The PG Era Vibes of Cena vs. Punk and Rhodes vs. Orton, More WWE Raw Takes

The June 23 edition of Raw on Netflix at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio set the final card for Night of Champions with multiple huge matches.

Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso and will face Randy Orton in the finals of King of the Ring on Saturday.

Jade Cargill overcame the best effort of Roxanne Perez to book her spot in the Queen of the Ring finals against Asuka.

Karrion Kross finally talked his way into a premium live event by antagonizing Sami Zayn.

Once again, Iyo Sky was nearly a non-factor on Raw, only briefly confronted by Asuka backstage during a commercial break.

This was an eventful night that showcased WWE's plans for the summer.

PG Era Callbacks Are Carrying Night of Champions Card

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Night of Champions has a six-match card, but it will be a night primarily carried by two contests: John Cena vs. CM Punk, and Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.

Nothing else on the bill at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has the history of these contests or the potential to steal the show at the same level.

Cena vs. Punk was the greatest rivalry of the PG Era. It was a turning point that changed fans' perceptions of both men.

Coming back to it at this time is a time capsule of a rivalry that stalled out and needed a final chapter.

Rhodes vs. Orton may be even more important as it's a callback to the PG Era and a passing of the torch that both men have awaited.

The Viper was one of Rhodes' mentors in the business and gave him some of his most iconic matches of his first run in WWE.

They have yet to fight one-on-one since The American Nightmare returned and become a much bigger star. This is a chance for both men to define their present and future together.

Both will be special bouts to carry an otherwise unremarkable six-match card, especially including two contests thrown together at the last minute.

It's Time to Worry About Iyo Sky's Title Reign

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Iyo Sky delivered arguably the match of the year for WWE at WrestleMania 41 alongside Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair and rightfully retained the Women's World Championship.

Since then, The Genius of the Sky has wrestled just four matches. None of those were title defenses, and she has not competed at all since May 12.

Sky has barely appeared on television in recent weeks and has no clearly established rivals.

The Japanese star won over the audience with her incredible in-ring talent and natural charisma. Taking her out of the ring and barely highlighting her could massively hurt her popularity.

Unless Sky is dealing with an unannounced injury, there is no excuse for this booking.

With Evolution and SummerSlam coming up, the 35-year-old should be defending her gold on multiple big shows soon.

WWE must not miss these chances to highlight the woman who was the top star of her division coming out of 'Mania.

Based on her booking, though, WWE has shown little interesting in pushing or respecting one of its best workers.

Jade Cargill is Only Answer to Win Queen of the Ring

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From the start of this year's Queen of the Ring, Jade Cargill was the clearest favorite to win the tournament.

Her only competition remaining is Asuka in the finals, and even with a solid return for The Empress of Tomorrow, The Storm cannot lose to her.

Asuka has done it all in the business and can still earn a shot at the Women's World Championship without winning Queen of the Ring, especially given her history with Iyo Sky.

However, Cargill has not won anything major in WWE yet. That must change right now if she is going to seen as a serious world title contender.

Queen of the Ring should be about building future stars first. This is the best opportunity to establish The Storm as a rising threat to the world title.

The story makes perfect sense, especially with Cargill's rival, Naomi, holding the Money in the Bank briefcase.

The Glow could ruin The Storm's world title opportunity at SummerSlam to extend their rivalry through the rest of the year.

The Massive Stakes of Karrion Kross' Match vs. Sami Zayn

Even though Karrion Kross has been hounding Sami Zayn for months, it is a genuine shock that their big match will happen at a premium live event.

This may be due to recent changes to the Night of Champions card, especially Dominik Mysterio pulling out of his Intercontinental Championship match with AJ Styles.

However, it still looks out of place. This is Kross' first singles PLE match in two-and-a-half years, dating back to Crown Jewel 2022.

If the match does not stand out, it could well be Kross' last PLE match in WWE as he has struggled for years to find his place on the card.

Zayn will be good no matter what and still has a chance to be world champion in 2025. He is a proven star who rarely disappoints.

Kross must make a statement by showing he can thrive in an environment like this, competing at a level of worthy of facing a likely future world champion.