Rey Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in a chairs match at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on Sunday night.

Orton appeared to be setting up an RKO onto a trio of chairs he set up in the middle of the ring. Mysterio countered out of the hold and delivered a leg sweep to his opponent, with The Viper's head hitting the chairs instead.

With Orton seated, Mysterio rolled him up into a pinning combination, and he was unable to kick out before the three-count.

One of the highlights of the match came when Mysterio used a chair to slide out of the ring and land on Orton:

The pair have been at odds for the past several weeks, and their feud became deeply personal.

Mysterio took a beating after upsetting The Viper in the WWE World Cup tournament, and Orton then proceeded to make the diminutive Superstar's life miserable in subsequent weeks.

Orton even went so far as to steal Mysterio's mask, which is the ultimate sign of disrespect in the world of lucha libre.

With the heat turned up significantly in their rivalry, they both got even more vicious by attacking each other with steel chairs on the episodes of SmackDown Live leading up to TLC.

Given their choice of weaponry, it came as little surprise when SmackDown general manager Paige booked them in a chairs match for the pay-per-view.

Although chairs matches aren't always the most exciting or logical affairs, the angle between Orton and Mysterio was built well, plus they are two consummate professionals who have shown they have excellent in-ring chemistry.

Since his return on the 1,000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio has given the blue brand another high-quality veteran capable of working anywhere on the card.

Meanwhile, Orton has been firing on all cylinders since turning heel, and he has been the perfect foil to the ultimate underdog and babyface in Mysterio.

Sunday's match was important not only in terms of settling a score but also because it could be argued the winner would be in line for a move up the card and potentially get into contention for the WWE Championship.

Neither Orton nor Mysterio necessarily need to hold a title given all they have accomplished, but they would add instant credibility to any title or Superstar they get involved with.

Mysterio's win suggests even bigger things are in store for him, but The Viper shouldn't be far behind when it comes to making an impact heading toward WrestleMania season.

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