Christa Podsedly is a former college gymnast best known as the wife of American professional wrestler Scott Steiner, whose real name is Scott Rechsteiner. Also known as Christa Rechsteiner, she competed in women’s gymnastics at SUNY Cortland, where she received the university’s 1995–96 Red Letter Award. She later became publicly involved in a Shoney’s restaurant franchise in Acworth, Georgia, alongside her husband.
Although her name is frequently associated with Steiner’s wrestling career, Christa has a documented athletic background and business history of her own. University archives establish her participation in collegiate gymnastics, while original company announcements from 2016 record her involvement in the couple’s restaurant venture and include statements attributed directly to her.
Her public story also extends into wrestling documentaries and the sporting careers of her two sons, Brock and Brandon Rechsteiner. Together, these records provide a clearer account of Christa’s life than the personal details often repeated in celebrity biographies.
Key takeaways
- Christa Podsedly is Scott Steiner’s wife. Shoney’s identified the couple as Scott and Christa Rechsteiner in an official announcement dated February 16, 2016.
- She was a college gymnast. SUNY Cortland’s archives identify her in 1994 team photographs, and its athletics records name her as the 1995–96 women’s gymnastics Red Letter Award recipient.
- She participated in a restaurant venture. Christa appeared alongside Scott in Shoney’s 2016 announcement concerning a new franchise in Acworth, Georgia.
- Their relationship dates back to the late 1990s. According to Greg Oliver’s account of a 2024 A&E documentary, they met at a gym in 1998 and married in 2000.
- They have two sons, Brock and Brandon Rechsteiner. University athletics records confirm their family relationship, while Brandon was named a Kansas State basketball team captain in September 2026.
Christa Podsedly profile summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Christa Podsedly |
| Also known as | Christa Rechsteiner |
| Known for | Collegiate gymnastics, involvement in a Shoney’s restaurant venture, and marriage to Scott Steiner |
| College athletics | SUNY Cortland women’s gymnastics |
| Athletic recognition | 1995–96 women’s gymnastics Red Letter Award |
| Husband | Scott Rechsteiner, professionally known as Scott Steiner |
| Marriage | Reported as taking place in 2000 in coverage of A&E’s Biography: WWE Legends |
| Children | Brock and Brandon Rechsteiner |
| Documented business involvement | Shoney’s franchise in Acworth, Georgia, announced in February 2016 |
| Restaurant grand opening | April 12, 2016 |
| Restaurant closure | Announced in August 2020 |
| Documentary appearance | Reported appearance in A&E’s Biography: WWE Legends — The Steiner Brothers, aired June 30, 2024 |
Early life and college gymnastics background
Before her association with professional wrestling became a subject of public interest, Christa Podsedly was involved in collegiate athletics at the State University of New York at Cortland.
The university’s digital archives preserve two women’s gymnastics team photographs dated 1994, both identifying Christa by name. In one photograph, she appears in the front row alongside teammates Vicky Plitt, Becky Santo, Dana Newman, and Liz Carballo. A second photograph places her in the back row with other members of the team.
These institutional photographs establish her participation in the university’s gymnastics programme during that period. They also provide a historical record of Christa under her maiden name, long before she was publicly identified as Christa Rechsteiner.
The photographs can be found in SUNY Cortland’s women’s gymnastics archive.
Her 1995–96 Red Letter Award
Christa’s most clearly documented individual athletic distinction came during the 1995–96 season, when SUNY Cortland named her its women’s gymnastics Red Letter Award recipient.
The Red Letter Award is part of the university’s athletics recognition system. Historically, the awards have recognized team Most Valuable Players, although the university explains that considerations such as leadership, development, and athletic ability have also formed part of the selection process.
Receiving the award placed Christa among the athletes formally recognized by Cortland’s athletics department for that season.
The university’s published recipient list identifies her by name, making this a specific institutional achievement rather than a general claim about her interest in sports.
The award does not, by itself, establish that she served as team captain or won a national championship. Those distinctions require separate records.
Her gymnastics background nevertheless adds an important dimension to her biography. Christa participated in organized university sport and received formal recognition before the later public attention surrounding her husband’s wrestling career.
The award remains documented in the SUNY Cortland women’s gymnastics Red Letter Awards record.
A lasting connection to athletics
Christa’s association with college sport also appears in a much later source.
Kansas State University’s basketball biography of her son Brandon Rechsteiner identifies his mother as a former gymnast at Cortland State.
That reference is significant because it connects the historical SUNY Cortland records under the name Christa Podsedly with the later public identity of Christa Rechsteiner.
It also shows that her athletic background continued to appear in official family biographies decades after her college gymnastics participation.
While various online profiles describe additional academic qualifications and positions within the gymnastics team, the university records provide a firmer basis for describing her sporting history. Her documented participation and Red Letter Award are substantial facts without needing to assign her unsupported credentials.
How Christa Podsedly met Scott Steiner
Christa’s relationship with professional wrestler Scott Steiner brought her into a family already widely recognized by wrestling audiences.
Scott Steiner, born Scott Rechsteiner, became known for his athletic wrestling style, muscular appearance, and outspoken television character. His career included appearances in major professional wrestling organizations such as World Championship Wrestling and WWE.
Alongside his brother Rick Steiner, whose real name is Robert Rechsteiner, Scott formed the Steiner Brothers tag team.
The brothers became established names in professional wrestling and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022.
Christa’s connection to Scott developed during the later years of his prominent wrestling career.
Their reported first meeting in 1998
An account of how Christa and Scott met appeared in A&E’s documentary series Biography: WWE Legends.
The episode examining the Steiner Brothers aired on June 30, 2024.
In a review published that same day, wrestling journalist Greg Oliver reported that Christa and Scott met at a gym in 1998. According to Oliver’s description of the documentary, Christa noticed Scott’s smile.
The account offers a rare glimpse of the relationship before their marriage, particularly because it comes from coverage of a documentary featuring members of the Steiner family rather than an anonymous celebrity-profile narrative.
Oliver also reported that the programme described the couple marrying in 2000.
The specific date sometimes circulated online, June 7, 2000, is less securely established than the marriage year reported in the documentary coverage.
The meeting and marriage account is documented in Greg Oliver’s review for Slam Wrestling.
Scott Steiner’s public persona and family life
Scott’s wrestling character, particularly during his years performing as Big Poppa Pump, became known for aggressive interviews, confrontational behavior, and an imposing physical presentation.
The 2024 A&E documentary considered how the Steiner brothers’ personal histories intersected with their wrestling careers.
According to Oliver’s review, Christa appeared in the programme and discussed how Scott behaved differently at home from the personality viewers saw in professional wrestling.
Rick Steiner also commented on Christa’s relationship with his brother.
These accounts offer some personal context without providing a complete picture of the couple’s private life.
For wrestling audiences familiar mainly with Scott’s television persona, Christa’s participation in the documentary introduced a perspective from someone who knew him outside the ring.
The episode itself is listed by A&E as Biography: WWE Legends — The Steiner Brothers.
The documentary’s family material also helps explain why Christa occasionally appears in wrestling-related coverage even though she did not build a publicly documented career as a professional wrestler.
Christa Podsedly’s involvement in the Shoney’s restaurant business
The most substantial public business episode associated with Christa occurred in 2016, when Scott Steiner became involved in opening a new Shoney’s restaurant in Acworth, Georgia.
Shoney’s was an established American casual-dining chain with a history dating back to 1947. Its restaurants were known for family dining, traditional American meals, and buffet-style offerings.
During the 2010s, the company was pursuing a revitalization strategy that included redesigned restaurants, updated menus, and an increased focus on franchise partnerships.
The Acworth location formed part of that wider effort.
The February 2016 franchise announcement
On February 16, 2016, Shoney’s announced that Scott Steiner and his wife Christa were involved in developing a new restaurant in Acworth.
The announcement identified Scott by both his wrestling name and his legal surname, Rechsteiner. It also named Christa directly and included a statement attributed to her.
The planned restaurant covered approximately 6,000 square feet and incorporated features intended to distinguish it from older Shoney’s locations.
These included a full-service bar, private dining space, televisions, updated dining facilities, and areas displaying professional wrestling memorabilia.
The wrestling memorabilia connected the business to Scott’s entertainment career, while the restaurant’s larger concept reflected Shoney’s effort to modernize its brand.
For Christa, the announcement provided a documented public association with a commercial project outside professional wrestling.
Her precise legal ownership share and day-to-day management responsibilities were not specified in the published material. The April grand-opening announcement identified Scott as the owner while continuing to describe Christa’s participation in the couple’s venture.
That distinction matters when assessing her business experience. She was publicly associated with the franchise and spoke about it on the company’s behalf, but the announcements do not establish that she independently managed its finances, staffing, or operations.
The original announcement was distributed through PR Newswire on February 16, 2016.
What Christa said about the restaurant
Christa’s remarks in the February announcement provide one of the clearest examples of her own publicly attributed statements.
Discussing the restaurant’s connection to the local community, she said:
> “We feel truly blessed to open a Shoney’s where we live and our kids go to school.”
The comment establishes how Christa publicly described the venture at the time: as a restaurant project connected to the community in which the couple were raising their children.
She also spoke positively about Shoney’s menu changes, fresh ingredients, and redesigned interiors.
Those remarks appeared in company promotional material, so they represent her published endorsement of the business rather than an independent assessment of its quality or commercial performance.
A second announcement, issued on April 7, 2016, again included comments attributed to Christa.
This time, she discussed the restaurant’s local reception and the need for a family-friendly dining destination in the area.
The announcement also said that Scott and Christa had wanted to open a Shoney’s for years.
That description provides some context for the couple’s connection to the brand, although it does not establish the precise date when they began planning the project.
Taken together, the two company statements show that Christa had a publicly identified role in presenting the restaurant to customers and the surrounding community.
The April statement is preserved in the Shoney’s grand-opening announcement distributed through RestaurantNewsRelease.com.
The Acworth restaurant’s grand opening
The restaurant held its public grand-opening celebration on April 12, 2016.
This date refers to the formal celebration, rather than necessarily the first day customers were served. The original February announcement had anticipated an opening in early March, and the April company statement referred to the reception the new restaurant had already received.
The celebration brought together the company’s business plans, Scott’s wrestling connections, and local community figures.
Journalist Tim Darnell reported on the event for Patch in an article published on April 13 and updated the following day.
According to Darnell, both Scott and Christa attended the celebration.
Professional wrestlers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were among the guests, providing a connection to Scott’s years in the wrestling industry.
Shoney’s leadership and Acworth officials also participated, including Mayor Tommy Allegood.
The mayor presented ceremonial keys during the event, while the presence of wrestling personalities drew attention to the new restaurant.
These details make the opening one of the more clearly documented public appearances involving Christa and Scott together.
The restaurant was a local commercial venture, but Scott’s wrestling reputation helped give its opening a wider entertainment dimension.
Darnell’s account is available in Patch’s April 2016 grand-opening report.
Community involvement during the restaurant years
The April 7, 2016 Shoney’s announcement also described Christa as volunteering with the local parent-teacher association.
In the same announcement, Scott was described as coaching sixth-grade football.
These details connected the restaurant’s public presentation to the couple’s activities in the local community.
They also help explain the emphasis on family dining in Christa’s promotional statements.
The PTA description concerns her activities as reported in 2016. It does not establish that she held an official leadership position within the organization or continued volunteering in later years.
Still, the contemporary statement identifies a specific form of community participation during the period when the couple were developing the restaurant.
Why the Shoney’s restaurant closed in 2020
The Acworth Shoney’s venture ended in August 2020, approximately four years after its public grand-opening celebration.
Contemporary reports from ComicBook.com and Wrestling Inc. described a closure announcement published through the restaurant’s Facebook presence.
According to those reports, the business attributed its decision to close to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement thanked customers for their support during the restaurant’s years of operation.
The closure occurred during a period when restaurants throughout the United States faced major disruptions associated with pandemic restrictions, changing customer behavior, and operating difficulties.
Those broader conditions provide context, although the restaurant’s own statement remains the basis for attributing its particular closure to COVID-19.
No detailed public financial account accompanies the closure reporting, so the available material does not establish the restaurant’s profitability or the precise financial pressures it experienced.
The announcement was covered by ComicBook.com on August 2, 2020.
Following the closure, Wrestling Inc. reported that Scott had discussed plans to open a sports bar.
The statement concerned a proposed future venture, however, rather than an established successor business.
For Christa’s biography, the Acworth restaurant remains an identifiable business episode with a documented announcement, public launch, direct statements attributed to her, and eventual closure.
It demonstrates her participation in a public commercial venture during a defined period, without requiring assumptions about the couple’s finances or her individual operational role.
Christa’s public appearances and family-related statements
Christa has occasionally appeared in wrestling-related coverage when events involving Scott or the Steiner family attracted attention.
One example came in March 2020, when Scott was hospitalized during a wrestling-related engagement.
On March 7, WrestleZone published an article describing a social-media statement attributed to Christa Rechsteiner.
According to the report, she thanked wrestling personnel and emergency responders who had helped Scott.
The publication reproduced the attribution to her account, although the original social-media post was not independently available through the later public record.
This was a specific public response to an event involving her husband, rather than evidence of a broader media or professional role.
Another public reference appeared in Scott’s March 11, 2025 interview with Chris Van Vliet.
During the conversation, Scott discussed his career, family, and the next generation of wrestlers.
When asked what he was grateful for, he answered:
> “My wife and 2 kids.”
The statement was brief, but it directly identified his wife and children as important parts of his life in his own account.
The interview also discussed the sporting paths of his sons and the wider Steiner family’s connections to professional wrestling.
The conversation is available through Chris Van Vliet’s original interview publication.
Christa and Scott Steiner’s children
Christa and Scott Steiner have two sons, Brock and Brandon Rechsteiner.
Their family relationship is documented in university athletics biographies, including records published by Virginia Tech and Kansas State.
Both sons pursued competitive sport, although their athletic paths developed in different disciplines.
Brock Rechsteiner’s football career
Brock, the older son, played college football at Jacksonville State.
His athletic career subsequently brought him into the professional football system.
On May 12, 2026, the New Orleans Saints recorded Brock’s signing.
The team’s official transactions later listed him as placed on Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner on August 30, 2026.
That designation describes his documented roster status at the research cutoff and should not be confused with a straightforward statement that he was waived.
Brock’s football career is relevant to Christa’s biography mainly because it provides an independently documented part of the family’s sporting history.
It does not establish that Christa served as his coach, professional representative, or career manager.
Brandon Rechsteiner’s basketball career
Brandon followed a basketball career rather than football or professional wrestling.
He appeared in Virginia Tech’s college basketball programme before joining Kansas State.
Both universities’ athletics records identify Scott and Christa as his parents.
Kansas State’s biography also describes Christa’s earlier gymnastics involvement, making it a useful source connecting her sporting background with her son’s college career.
On September 24, 2026, Kansas State announced that Brandon had been selected as one of three captains for the 2026–27 men’s basketball season.
The other captains named in the announcement were Jaden Schutt and Brock Vice.
The selection was a current sporting milestone for Brandon, rather than an individual achievement by Christa.
It nevertheless illustrates the continued presence of competitive athletics in the family’s public record.
The captaincy announcement was published by Kansas State Athletics.
How the family relates to Bron Breakker
Another name frequently associated with the Steiner family is WWE wrestler Bron Breakker.
Bron Breakker, whose real name is Bronson Rechsteiner, is the son of Rick Steiner.
That makes him Scott Steiner’s nephew and a member of Christa’s extended family through marriage.
He is not one of Christa and Scott’s two sons.
This distinction is useful because articles covering the Steiner wrestling family often discuss Scott, Rick, Bron, Brock, and Brandon together.
Their shared surname and overlapping sporting careers can make the relationships difficult to follow.
WWE’s 2022 Hall of Fame coverage identifies the relevant family connections.
What is publicly known about Christa Podsedly in 2026?
As of October 10, 2026, Christa Podsedly remains publicly identifiable through her college gymnastics record, the historical Shoney’s venture, and institutional biographies concerning her family.
The most recent dated references largely concern the athletic careers of Brock and Brandon, rather than a newly announced position or independent project for Christa.
Kansas State’s 2026–27 basketball biography continues to identify her as Brandon Rechsteiner’s mother and a former Cortland gymnast.
Her appearance described in the 2024 A&E documentary also provides a more recent public account of her relationship with Scott than the restaurant announcements from 2016.
The available public information does not establish a current occupation or another business venture following the closure of the Acworth Shoney’s.
That should not be taken to mean she has stopped working or participating in other activities. It simply limits what can responsibly be stated about her professional life in 2026.
Her documented biography is therefore built around several distinct periods: collegiate athletics in the 1990s, marriage and family life connected to Scott Steiner, public involvement in the Acworth restaurant from 2016 to 2020, and later appearances or references in wrestling and university sports coverage.
Each contributes a different part of the public account.
Christa Podsedly’s place in the Steiner family story
Christa Podsedly is widely recognized because of her marriage to Scott Steiner, but that connection does not explain the whole of her documented background.
Her 1995–96 SUNY Cortland Red Letter Award records an individual athletic achievement from years before the restaurant venture. The 2016 Shoney’s announcements establish her participation in a specific business project and preserve comments attributed directly to her about the restaurant’s local significance.
The 2024 A&E documentary account adds limited personal context, while university athletics records identify her connection to the next generation of the Steiner family.
These different records also help distinguish Christa from the wrestling personalities with whom she is associated. Scott’s achievements belong to his professional wrestling career, and Brock and Brandon’s sporting milestones belong to theirs.
Christa’s own public history is narrower, but it contains identifiable accomplishments and activities that deserve to be described accurately.
For readers searching Christa Podsedly, the essential answer is clear: she is Scott Steiner’s wife, a former SUNY Cortland gymnast recognized by her university, and a documented participant in the couple’s former Shoney’s restaurant venture in Georgia. Her story is best understood through those established events rather than assumptions about the private life of a wrestling celebrity’s family.