The 1980s and 1990s women’s fighting crown on the open sport karate circuit was pretty much in her hands. During the 1980s and 1990s, Linda Denley from Texas dominated the open sport karate circuit and held the women's fighting crown. She won all major tournaments in the USA and, in 1985, became the first American woman to win a semi-contact kickboxing world title at the WAKO World Cup in London's Wembley Centre. Linda repeated this achievement by winning the championship again in 1987 in Munich, Germany, and then again in 1990 in Mestre, Italy, becoming the first woman ever to hold three consecutive kickboxing world titles. 

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This is a record that still stands today. Linda Denley of Texas dominated the ring, winning all major tournaments in the USA. In 1985, she became the first American woman to win a semicontact kickboxing world title at the WAKO World Cup in London’s Wembley Centre. She repeated her world title performance by winning the championship again in 1987 in Munich, Germany, and then again in 1990 in Mestre, Italy, becoming the first woman ever to hold three consecutive kickboxing world titles. A record that still holds.