TASOSOSFP wrote:
well,Toph was such a powerful eartbender when she was only 12,and Bumi was such a powerful earthbender when he was like 110 years old! xD
In King Bumi's page, under trivia, it suggests that it looked like he was promoted to king through the military. That means he had to be an excellent bender before he became king. Maybe he wasn't nearly as profficient at her age, but still.
The question was not "who is a better bender" but "who do you think would win in a fight"
Plus, Sokka was not a better swordsman than Piandao, but he still was able to hold his own. It's the same concept here. It's who is more versatile and who thinks like 'a mad genius'.