In Alabasta, the local rebellion led by Kohza fails so Strawhats can shine and succeed where others failed.
In Skypiea, the local rebellion led by Wyper fails so Strawhats can shine and succeed where others failed.
In Marineford, the mighty Whitebeard pirates fail to save Ace so Luffy can shine and succeed where they failed.
In Dressorsa, the local rebellion led by Kyros, fails to beat Doffy, as well as Law who had personal grudge, so SHs can shine and succeed.
In Wano, local rebellion spearheaded by Scabbards fails to beat Kaido so Strawhats can shine and succeed where others failed.
Yeah, of course the Revs' leaders aren't going to beat Imu 1 on 1 or anything lol, Luffy is the MC, but they're likely going to support the Straw Hats to victory, rather than just losing on their own. And their planning will be central to the Straw Hats being able to win as well, similar to how Law/Kyros and the Scabbards enabled the SH to win, by coming up with competent plans in their respective arcs- even when Luffy doesn't follow the plan, his unpredictability works off of those plans as a launching point to make everything work for the story in the end, but the plans themselves are still crucial to how the pieces get put into place and how the story events progress. For example, most of the New World and Dressrosa in specific doesn't even happen if Law doesn't come up with the Caesar hostage plan to begin with. The raid, and all the preparation for it, was also set up by the Scabbards, their connections in Wano, and Law himself.
Also, in the cases you listed, the revolutions don't outright lose collectively though. Individuals can lose their 1 on 1s and Luffy will have to step up to beat the big bad group's leader, but the rebel forces collectively outlive the ordeal and go on to establish a new order afterwards (outside of Marineford, where Luffy himself only succeeded temporarily as well). And in every case since Skypiea, the rebels actively recruit Luffy & the Straw Hats to be on their side once they come into contact with them, so their victory can't be separated from his. It's like if someone said "Lebron won but the Lakers lost" after he carried them to a win, you could say it if you want to but that wouldn't change the standings.
It just makes more sense if the SH/Revs team up together for the Revs' last battle with the WG, and Luffy defeats Imu but with the support of the revs and their plans. Revs don't outright lose, but they need Luffy to win, and end up creating the governing structure after the war (like Gan Fall/Wyper with Skypiea's "God's Guards" and the way Skypiea's society works now).
You understood
