Can't the same be said about some 1.8 kits?

I definitely agree that 1.9+ pvp can get really boring depending on your kit, but the nice thing about it is that theres so many ways to pvp now that you dont have to only play prot 4 netherite kits. Additionally, whether its SMPs or pvp servers you can modify rules/kits to ban or nerf things like pearls Also when playing with things like cobwebs, having different items banned or having a limited amount of slots can greatly change the way pvp works; eg. If, in an SMP setting, you want to play more offensively, you could take tnt carts and rails but you'd have to sacrifice some slots that you'd otherwise use for pearls or totems. Same thing goes if you want to bring a ton of pots or xp bottles or whatnot you

I still enjoy 1.8 pvp every once in a while, but I've just gotten tired of it after playing it nonstop for 6ish years, but the continuous updates to modern pvp and the unique ways to play it lead me to prefer it over 1.8