Sonjay Dutt is at peace with his in-ring wrestling career being over.
Dutt has been effectively retired since 2017. He moved to a backstage role for TNA in 2017 before joining the WWE in 2019 as a producer. Sonjay Dutt left WWE and joined AEW in 2021, working backstage before being paired with Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh on television.
Sonja Dutt has wrestled twice in AEW, although they were in six-man tag matches where he had little action. He underwent a Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement surgery in September which should end any chances of him returning to the ring.
Speaking with Mike Jones, Sonjay Dutt revealed that he is at peace with his wrestling career being over. He added that his Achilles and shoulder injuries were a contributing factor, and has no complaints about his transition to a backstage role in the company.
“I have totally made peace with that. I made peace with that towards the last couple of years of being an in-ring competitor. Injuries catch up and life changes you. I have a wife and two kids. I tore my Achilles, and my shoulder was in bad shape.” Said Sonjay Dutt.
“It was just a whirlwind of everything that happened at the perfect time to where I transitioned and started learning more and more about the backstage production aspect and the office roles. Everything happens for a reason. No complaints,” Sonjay Dutt added.
Sonjay Dutt On The Reason Why He Carries Pencils
Sonjay Dutt was interviewed on The Team 980 AM where he was asked about the origin of his famous pencil.
He explained that it was like a “security blanket”, and that he uses a pencil instead of a pen in case the ink explodes in his pocket.
“That’s a great question and I’m shocked nobody’s really asked me the origins of the pencil. The actual origins of me and the pencil go back a way’s back. But the pencil behind the ear is something that I’ve done pretty much for I’d say the last 4-5 years. It was when I really adapted into a backstage role,” Dutt explained. “The first time that Jay [Lethal] and I were on camera, he looked at me and said, ‘Hey, we’re about to go live. Take that pencil out of your ear.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Oh no, it’s staying.’ And we’re off to the races from there. It’s just kinda been my thing and I’ve got to say, having that pencil there is like a security blanket at this point on TV.
“I’d always have a black or a blue pen, and it exploded in my suit jacket and I saw this big stain,” Dutt said. “I go, ‘Oh my goodness… that’s why Vince McMahon never carries a pen!’ He’s always got a pencil, and then I switched to pencils from there.”
