Extreme Wrestler Matt Jellison lives in Tucson, Ariz., and works 12-hour shifts in the intensive care unit at St. Joseph's Hospital as a patient care technician and is training to be a registered nurse. He wears AFO leg braces that help him not only to walk but to enjoy activities such as jet skiing. He's experienced a loss of grip and dexterity in his hands but hasn't let that prevent him from performing medical tasks such as doing CPR or drawing blood. Jellison is involved in extreme wrestling as a manager, promoter, announcer and, on occasion, as a wrestler. The wrestling that people see on TV doesn't qualify as extreme.
Extreme wrestling relies on high drama, conflict and bizarre gimmicks.
One idea Jellison implemented was to string barbed wire around the ring. Another that he's working on involves having live scorpions in the ring. At an MDA event, an extreme match involved a loud wrestler who badmouthed people with disabilities, saying they couldn't carry their weight in society and should be packed off to an island. The match culminated when Jellison picked up the loudmouth and threw him through a table, to enthusiastic applause. It's all salesmanship and showmanship.