The ADBA was created to test the performance quality of a APBT without actual pit fighting; the ADBA’s main focus was on weight pulling competitions with a spattering of conformation shows.
This organization was and is dedicated to recognizing the breed for its positive traits; those traits which the earliest of the breed were famous for. Those traits were NOT dog fighting. The UKC recognized the breed and dropped the asinine requirement that the dog have won three fights upon the criminalization of the "sport".
Both AST’s and APBT’s were bred to be exceptionally sturdy and extremely human friendly, not to mention athletic, courageous, and tenacious.
They were originally made for controlling bulls - that's why "bull" is in the name (and bulls are real !@#$$@$!@#$). Just like their bulldog ancestors. Apparently unscrupulous people took that to the extreme and turned them all into bull-fighters - not dogs, bulls (again, real #!$#$%@#$!$). Dog-on-dog came later.