EVEN without awakening, pvp or non pvp gears will have a lapse in advantage amongst players as no one is on an exact equal footing.
Besides, with different varied gears, people are more motivated and feel challenged, which is something you can't really achieve through 'equal-geared' pvp.
By having equal gear pvp, yes it tests skill, then what about expensive pets? i personally dont even own a nekro.
There is too much knit knack into the details of reworking pvp in that way.
Let me give a counter-intuitive example, if two tanks both equally geared go against one another in a duel, and use their skills at exactly the same time, with exactly identical charge as well, there wouldnt even be a tie. The game is built in such a way where it highlights the idea of freedom of choice; choice in skills usage and skill points. This alone hints a more independent sort of pvp, where varied skills and gear would be required to establish and support such a system.

Instead of abolishing, i suggest creating the equal-gear, skill and pet pvp mode but also leaving the reality of the current pvp mode there.
Reason being is so that people can use the equal-geared pvp mode to truly test their skills, and can use any pet, or skill of their choice; skill of course being within the range of availability base on level, which shouldnt be a problem if the current level lock system in pvp maps remains.

In the current pvp mode, players can test their gear, skill and mettle against players with perhaps for the sake of this conversation, way better gear or way worse gear.
The equal-gear mode should be made to allow pvp players or non-pvp players to experience some form of pvp without the hassle of dying and just leaving with no apparent reason except to receive a bundle of toxic messages which follow death.

It may not be balanced, neither could it be fair, but nothing is fair afterall.