User blog comment:KrazyKeke/Who's Better: Ichigo or Byakuya?/@comment-4326112-20130309231603/@comment-3001427-20130310124511

See the ending of the fight again. Byakuya forfeited, he didnt lose, not really. The battle was never really about skill vs skill. It was a battle between Byakuya's resolve to uphold his duty, and kill Rukia vs Ichigo's resolve to save her. Probably why its one of my most favored battles. If you notice at the end, Ichigo could barely stand, he had to use his zanpakutou to prop himself up so he wouldnt fall over, his injuries were that bad. Whereas Byakuya was capable of comfortably walking away and using Shunpo to disappear from sight. Considering how easily Byakuya nearly dispatched with Ichigo, even after he made it clear that he wouldnt use all of Senkei to kill Ichigo (to his eternal relief I might add), Byakuya was still stronger at that point.