Without a proper ladder system, or some other equivalent, there is nothing to indicate what your skill level is within the game. Valor rating is completely irrelevant since you can only gain there, even when losing your way through wzs.
There is only one progression in the game currently for PvPers, and that is the gear. If you remove that, then PvP will lose its appeal to the vast majority of people who now focus mostly on that. Without incentive, most lose interest, you cannot argue this point.
You then end up with a PvP that is very much a side option akin to space battles, ignored by most everyone who plays the game.
TL;DR while PvP should be about skill, the current system is inadequate, and proceeding with what we have now will lead to disaster.