The initiative will run for the month of June and seeks to gain 100 donors who will commit $100 (£79/€93) to the Foundation to "meet its mission to advance boxing as the sport of opportunity."

Tyson was arrested for the rape of then 18-year-old Desiree Washington in Indianapolis and the following year was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, although he was released on parole after three years.

Tyson denied the allegations in the trial that dominated headlines in the early 1990s and maintains his stance today.

The trial also sparked debates about racial attitudes in the criminal justice system, something which Tyson feels affected the verdict.

"I knew from the start that I'd get no justice," he wrote in his 2013 book Undisputed Truth: My Autobiography.

"I wasn't being tried in New York or Los Angeles; we were in Indianapolis, Indiana, historically one of the strongholds of the Ku Klux Klan.

"I had been found guilty by a jury of my "peers," only one of whom was Black."

Should the Foundation reach its goal, executive director Mike McAtee has committed to wearing a temporary face tattoo all day on June 30, Tyson’s birthday, as a tribute to him, and to help encourage excitement and participation in the initiative.

"Boxing saved my life, which is a claim Mike Tyson has made as well," said Mike McAtee.

"Those of us who know and support boxing know the power this sport has to change the course of one’s life outside of the ring.

"Supporting 'Be Like Mike' is a way to support that path for others, while having a little fun at the same time."

The original 'Be Like Mike' campaign ran in a 1991 Gatorade campaign celebrating basketball player Michael Jordan.

"USA Boxing Foundation is carrying the sentiment forward as a nod to Mike Tyson, not only because he is one of the sport’s greatest of all time, but to highlight his path to the sport, and all that he overcame," read a statement from the organisation.

In response to insidethegames, USA Boxing has claimed that the campaign is focused on its executive director McAtee and is not a tribute to Tyson despite what the Foundation says.

"In regards to the 'Be Like Mike' campaign, the concept came from the original 'Be Like Mike' campaign that Gatorade conducted with Michael Jordan, but ours is centered on the generosity of spirit Mike McAtee, USA Boxing Executive Director, has had for the USA Boxing Foundation, as one of the foundation's biggest supporters," a USA Boxing spokesperson told insidethegames.

"Our campaign is not a tribute to Mike Tyson, but an acknowledgment of several Mikes who have played a role in our sport.

"The boxing community is aware of Tyson's history. 

"We also consider boxing the sport of redemption and second chances. 

"This campaign operates in that spirit and is raising funds for young boxers, many of whom come from marginalized and disadvantaged communities, as a means of creating positive opportunities for our current and future boxers."