User blog comment:Flamesword300/Overlooked? Ichigos true strength/zanpakuto discussion/@comment-5551986-20130618190015/@comment-5551986-20130619080759

Ichigo is close to Yamamoto level in power already, I dare say Ichigo was one of the few "shinigami" who could dispatch a stern ritter using only his shikai. He had Quilge on the ropes for a good while using just plain ol' zangetsu. The only other people beating a stern ritter with shikai were Yamamoto and Zaraki.