Sonjay Dutt Talks Swapping WWE Production Role For AEW

In the build to Ring of Honor’s upcoming Death before Dishonor 2022 PPV, Sonjay Dutt has been front and centre of proceedings, helping call the shots in Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh’s war against Samoa Joe.

It’s a definite change for Dutt, who until 2021 was working as a backstage producer for WWE, before leaving the company and subsequently winding up in AEW/ROH. Now, during an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Dutt has shed some light on why he made the change:

“Let’s just put it like this,” Dutt said. “Where I worked previously, I kind of didn’t see Sonjay Dutt fitting in with the future of that company. So I made the moves that I needed to make to feel fulfilled professionally once again. Everything kind of happens for a reason, and everything kind of worked out. Coincidentally, next week will be one year since I joined AEW. At the beginning, when you quit a job, it’s a bit taxing mentally, trying to figure out ‘Did I make the right decision? I’ve got a wife and kids.’ But I will say this — every single day in the past year, since I’ve been in AEW, I realise I made the right decision. Absolutely.”

A former TNA X Division Champion, Dutt’s in-ring days are seemingly behind him, and he revealed his least favourite aspects of being a producer:

“I’ve been a producer, coaching matches, producing matches for five plus years now,” Dutt said. “I hate when some producers and coaches will just get on the mic, get on the headset and yell and scream at the ref. Because I know that nothing’s your fault as the ref. You are relaying, you are the messenger. I just want to make clear every time I raise my voice in the headset that I mean no ill will towards any of the referees. You guys are f****** rockstars. We couldn’t do any of this without you guys. And I just want to make clear ‘Look, I’m sorry if I yell, because that earpiece is very tight in that ear and I don’t want to burst an eardrum.’”

H/T: Wrestling Inc.