Why was dogfighting a thing?

Acheron said:

From what I understand, the narrower definition of dogfighting means aircraft trying to out-turn each other and getting behind the opponent to shoot him down. For this, maneuverability is paramount. In WWII, aircraft designed for this were to my knowledge repeatedly defeated by aircraft focusing on speed instead of agility and using boom-and-zoom tactics and "energy management".

I think I get this, with the faster aircraft, you go in fast on the enemy, make a strafing pass and get out before he can retaliate, that is basically the idea right? But what I don't understan, why was maneuver-focussed dogfighting ever a thing then? How was it in WWI? The triplanes sacrificed speed for agility, why weren't they dispatched by less maneuverable but faster aircraft using such tactics?

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