In his post-wrestling life, Dean Muhtadi (former WWE wrestler Mojo Rawley) is working to help others who are still active in the business.
Muhtadi and his business partner Steven Kaye launched Paragon Talent Group in 2021. The talent agency represents wrestlers and helps them negotiate contracts and land advertisement deals. Along with that, Muhtadi told The Takedown on SI that they’ve helped to secure visas for clients. That’s an issue international wrestlers often run into when they’re released from a major promotion that had sponsored their visa.
“We do visas for the international talent, which we’re very proud of as well,” Muhtadi said. “When people get that call from the bigs and they’re now fired, they not are only losing their employment, but they also have to leave the country and go back to where they came from. Some of these people have spouses or significant others, I should say lives that have been established here. And to lose everything simultaneously is tough. So, you know, we’ve worked really hard to pivot based off of what our talent need.”
Muhtadi added that, with his wrestling background, he is able to help relate to clients and help them with what they’re going through.
Some of what we do isn’t just negotiating the contract, but it’s coming up with creative and being that sounding board. Sometimes it’s getting in the ring and training with these guys or girls before big upcoming shows.
“Sometimes it is venting. Sometimes it might be assistance with financial advice. Making sure talent know that this isn’t going to last forever and you’re making this money, but you got to be smart with it,” he said. “You got to invest it from the start and that’s how you end up having more money when you’re done than the people that were making multiples of your salary while you were still in the game.”
Paragon is working with TJPW, CMLL, House of Glory, Stardom, and Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling to stage Slam Fest in Las Vegas during WrestleMania 42 weekend. As for his own in-ring status, Muhtadi said he’s retired as a full-time wrestler but would consider another match if the right opportunity came up.
“I think I’m done with an in-ring career full-time,” he told The Takedown on SI. “Never say never. If we have one really good opportunity, and I’ll be straight up, it’s likely going to be an event that Paragon puts on. That would warrant a comeback for one night, but I think at this point, a full-time return to an in-ring career is just not possible.”
