11 Ups & 3 Downs From Impact Wrestling (Dec 10)

As the numbers suggest, this week's Impact Wrestling was a strong episode, with the road to Hard To Kill now well underway. By no means was it a perfect night, but it most certainly was 99% of the evening.

It was a Hard To Kill-heavy episode, as every instalment should be at this stage. Sami Callihan and Tessa Blanchard each took part in a Pick Your Poison series before they collide for the World Championship on 12 January, while the challengers for the World Tag Team Championships at the pay-per-view were decided as Rich Swann and Willie Mack fought their way towards challenging The North. Michael Elgin and Taya Valkyrie also delivered stern warnings towards their opponents, Eddie Edwards and both Jordynne Grace and ODB, respectively.

In terms of the wrestling itself, the only bad portion was the opening Old School Rules Match between Rob Van Dam and Rhino. Even then, it wasn't bad in the sense that it was a terrible match, but it was far too slow to get the night started on a high. Thankfully, the action that followed was more than enough to make it a memorable evening. The Tag Team Open in particular was a sensational encounter, that saw another career-defining performance from Rich Swann.

This was easily the most enjoyable episode of Impact in quite a few weeks, just what we need to be hearing as we edge towards what will surely be another outstanding pay-per-view. Let's get to it...