Sonjay Dutt was an accomplished wrestler.
Dutt started wrestling in 2000, but most fans will associate the 42-year-old with TNA Wrestling. The former TNA star was one of the big names in the X-Division and Dutt had classic matches against names such as Chris Sabin and Austin Aries. Dutt won the X-Division title once in his TNA career, but that wasn’t the only promotion where he made his mark.
The retired star wrestled across the globe; Combat Zone Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Zero1 are just some of the indies where he cemented his legacy within the wrestling industry. However, Dutt’s aerial moveset was in the high risk, high reward category. He wasn’t particularly insane like young Ricochet or Will Ospreay, but we’ve seen the toll high risk offense takes on professional wrestlers.
His last match was in 2017 against Jonathan Gresham for the Powerbomb.tv Championship at a NOVA Pro Wrestling event. Dutt ultimately retired because of injuries and was forced to switch into a backstage role. He’s previously spoken about his chances of returning to the ring and has made it clear that he has no intentions doing so:
"There will be zero chance that I will be returning to the ring," Dutt explained on the "AEW Unrestricted" podcast. "Let's put it like this – If I was fixed physically, if my body was 100%, that would be something I would consider. But until that happens, there's no way I'm getting in the ring."
The former pro wrestler has been working with AEW since 2021, and Dutt has even had an onscreen role as a manager. The former X-Division Champion surely misses getting back into that squared circle, but he’s come to terms with never wrestling again:
"I have totally made peace with that. I made peace with that towards the last couple of years of me 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. 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," he said to Mike Jones.
Dutt talks to Jones about his role in AEW and Tony Khan, working with Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, and Satnam Singh, why it’s so fun to be a heel, and so much more regarding his career.