I legitimately laughed during the Swerve/Hangman match when it was announced that the rules would be relaxed during the match, because it implied that they were enforced at any other time.
Tony and his ducklings seem to think that following the rules in a wrestling match is a bad thing and that DQ's and count outs should be avoided at all cost, but they are tools that can be used to further programs and keep fans invested in the show. Flair got disqualified all the time.
You're invested in the match when you're watching a heel trying to sneak heel things past the ref, knowing that if they fail they'll lose the match. And if they fail and get the DQ, fans will want to tune in next time to see them get their comeuppance.
I haven't seen every show AEW has put on, but the only DQ I remember is Punk jumping MJF during their feud, costing him the match. In most matches, they bring weapons into the ring right in front of the ref, smash them through furniture and whatever else they think of and nothing happens. And forget about count outs. They spend three, four minutes outside the ring and the ref just watches.
The crowd knows there's no risk, so there's no tension. This guy has a chair, that guy has a baseball bat, those two are now sloppy hug-fighting out by the concession stands and nothing matters. We've seen it all on every show for months now, and we'll see it all again next week.
Whatever. I didn't sleep well and I'm grumpy.