Dutt knew he had more to offer than just being a match producer.
Since wrapping up his full-time in-ring career in 2017, Sonjay Dutt has worked behind the scenes for IMPACT Wrestling, WWE and is currently with All Elite Wrestling.
In addition to his backstage role(s), Dutt is a part of a group on AEW TV that includes Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh. Speaking about that transition out of being an in-ring performer, Dutt told Renée Paquette on The Sessions podcast that present day, he’s getting more professional fulfillment out of his current role than he did as a wrestler.
Ever since I stopped wrestling, it was a weird transition. Okay, now I’ve stopped wrestling, I’m working backstage. Is this really what I wanna do? That sort of thing, and quickly I learned, yes. I love what I do backstage. Actually, I’m more fulfilled professionally working in a backstage capacity than I did going out there and wrestling.
In the summer of 2021, Dutt opted to leave WWE after being there for two years. He’s previously commented on why he left the company but added that part of the reason why is he felt he had more to offer than just being relegated to the ‘match producer’ role.
Dutt expressed to Paquette that everything he’s doing now in AEW, he was doing in IMPACT. He was not feeling fulfilled in WWE.
In 2012 is when I first kind of worked in the office at TNA, at IMPACT Wrestling so for ten years now — especially if you worked with me in WWE where I was just a match producer and that is kind of what WWE is where, okay, this is your job… Was part of the reason why I wanted to quit where I was like, look, I know in my heart of hearts I can do more than just be a match producer because before WWE, I was at IMPACT and what you see now, I did that at IMPACT and so I had all these experiences and I got to WWE, it was like, okay, you have this one segment and you’re gonna produce it and that’s it and I was like, ‘Mhm, yeah.’ I see all this other stuff where I feel I can contribute and I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled there…
Dutt was part of a sanctioned match in AEW this past July. He tagged with Lethal and Satnam Singh to face Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit The Sessions with Renée Paquette with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
