#2 To not have Charlotte suffer a clean defeat
Daniel Bryan suffered a clean loss to Brock Lesnar in the main event of Survivor Series, after a very competitive match. Obviously, Lesnar has been portrayed as the more dominant champion, in this particular case. However, WWE has always protected Charlotte Flair and this heel turn could have been a means to do so.
By having her lose by pinfall, she would have lost some of her sheen. By having her tap out on pay-per-view, she would have felt a lot less special than the way she's been portrayed. The SmackDown Live women's division revolves around Charlotte Flair after all.
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Remember that this is the same woman that ended Asuka's undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34, this year. Charlotte has always been portrayed as a special performer and this heel turn protected her.