A Potential Second Loss for Sting Hurts His Value to WWE

On Monday's Raw, Sting earned his first win in a WWE ring.

Sting's first televised match with WWE received a deserved amount of hype considering it was announced that night. Based on typical WWE booking, however, Sting's tag team victory over Rollins indicates that he may not be as fortunate Sunday at Night of Champions.

Following a deflating loss to Triple H at WrestleMania 32, a second consecutive pay-per-view loss for Sting would be a crushing blow to the Sting character. The loss would be equally as devastating against a worn-out Rollins in his second match of the night, which will detract from the mystique that WWE has carefully protected since his debut.

WWE put itself in an awkward situation by opting for Sting as Rollins' next challenger. As a special attraction who works a lighter schedule than both Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, it's not feasible for Sting to carry a WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Barring a surprising win by Sting, WWE is left with multiple unpopular decisions.

A disqualification victory for Sting is a distinct possibility. This way, WWE would avoid doing further damage to Sting so early in his stint with the company. Such a decision, however, would also be a poor choice for a main event on pay-per-view.

Following the controversial finish to Undertaker-Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam and the non-finish to Rollins-Lesnar at Battleground, WWE would be establishing a very negative pattern with yet another questionable finish.

If Sheamus successfully cashes in his Money in the Bank contract, this would begin a buildup to a seemingly inevitable feud between Triple H and Rollins.

Rollins' retaining would give way to continued entitlement, with the young champion eventually getting too big for his britches. A potential Sheamus cash-in orchestrated by Triple H would cause more immediate, direct tension.

WWE will once again have its hands full with two major characters who need to be protected. The match represents a major crossroads in Sting's WWE career, and both should be handled with care.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.