At the 1969 World Championships, Evanoff refused to call a fall when one of the Iron Curtain country’s wrestler attempted to “throw” his match to prevent an American gold medal, and his decision was upheld by the jury of appeal.

Evanoff officiated seven Olympic Games and 44 World Championships. In 1981, he was one of the first six recipients of the FILA Gold Whistle award and four times received the FILA Cross, the highest award attainable in international wrestling.

He served as Vice President of the International Governing Body of Wrestling as well as chairman of International Officials Committee. Frequent color commentator for ABC, CBS and NBC, Evanoff was one of six members of President Richard Nixon's sport advisor committees and represented the Department of Defense on the World Military Sports Council.

He is regarded as the “father” of high school wrestling in Maine, where he introduced the sport in 1952. The Steve Evanoff award is presented to the state’s top Class A wrestler annually.

He is a member of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and the Seton Hall University Hall of Fame.