Commitment and tactical brilliance pay off for the once reluctant superstar.

Losing sucks, which is why teams and athletes brave enough to adopt bold strategies often succeed. The Houston Astros, New England Patriots, and Barry Bonds are among the noble franchises and players that best exemplify this approach, becoming winners.

On Raw this week, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell were winners. Hartwell’s decision to stop being a passive mope and fully commit to victory led to her team’s success in a rematch from their April Fool’s loss to Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri two weeks ago.

Hartwell quickly leveled up here after recovering from a Perfect-plex by Dupri. Hartwell rose and struck her rival from behind as Dupri forgot the most important rule in combat: protect yourself at all times. Then, in the waning moments of the bout, Hartwell distracted the referee as Dupri tagged out, nullifying the tag. As the official worked to get Nile out of the ring, Hartwell blasted Dupri with a boot to the face, then slyly neutralized Nile, allowing LeRae to pick up the win.

Hartwell’s brilliance was reminiscent of the Andersons and the Midnight Express, also recognized winners in the genre of pro wrestling.

Unfortunately, the pair were met by noted hater-turned-interviewer Cathy Kelley, who tried to get Hartwell to atone for her behavior. However, LeRae, who wasn’t having any of it, made sure to have her partner’s back.

“We don’t have to defend ourselves, okay? Do football teams defend themselves when they take a strategic timeout? No, it’s called strategy, okay? We don’t have to defend being winners, okay? It is what it is, we’re winners,” said LeRae during Raw Talk.

Some may question the tactics employed by LeRae and now Hartwell in recent weeks, going so far as to bust out the big C-word: CHEATING. Even if that’s what one wants to call it, according to WWE Hall of Famers like Jesse Ventura and Eddie Guerrero, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

LeRae and Hartwell showed exceptional effort on Raw this week, leading to a victory. Their win contradicts the saying “Cheaters never win,” suggesting that whoever said that is likely overly righteous, without so much as a participation trophy to their name.