taker needs a superlative worker to draw one more classic performance out of him so he can retire on top. Styles fits the bill perfectly.

#1 Vince McMahon storyline has echoes of Undertaker vs Randy Orton from 2005

Vince McMahon challenges AJ Styles to be more aggressive

Finally, the biggest clue that we have regarding a possible AJ Styles versus The Undertaker match at Wrestlemania is that the current Vince McMahon/Styles storyline bears more than a passing resemblance to a story WWE told with Randy Orton, ironically enough, way back in 2005.

At the time, Orton was coming off decisive World title defeats to former mentor, Triple H and was left directionless and dispirited in storyline (and likely in real life too, as his main event push was botched and his spot in the Wrestlemania 21 headliner was taken by Batista instead).

Cue, the appearance of WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE Champion, Superstar Billy Graham who appeared on Raw to inspire and light a fire in the depressed Orton and boldly challenged the youngster to "go where no wrestler had gone before." Orton took the advice on board and subsequently vowed to end The Undertaker's Wrestlemania undefeated streak.

Randy Orton came within a whisker of defeating Undertaker at Wrestlemania 21

Orton came within a millisecond of defeating the "Deadman" at Wrestlemania 21 when he reversed a chokeslam into an RKO. Billy Graham's pep talk is eerily similar to McMahon's appeal to AJ Styles on Smackdown, wherein the CEO told Styles that he had "gone soft."

Superstar Billy Graham appealed to Orton "to go where no one had gone before"

Styles responded by laying out McMahon and has been linked with WWE's boss in the storyline ever since. Suffice to say that McMahon does not work with stars on television without big plans in their future.

Could WWE be revisiting their own storylines and setting Styles up to face The Undertaker? It remains to be seen but in the opinion of this writer, Styles/Undertaker will be one of the featured bouts at Wrestlemania 35.